diff --git a/audio/audio_template.h b/audio/audio_template.h
index 235d1acbbebb..b6c5466cff9e 100644
--- a/audio/audio_template.h
+++ b/audio/audio_template.h
@@ -78,13 +78,17 @@ static void glue (audio_pcm_hw_free_resources_, TYPE) (HW *hw)
 
 static void glue(audio_pcm_hw_alloc_resources_, TYPE)(HW *hw)
 {
-    size_t samples = hw->samples;
-    if (audio_bug(__func__, samples == 0)) {
-        dolog("Attempted to allocate empty buffer\n");
-    }
+    if (glue(audio_get_pdo_, TYPE)(hw->s->dev)->mixing_engine) {
+        size_t samples = hw->samples;
+        if (audio_bug(__func__, samples == 0)) {
+            dolog("Attempted to allocate empty buffer\n");
+        }
 
-    HWBUF = g_malloc0(sizeof(STSampleBuffer) + sizeof(st_sample) * samples);
-    HWBUF->size = samples;
+        HWBUF = g_malloc0(sizeof(STSampleBuffer) + sizeof(st_sample) * samples);
+        HWBUF->size = samples;
+    } else {
+        HWBUF = NULL;
+    }
 }
 
 static void glue (audio_pcm_sw_free_resources_, TYPE) (SW *sw)
@@ -103,6 +107,10 @@ static int glue (audio_pcm_sw_alloc_resources_, TYPE) (SW *sw)
 {
     int samples;
 
+    if (!glue(audio_get_pdo_, TYPE)(sw->s->dev)->mixing_engine) {
+        return 0;
+    }
+
     samples = ((int64_t) sw->HWBUF->size << 32) / sw->ratio;
 
     sw->buf = audio_calloc(__func__, samples, sizeof(struct st_sample));
diff --git a/audio/audio.c b/audio/audio.c
index 7128ee98dc97..d616a4af98bd 100644
--- a/audio/audio.c
+++ b/audio/audio.c
@@ -838,32 +838,46 @@ static void audio_timer (void *opaque)
  */
 size_t AUD_write(SWVoiceOut *sw, void *buf, size_t size)
 {
+    HWVoiceOut *hw;
+
     if (!sw) {
         /* XXX: Consider options */
         return size;
     }
+    hw = sw->hw;
 
-    if (!sw->hw->enabled) {
+    if (!hw->enabled) {
         dolog ("Writing to disabled voice %s\n", SW_NAME (sw));
         return 0;
     }
 
-    return audio_pcm_sw_write(sw, buf, size);
+    if (audio_get_pdo_out(hw->s->dev)->mixing_engine) {
+        return audio_pcm_sw_write(sw, buf, size);
+    } else {
+        return hw->pcm_ops->write(hw, buf, size);
+    }
 }
 
 size_t AUD_read(SWVoiceIn *sw, void *buf, size_t size)
 {
+    HWVoiceIn *hw;
+
     if (!sw) {
         /* XXX: Consider options */
         return size;
     }
+    hw = sw->hw;
 
-    if (!sw->hw->enabled) {
+    if (!hw->enabled) {
         dolog ("Reading from disabled voice %s\n", SW_NAME (sw));
         return 0;
     }
 
-    return audio_pcm_sw_read(sw, buf, size);
+    if (audio_get_pdo_in(hw->s->dev)->mixing_engine) {
+        return audio_pcm_sw_read(sw, buf, size);
+    } else {
+        return hw->pcm_ops->read(hw, buf, size);
+    }
 }
 
 int AUD_get_buffer_size_out (SWVoiceOut *sw)
@@ -1090,6 +1104,26 @@ static void audio_run_out (AudioState *s)
     HWVoiceOut *hw = NULL;
     SWVoiceOut *sw;
 
+    if (!audio_get_pdo_out(s->dev)->mixing_engine) {
+        while ((hw = audio_pcm_hw_find_any_enabled_out(s, hw))) {
+            /* there is exactly 1 sw for each hw with no mixeng */
+            sw = hw->sw_head.lh_first;
+
+            if (hw->pending_disable) {
+                hw->enabled = 0;
+                hw->pending_disable = 0;
+                if (hw->pcm_ops->enable_out) {
+                    hw->pcm_ops->enable_out(hw, false);
+                }
+            }
+
+            if (sw->active) {
+                sw->callback.fn(sw->callback.opaque, INT_MAX);
+            }
+        }
+        return;
+    }
+
     while ((hw = audio_pcm_hw_find_any_enabled_out(s, hw))) {
         size_t played, live, prev_rpos, free;
         int nb_live, cleanup_required;
@@ -1227,6 +1261,17 @@ static void audio_run_in (AudioState *s)
 {
     HWVoiceIn *hw = NULL;
 
+    if (!audio_get_pdo_in(s->dev)->mixing_engine) {
+        while ((hw = audio_pcm_hw_find_any_enabled_in(s, hw))) {
+            /* there is exactly 1 sw for each hw with no mixeng */
+            SWVoiceIn *sw = hw->sw_head.lh_first;
+            if (sw->active) {
+                sw->callback.fn(sw->callback.opaque, INT_MAX);
+            }
+        }
+        return;
+    }
+
     while ((hw = audio_pcm_hw_find_any_enabled_in(s, hw))) {
         SWVoiceIn *sw;
         size_t captured = 0, min;
@@ -1751,6 +1796,11 @@ CaptureVoiceOut *AUD_add_capture(
         s = audio_init(NULL, NULL);
     }
 
+    if (!audio_get_pdo_out(s->dev)->mixing_engine) {
+        dolog("Can't capture with mixeng disabled\n");
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
     if (audio_validate_settings (as)) {
         dolog ("Invalid settings were passed when trying to add capture\n");
         audio_print_settings (as);
@@ -1905,9 +1955,13 @@ void audio_create_pdos(Audiodev *dev)
 static void audio_validate_per_direction_opts(
     AudiodevPerDirectionOptions *pdo, Error **errp)
 {
+    if (!pdo->has_mixing_engine) {
+        pdo->has_mixing_engine = true;
+        pdo->mixing_engine = true;
+    }
     if (!pdo->has_fixed_settings) {
         pdo->has_fixed_settings = true;
-        pdo->fixed_settings = true;
+        pdo->fixed_settings = pdo->mixing_engine;
     }
     if (!pdo->fixed_settings &&
         (pdo->has_frequency || pdo->has_channels || pdo->has_format)) {
@@ -1915,6 +1969,10 @@ static void audio_validate_per_direction_opts(
                    "You can't use frequency, channels or format with fixed-settings=off");
         return;
     }
+    if (!pdo->mixing_engine && pdo->fixed_settings) {
+        error_setg(errp, "You can't use fixed-settings without mixeng");
+        return;
+    }
 
     if (!pdo->has_frequency) {
         pdo->has_frequency = true;
@@ -1926,7 +1984,7 @@ static void audio_validate_per_direction_opts(
     }
     if (!pdo->has_voices) {
         pdo->has_voices = true;
-        pdo->voices = 1;
+        pdo->voices = pdo->mixing_engine ? 1 : INT_MAX;
     }
     if (!pdo->has_format) {
         pdo->has_format = true;
