--- xmms-arts-0.4-orig/audio.c  2000-11-21 05:24:25.000000000 +0100 
+++ xmms-arts-0.4-new/audio.c   2002-10-02 12:46:57.000000000 +0200 
@@ -242,6 +242,12 @@ 
 {
 	gint length, cnt;
 
+	int errorcode;
+	errorcode = arts_init();
+	if (errorcode < 0) {
+		fprintf(stderr,"arts_init error: %s\n", arts_error_text(errorcode));
+	pthread_exit(NULL);
+	}
 
 	while (going)
 	{