diff --git a/src/SFML/Audio/ALCheck.cpp b/src/SFML/Audio/ALCheck.cpp
index 03520950..fdfda895 100644
--- a/src/SFML/Audio/ALCheck.cpp
+++ b/src/SFML/Audio/ALCheck.cpp
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 // Headers
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 #include <SFML/Audio/ALCheck.hpp>
+#include <SFML/Audio/AudioDevice.hpp>
 
 
 namespace sf
@@ -88,6 +89,19 @@ void ALCheckError(const std::string& file, unsigned int line)
                   << std::endl;
     }
 }
+
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// Make sure that OpenAL is initialized
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+void EnsureALInit()
+{
+    // The audio device is instanciated on demand rather than at global startup,
+    // which solves a lot of weird crashes and errors.
+    /// It is destroyed at global exit which is fine.
+
+    static AudioDevice globalDevice;
+}
 
 } // namespace priv
 
diff --git a/src/SFML/Audio/ALCheck.hpp b/src/SFML/Audio/ALCheck.hpp
index 7832845d..20148f2f 100644
--- a/src/SFML/Audio/ALCheck.hpp
+++ b/src/SFML/Audio/ALCheck.hpp
@@ -71,6 +71,12 @@ namespace priv
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 void ALCheckError(const std::string& file, unsigned int line);
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// Make sure that OpenAL is initialized
+///
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+void EnsureALInit();
+
 } // namespace priv
 
 } // namespace sf
diff --git a/src/SFML/Audio/AudioDevice.cpp b/src/SFML/Audio/AudioDevice.cpp
index a396b921..4c16b200 100644
--- a/src/SFML/Audio/AudioDevice.cpp
+++ b/src/SFML/Audio/AudioDevice.cpp
@@ -26,20 +26,20 @@
 // Headers
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 #include <SFML/Audio/AudioDevice.hpp>
+#include <SFML/Audio/ALCheck.hpp>
 #include <SFML/Audio/Listener.hpp>
-#include <algorithm>
 #include <iostream>
 
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 // Private data
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-namespace
+namespace 
 {
-    sf::priv::AudioDevice globalDevice;
+    ALCdevice*  audioDevice  = NULL;
+    ALCcontext* audioContext = NULL;
 }
 
-
 namespace sf
 {
 namespace priv
@@ -48,17 +48,17 @@ namespace priv
 AudioDevice::AudioDevice()
 {
     // Create the device
-    myDevice = alcOpenDevice(NULL);
+    audioDevice = alcOpenDevice(NULL);
 
-    if (myDevice)
+    if (audioDevice)
     {
         // Create the context
-        myContext = alcCreateContext(myDevice, NULL);
+        audioContext = alcCreateContext(audioDevice, NULL);
 
-        if (myContext)
+        if (audioContext)
         {
             // Set the context as the current one (we'll only need one)
-            alcMakeContextCurrent(myContext);
+            alcMakeContextCurrent(audioContext);
 
             // Initialize the listener, located at the origin and looking along the Z axis
             Listener::SetPosition(0.f, 0.f, 0.f);
@@ -81,28 +81,32 @@ AudioDevice::~AudioDevice()
 {
     // Destroy the context
     alcMakeContextCurrent(NULL);
-    if (myContext)
-        alcDestroyContext(myContext);
+    if (audioContext)
+        alcDestroyContext(audioContext);
     
     // Destroy the device
-    if (myDevice)
-        alcCloseDevice(myDevice);
+    if (audioDevice)
+        alcCloseDevice(audioDevice);
 }
 
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 bool AudioDevice::IsExtensionSupported(const std::string& extension)
 {
+    EnsureALInit();
+
     if ((extension.length() > 2) && (extension.substr(0, 3) == "ALC"))
-        return alcIsExtensionPresent(globalDevice.myDevice, extension.c_str()) != AL_FALSE;
+        return alcIsExtensionPresent(audioDevice, extension.c_str()) != AL_FALSE;
     else
         return alIsExtensionPresent(extension.c_str()) != AL_FALSE;
 }
 
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-ALenum AudioDevice::GetFormatFromChannelsCount(unsigned int channelsCount)
+int AudioDevice::GetFormatFromChannelsCount(unsigned int channelsCount)
 {
+    EnsureALInit();
+
     // Find the good format according to the number of channels
     switch (channelsCount)
     {
diff --git a/src/SFML/Audio/AudioDevice.hpp b/src/SFML/Audio/AudioDevice.hpp
index 0df6c8d7..334869f9 100644
--- a/src/SFML/Audio/AudioDevice.hpp
+++ b/src/SFML/Audio/AudioDevice.hpp
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 // Headers
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-#include <SFML/Audio/ALCheck.hpp>
 #include <set>
 #include <string>
 
@@ -81,15 +80,7 @@ public :
     /// \return Corresponding format
     ///
     ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-    static ALenum GetFormatFromChannelsCount(unsigned int channelsCount);
-
-private :
-
-    ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-    // Member data
-    ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-    ALCdevice*  myDevice;  ///< Audio device
-    ALCcontext* myContext; ///< Audio context
+    static int GetFormatFromChannelsCount(unsigned int channelsCount);
 };
 
 } // namespace priv
diff --git a/src/SFML/Audio/Listener.cpp b/src/SFML/Audio/Listener.cpp
index c9bac558..9e2f9490 100644
--- a/src/SFML/Audio/Listener.cpp
+++ b/src/SFML/Audio/Listener.cpp
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ namespace sf
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 void Listener::SetGlobalVolume(float volume)
 {
+    priv::EnsureALInit();
+
     ALCheck(alListenerf(AL_GAIN, volume * 0.01f));
 }
 
@@ -41,6 +43,8 @@ void Listener::SetGlobalVolume(float volume)
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 float Listener::GetGlobalVolume()
 {
+    priv::EnsureALInit();
+
     float volume = 0.f;
     ALCheck(alGetListenerf(AL_GAIN, &volume));
 
@@ -51,6 +55,8 @@ float Listener::GetGlobalVolume()
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 void Listener::SetPosition(float x, float y, float z)
 {
+    priv::EnsureALInit();
+
     ALCheck(alListener3f(AL_POSITION, x, y, z));
 }
 
@@ -65,6 +71,8 @@ void Listener::SetPosition(const Vector3f& position)
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 Vector3f Listener::GetPosition()
 {
+    priv::EnsureALInit();
+
     Vector3f position;
     ALCheck(alGetListener3f(AL_POSITION, &position.x, &position.y, &position.z));
 
@@ -75,6 +83,8 @@ Vector3f Listener::GetPosition()
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 void Listener::SetDirection(float x, float y, float z)
 {
+    priv::EnsureALInit();
+
     float orientation[] = {x, y, z, 0.f, 1.f, 0.f};
     ALCheck(alListenerfv(AL_ORIENTATION, orientation));
 }
@@ -90,6 +100,8 @@ void Listener::SetDirection(const Vector3f& direction)
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 Vector3f Listener::GetDirection()
 {
+    priv::EnsureALInit();
+
     float orientation[6];
     ALCheck(alGetListenerfv(AL_ORIENTATION, orientation));
 
diff --git a/src/SFML/Audio/SoundBuffer.cpp b/src/SFML/Audio/SoundBuffer.cpp
index 21306e04..ec498e8a 100644
--- a/src/SFML/Audio/SoundBuffer.cpp
+++ b/src/SFML/Audio/SoundBuffer.cpp
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@ SoundBuffer::SoundBuffer() :
 myBuffer  (0),
 myDuration(0.f)
 {
+    priv::EnsureALInit();
+
     // Create the buffer
     ALCheck(alGenBuffers(1, &myBuffer));
 }
diff --git a/src/SFML/Audio/SoundRecorder.cpp b/src/SFML/Audio/SoundRecorder.cpp
index 796eda65..37a3c254 100644
--- a/src/SFML/Audio/SoundRecorder.cpp
+++ b/src/SFML/Audio/SoundRecorder.cpp
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ SoundRecorder::SoundRecorder() :
 mySampleRate (0),
 myIsCapturing(false)
 {
-
+    priv::EnsureALInit();
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/SFML/Audio/SoundSource.cpp b/src/SFML/Audio/SoundSource.cpp
index a6c5de6a..cd52e87b 100644
--- a/src/SFML/Audio/SoundSource.cpp
+++ b/src/SFML/Audio/SoundSource.cpp
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ namespace sf
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 SoundSource::SoundSource()
 {
+    priv::EnsureALInit();
+
     ALCheck(alGenSources(1, &mySource));
     ALCheck(alSourcei(mySource, AL_BUFFER, 0));
 }
@@ -42,6 +44,8 @@ SoundSource::SoundSource()
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 SoundSource::SoundSource(const SoundSource& copy)
 {
+    priv::EnsureALInit();
+
     ALCheck(alGenSources(1, &mySource));
     ALCheck(alSourcei(mySource, AL_BUFFER, 0));