diff --git a/audio/ossaudio.c b/audio/ossaudio.c
index ebf8b2397f22bfdb3b0551812b8f4bce82311b46..42bffaeafd1a94ef9051a016324de1b076d09e39 100644
--- a/audio/ossaudio.c
+++ b/audio/ossaudio.c
@@ -240,6 +240,31 @@ static void oss_dump_info (struct oss_params *req, struct oss_params *obt)
 }
 #endif
 
+#ifdef USE_DSP_POLICY
+static int oss_get_version (int fd, int *version, const char *typ)
+{
+    if (ioctl (fd, OSS_GETVERSION, &version)) {
+#if defined(__FreeBSD__) || defined(__FreeBSD_kernel__)
+        /*
+         * Looks like atm (20100109) FreeBSD knows OSS_GETVERSION
+         * since 7.x, but currently only on the mixer device (or in
+         * the Linuxolator), and in the native version that part of
+         * the code is in fact never reached so the ioctl fails anyway.
+         * Until this is fixed, just check the errno and if its what
+         * FreeBSD's sound drivers return atm assume they are new enough.
+         */
+        if (errno == EINVAL) {
+            *version = 0x040000;
+            return 0;
+        }
+#endif
+        oss_logerr2 (errno, typ, "Failed to get OSS version\n");
+        return -1;
+    }
+    return 0;
+}
+#endif
+
 static int oss_open (int in, struct oss_params *req,
                      struct oss_params *obt, int *pfd)
 {
@@ -289,10 +314,7 @@ static int oss_open (int in, struct oss_params *req,
     if (conf.policy >= 0) {
         int version;
 
-        if (ioctl (fd, OSS_GETVERSION, &version)) {
-            oss_logerr2 (errno, typ, "Failed to get OSS version\n");
-        }
-        else {
+        if (!oss_get_version (fd, &version, typ)) {
             if (conf.debug) {
                 dolog ("OSS version = %#x\n", version);
             }