diff --git a/bochs/iodev/speaker.cc b/bochs/iodev/speaker.cc
index 4994e2998..7010b5375 100644
--- a/bochs/iodev/speaker.cc
+++ b/bochs/iodev/speaker.cc
@@ -61,9 +61,8 @@ bx_speaker_c::bx_speaker_c()
   put("speaker", "SPEAK");
 
   beep_frequency = 0.0; // Off
-
 #ifdef __linux__
-  consolefd = open("/dev/console", O_WRONLY);
+  consolefd = -1;
 #endif
 }
 
@@ -80,20 +79,32 @@ bx_speaker_c::~bx_speaker_c()
 
 void bx_speaker_c::init(void)
 {
-#ifdef __linux__
-  if (consolefd != -1) {
-    BX_INFO(("Open /dev/console successfully"));
-  } else {
-    BX_INFO(("Failed to open /dev/console: %s", strerror(errno)));
-    BX_INFO(("Deactivating beep on console"));
-  }
-#endif
-
-  this->beep_off();
+  outputinit = 0;
 }
 
 void bx_speaker_c::reset(unsigned type)
 {
+  if (!outputinit) {
+    outputinit = 1;
+#if BX_SUPPORT_SOUNDLOW
+    if (DEV_soundmod_beep_off()) {
+      BX_INFO(("Using lowlevel sound support for output"));
+      return;
+    }
+#endif
+#ifdef __linux__
+    consolefd = open("/dev/console", O_WRONLY);
+    if (consolefd != -1) {
+      BX_INFO(("Using /dev/console for output"));
+    } else {
+      BX_ERROR(("Failed to open /dev/console: %s", strerror(errno)));
+      BX_ERROR(("Deactivating beep on console"));
+    }
+#elif defined(WIN32)
+    BX_INFO(("Using system beep for output"));
+#endif
+  }
+
   beep_off();
 }
 
diff --git a/bochs/iodev/speaker.h b/bochs/iodev/speaker.h
index f03a4c1d4..13df48f5e 100644
--- a/bochs/iodev/speaker.h
+++ b/bochs/iodev/speaker.h
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ public:
     void beep_off();
 private:
     float beep_frequency;  // 0 : beep is off
+    bx_bool outputinit;
 #ifdef __linux__
     /* Do we have access?  If not, just skip everything else. */
     signed int consolefd;