diff --git a/src/client.cpp b/src/client.cpp
index cf8da89978..f86d471206 100755
--- a/src/client.cpp
+++ b/src/client.cpp
@@ -526,9 +526,18 @@ QString CClient::SetSndCrdDev ( const QString strNewDev )
 
     const QString strError = Sound.SetDev ( strNewDev );
 
-    // init again because the sound card actual buffer size might
-    // be changed on new device
-    Init();
+    if ( strError.isEmpty() )
+    {
+        // init again because the sound card actual buffer size might
+        // be changed on new device
+        Init();
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        bFraSiFactPrefSupported = false;
+        bFraSiFactDefSupported = false;
+        bFraSiFactSafeSupported = false;
+    }
 
     if ( bWasRunning )
     {
@@ -536,11 +545,8 @@ QString CClient::SetSndCrdDev ( const QString strNewDev )
         Sound.Start();
     }
 
-    // in case of an error inform the GUI about it
-    if ( !strError.isEmpty() )
-    {
-        emit SoundDeviceChanged ( strError );
-    }
+    // inform the GUI about change in state
+    emit SoundDeviceChanged ( strError );
 
     return strError;
 }
diff --git a/src/clientdlg.cpp b/src/clientdlg.cpp
index 993a343f72..c7a1b6be1d 100755
--- a/src/clientdlg.cpp
+++ b/src/clientdlg.cpp
@@ -1195,6 +1195,7 @@ void CClientDlg::OnSoundDeviceChanged ( QString strError )
     }
 
     // update the settings dialog
+    ClientSettingsDlg.SetDeviceErrors ( strError );
     ClientSettingsDlg.UpdateSoundDeviceChannelSelectionFrame();
 }
 
diff --git a/src/clientsettingsdlg.cpp b/src/clientsettingsdlg.cpp
index b86556d62b..08a784d719 100755
--- a/src/clientsettingsdlg.cpp
+++ b/src/clientsettingsdlg.cpp
@@ -104,6 +104,9 @@ CClientSettingsDlg::CClientSettingsDlg ( CClient*         pNCliP,
         "panel." ) + TOOLTIP_COM_END_TEXT );
 #endif
 
+    lblErrors->setText ( pSettings->strLoadErrors );
+    lblErrors->setWordWrap ( true );
+
     // sound card input/output channel mapping
     QString strSndCrdChanMapp = "<b>" + tr ( "Sound Card Channel Mapping" ) + ":</b> " +
         tr ( "If the selected sound card device offers more than one "
@@ -481,6 +484,11 @@ QString CClientSettingsDlg::GenSndCrdBufferDelayString ( const int     iFrameSiz
         QString().setNum ( iFrameSize ) + strAddText + ")";
 }
 
+void CClientSettingsDlg::SetDeviceErrors ( const QString& strError )
+{
+    lblErrors->setText ( strError );
+}
+
 void CClientSettingsDlg::UpdateSoundCardFrame()
 {
     // get current actual buffer size value
diff --git a/src/clientsettingsdlg.h b/src/clientsettingsdlg.h
index d6fef72c3b..d3fb175b8b 100755
--- a/src/clientsettingsdlg.h
+++ b/src/clientsettingsdlg.h
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ class CClientSettingsDlg : public CBaseDlg, private Ui_CClientSettingsDlgBase
                              const CMultiColorLED::ELightColor eOverallDelayLEDColor );
 
     void UpdateDisplay();
+    void SetDeviceErrors ( const QString& strError );
     void UpdateSoundDeviceChannelSelectionFrame();
 
 protected:
diff --git a/src/clientsettingsdlgbase.ui b/src/clientsettingsdlgbase.ui
index dd36343733..04f9fd01e6 100755
--- a/src/clientsettingsdlgbase.ui
+++ b/src/clientsettingsdlgbase.ui
@@ -49,6 +49,10 @@
            </property>
           </widget>
          </item>
+         <item>
+           <widget class="QLabel" name="lblErrors">
+           </widget>
+         </item>
          <item>
           <widget class="QPushButton" name="butDriverSetup">
            <property name="text">
diff --git a/src/settings.cpp b/src/settings.cpp
index 903032d2ce..ce32f35eec 100755
--- a/src/settings.cpp
+++ b/src/settings.cpp
@@ -352,14 +352,7 @@ void CClientSettings::ReadSettingsFromXML ( const QDomDocument&   IniXMLDocument
     // sound card selection
     const QString strError = pClient->SetSndCrdDev ( FromBase64ToString ( GetIniSetting ( IniXMLDocument, "client", "auddev_base64", "" ) ) );
 
-    if ( !strError.isEmpty() )
-    {
-#ifndef HEADLESS
-        // special case: when settings are loaded no GUI is yet created, therefore
-        // we have to create a warning message box here directly
-        QMessageBox::warning ( nullptr, APP_NAME, strError );
-#endif
-    }
+    strLoadErrors = strError;
 
     // sound card channel mapping settings: make sure these settings are
     // set AFTER the sound card device is set, otherwise the settings are
diff --git a/src/settings.h b/src/settings.h
index 55a5aecfc6..27fd011a0b 100755
--- a/src/settings.h
+++ b/src/settings.h
@@ -189,6 +189,7 @@ class CClientSettings : public CSettings
     bool       bWindowWasShownProfile;
     bool       bWindowWasShownConnect;
 
+    QString strLoadErrors;
 protected:
     // No CommandLineOptions used when reading Client inifile
     virtual void WriteSettingsToXML ( QDomDocument& IniXMLDocument ) override;
diff --git a/src/soundbase.cpp b/src/soundbase.cpp
index 50a3b9d283..b2ab061cf4 100755
--- a/src/soundbase.cpp
+++ b/src/soundbase.cpp
@@ -80,12 +80,20 @@ QStringList CSoundBase::GetDevNames()
 
     QStringList slDevNames;
 
+    bool currentInList = false;
+
     // put all device names in the string list
     for ( int iDev = 0; iDev < lNumDevs; iDev++ )
     {
+        currentInList |= ( strDriverNames[iDev] == strCurDevName );
         slDevNames << strDriverNames[iDev];
     }
 
+    if ( !currentInList )
+    {
+        slDevNames << strCurDevName;
+    }
+
     return slDevNames;
 }
 
@@ -94,114 +102,9 @@ QString CSoundBase::SetDev ( const QString strDevName )
 {
     QMutexLocker locker ( &MutexDevProperties );
 
-    // init return parameter with "no error"
-    QString strReturn = "";
-
-    // init flag for "load any driver"
-    bool bTryLoadAnyDriver = false;
-
-    // check if an ASIO driver was already initialized
-    if ( !strCurDevName.isEmpty() )
-    {
-        // a device was already been initialized and is used, first clean up
-        // driver
-        UnloadCurrentDriver();
-
-        const QString strErrorMessage = LoadAndInitializeDriver ( strDevName, false );
-
-        if ( !strErrorMessage.isEmpty() )
-        {
-            if ( strDevName != strCurDevName )
-            {
-                // loading and initializing the new driver failed, go back to
-                // original driver and create error message
-                LoadAndInitializeDriver ( strCurDevName, false );
-
-                // store error return message
-                strReturn = QString ( tr ( "The selected audio device could not be used "
-                    "because of the following error: " ) ) + strErrorMessage +
-                    QString ( tr ( " The previous driver will be selected." ) );
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                // loading and initializing the current driver failed, try to find
-                // at least one usable driver
-                bTryLoadAnyDriver = true;
-            }
-        }
-    }
-    else
-    {
-        if ( !strDevName.isEmpty() )
-        {
-            // This is the first time a driver is to be initialized, we first
-            // try to load the selected driver, if this fails, we try to load
-            // the first available driver in the system. If this fails, too, we
-            // throw an error that no driver is available -> it does not make
-            // sense to start the software if no audio hardware is available.
-            if ( !LoadAndInitializeDriver ( strDevName, false ).isEmpty() )
-            {
-                // loading and initializing the new driver failed, try to find
-                // at least one usable driver
-                bTryLoadAnyDriver = true;
-            }
-        }
-        else
-        {
-            // try to find one usable driver (select the first valid driver)
-            bTryLoadAnyDriver = true;
-        }
-    }
-
-    if ( bTryLoadAnyDriver )
-    {
-        // if a driver was previously selected, show a warning message
-        if ( !strDevName.isEmpty() )
-        {
-            strReturn = tr ( "The previously selected audio device "
-                "is no longer available or the audio driver properties have changed to a state which "
-                "is incompatible with this software. We now try to find a valid audio device. This new "
-                "audio device might cause audio feedback. So, before connecting to a server, please "
-                "check the audio device setting." );
-        }
-
-        // try to load and initialize any valid driver
-        QVector<QString> vsErrorList = LoadAndInitializeFirstValidDriver();
-
-        if ( !vsErrorList.isEmpty() )
-        {
-            // create error message with all details
-            QString sErrorMessage = "<b>" + tr ( "No usable " ) +
-                strSystemDriverTechniqueName + tr ( " audio device "
-                "(driver) found." ) + "</b><br><br>" + tr (
-                "In the following there is a list of all available drivers "
-                "with the associated error message:" ) + "<ul>";
-
-            for ( int i = 0; i < lNumDevs; i++ )
-            {
-                sErrorMessage += "<li><b>" + GetDeviceName ( i ) + "</b>: " + vsErrorList[i] + "</li>";
-            }
-            sErrorMessage += "</ul>";
-
-#ifdef _WIN32
-            // to be able to access the ASIO driver setup for changing, e.g., the sample rate, we
-            // offer the user under Windows that we open the driver setups of all registered
-            // ASIO drivers
-            sErrorMessage = sErrorMessage + "<br/>" + tr ( "Do you want to open the ASIO driver setups?" );
-
-            if ( QMessageBox::Yes == QMessageBox::information ( nullptr, APP_NAME, sErrorMessage, QMessageBox::Yes|QMessageBox::No ) )
-            {
-                LoadAndInitializeFirstValidDriver ( true );
-            }
-
-            sErrorMessage = APP_NAME + tr ( " could not be started because of audio interface issues." );
-#endif
-
-            throw CGenErr ( sErrorMessage );
-        }
-    }
+    strCurDevName = strDevName; // Update current device, even if loading fails.
 
-    return strReturn;
+    return LoadAndInitializeDriver ( strDevName, false );
 }
 
 QVector<QString> CSoundBase::LoadAndInitializeFirstValidDriver ( const bool bOpenDriverSetup )