diff --git a/.github/workflows/autobuild.yml b/.github/workflows/autobuild.yml
index ff3870df..90fa919e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/autobuild.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/autobuild.yml
@@ -593,8 +593,10 @@ jobs:
       - name: Configure core
         run: |
           echo "[binaries]" | tee -a ${{ runner.temp }}/cross.ini
-          echo "c = ['clang', '--target=${{ matrix.arch_llvm }}', '-fuse-ld=lld', '--sysroot=${{ steps.sysroot.outputs.root-path }}']" | tee -a ${{ runner.temp }}/cross.ini
-          echo "cpp = ['clang++', '--target=${{ matrix.arch_llvm }}', '-fuse-ld=lld', '--sysroot=${{ steps.sysroot.outputs.root-path }}']" | tee -a ${{ runner.temp }}/cross.ini
+          echo "c = ['clang', '--target=${{ matrix.arch_llvm }}', '--sysroot=${{ steps.sysroot.outputs.root-path }}']" | tee -a ${{ runner.temp }}/cross.ini
+          echo "c_ld = 'lld'" | tee -a ${{ runner.temp }}/cross.ini
+          echo "cpp = ['clang++', '--target=${{ matrix.arch_llvm }}', '--sysroot=${{ steps.sysroot.outputs.root-path }}']" | tee -a ${{ runner.temp }}/cross.ini
+          echo "cpp_ld = 'lld'" | tee -a ${{ runner.temp }}/cross.ini
           echo "ar = 'llvm-ar'" | tee -a ${{ runner.temp }}/cross.ini
           echo "strip = 'llvm-strip'" | tee -a ${{ runner.temp }}/cross.ini
           echo "[host_machine]" | tee -a ${{ runner.temp }}/cross.ini
@@ -604,6 +606,11 @@ jobs:
           echo "endian = '${{ matrix.endian }}'" | tee -a ${{ runner.temp }}/cross.ini
           echo "[properties]" | tee -a ${{ runner.temp }}/cross.ini
           echo "sys_root = '${{ steps.sysroot.outputs.root-path }}'" | tee -a ${{ runner.temp }}/cross.ini
+          echo "[cmake]" | tee -a ${{ runner.temp }}/cross.ini
+          echo "CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_INIT = '-fuse-ld=lld'" | tee -a ${{ runner.temp }}/cross.ini
+          echo "CMAKE_MODULE_LINKER_FLAGS_INIT = '-fuse-ld=lld'" | tee -a ${{ runner.temp }}/cross.ini
+          echo "CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS_INIT = '-fuse-ld=lld'" | tee -a ${{ runner.temp }}/cross.ini
+          echo "CMAKE_STATIC_LINKER_FLAGS_INIT = '-fuse-ld=lld'" | tee -a ${{ runner.temp }}/cross.ini
           echo '--------------------------------------------------------------------------------'
           CLICOLOR_FORCE=1 meson setup build --cross-file ${{ runner.temp }}/cross.ini --buildtype release -Db_lto=true -Dretro=true -Dretro_phase1_path=retro/build/retro-phase1
 
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index fff0c5d4..805a06db 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -152,8 +152,13 @@ if get_option('retro') == true
         '-DSHARED_FLUID',
     ]
     if host_endian == 'big'
+        retro_defines += '-DMKXPZ_BIG_ENDIAN'
         retro_defines += '-DWABT_BIG_ENDIAN=1'
     endif
+    if host_system == 'emscripten' or not compilers['cpp'].compiles('struct E {}; int main() { throw E(); }', name: 'check if C++ exceptions are enabled')
+        retro_defines += '-DMKXPZ_NO_EXCEPTIONS'
+        retro_defines += '-DBOOST_NO_EXCEPTIONS'
+    endif
 
     retro_link_args = []
     retro_cppflags = []
@@ -290,6 +295,14 @@ if get_option('retro') == true
 else
 
 global_sources += vcs_tag(command: ['git', 'rev-parse', '--short', 'HEAD'], fallback: 'unknown', input: 'src/git-hash.h.in', output: 'git-hash.h', replace_string: '@MKXPZ_GIT_HASH@')
+if host_endian == 'big'
+    global_args += '-DMKXPZ_BIG_ENDIAN'
+    global_args += '-DWABT_BIG_ENDIAN=1'
+endif
+if host_system == 'emscripten' or not compilers['cpp'].compiles('struct E {}; int main() { throw E(); }', name: 'check if C++ exceptions are enabled')
+    retro_defines += '-DMKXPZ_NO_EXCEPTIONS'
+    retro_defines += '-DBOOST_NO_EXCEPTIONS'
+endif
 
 xxd = find_program('xxd', native: true)
 
diff --git a/src/audio/al-util.h b/src/audio/al-util.h
index bf30d18f..bcc4a5a3 100644
--- a/src/audio/al-util.h
+++ b/src/audio/al-util.h
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@
 #ifndef ALUTIL_H
 #define ALUTIL_H
 
-#include <AL/al.h>
-#include <AL/alext.h>
+#include <al.h>
+#include <alext.h>
 
 #ifdef MKXPZ_RETRO
 #  include <memory>
diff --git a/src/audio/alstream.cpp b/src/audio/alstream.cpp
index 8534c173..b7c3bff3 100644
--- a/src/audio/alstream.cpp
+++ b/src/audio/alstream.cpp
@@ -31,9 +31,11 @@
 #include "sdl-util.h"
 #include "debugwriter.h"
 
-#include <SDL_mutex.h>
-#include <SDL_thread.h>
-#include <SDL_timer.h>
+#ifndef MKXPZ_RETRO
+#  include <SDL_mutex.h>
+#  include <SDL_thread.h>
+#  include <SDL_timer.h>
+#endif // MKXPZ_RETRO
 
 ALStream::ALStream(LoopMode loopMode,
 		           const std::string &threadId)
@@ -41,7 +43,10 @@ ALStream::ALStream(LoopMode loopMode,
 	  state(Closed),
 	  source(0),
 #ifdef MKXPZ_RETRO
+	  streamInited(false),
 	  sourceExhausted(false),
+	  threadTermReq(false),
+	  needsRewind(false),
 #else
 	  thread(0),
 #endif // MKXPZ_RETRO
@@ -308,7 +313,9 @@ void ALStream::openSource(const std::string &filename)
 
 void ALStream::stopStream()
 {
-#ifndef MKXPZ_RETRO
+#ifdef MKXPZ_RETRO
+	threadTermReq = true;
+#else
 	threadTermReq.set();
 
 	if (thread)
@@ -331,8 +338,12 @@ void ALStream::startStream(double offset)
 {
 	AL::Source::clearQueue(alSrc);
 
-#ifndef MKXPZ_RETRO
 	preemptPause = false;
+#ifdef MKXPZ_RETRO
+	streamInited = false;
+	sourceExhausted = false;
+	threadTermReq = false;
+#else
 	streamInited.clear();
 	sourceExhausted.clear();
 	threadTermReq.clear();
@@ -389,13 +400,11 @@ void ALStream::checkStopped()
 	if (state != Playing)
 		return;
 
-#ifndef MKXPZ_RETRO
 	/* If streaming thread hasn't queued up
 	 * buffers yet there's not point in querying
 	 * the AL source */
 	if (!streamInited)
 		return;
-#endif // MKXPZ_RETRO
 
 	/* If alSrc isn't playing, but we haven't
 	 * exhausted the data source yet, we're just
@@ -414,15 +423,13 @@ void ALStream::renderInit() {
 	bool firstBuffer = true;
 	ALDataSource::Status status;
 
-	//if (needsRewind)
+	if (needsRewind)
 		source->seekToOffset(startOffset);
 
 	for (int i = 0; i < STREAM_BUFS; ++i)
 	{
-#ifndef MKXPZ_RETRO
 		if (threadTermReq)
 			return;
-#endif
 
 		AL::Buffer::ID buf = alBuf[i];
 
@@ -438,15 +445,15 @@ void ALStream::renderInit() {
 			resumeStream();
 
 			firstBuffer = false;
-#ifndef MKXPZ_RETRO
+#ifdef MKXPZ_RETRO
+			streamInited = true;
+#else
 			streamInited.set();
-#endif
+#endif // MKXPZ_RETRO
 		}
 
-#ifndef MKXPZ_RETRO
 		if (threadTermReq)
 			return;
-#endif
 
 		if (status == ALDataSource::EndOfStream)
 		{
@@ -454,7 +461,7 @@ void ALStream::renderInit() {
 			sourceExhausted = true;
 #else
 			sourceExhausted.set();
-#endif
+#endif // MKXPZ_RETRO
 			break;
 		}
 	}
@@ -465,16 +472,24 @@ void ALStream::render() {
 
 	while (procBufs--)
 	{
-#ifndef MKXPZ_RETRO
 		if (threadTermReq)
 			break;
-#endif
 
 		AL::Buffer::ID buf = AL::Source::unqueueBuffer(alSrc);
 
+#ifndef MKXPZ_NO_EXCEPTIONS // `unqueueBuffer` will abort on error if C++ exceptions are disabled so we only need to check if `buf == AL::Buffer::ID(0)` if C++ exceptions are enabled
+#  ifdef MKXPZ_RETRO
+		if (buf == AL::Buffer::ID(0))
+		{
+			mkxp_retro::log_printf(RETRO_LOG_ERROR, "Error unqueueing OpenAL buffer\n");
+			std::abort();
+		}
+#  else
 		/* If something went wrong, try again later */
 		if (buf == AL::Buffer::ID(0))
 			break;
+#  endif // MKXPZ_RETRO
+#endif // MKXPZ_NO_EXCEPTIONS
 
 		if (buf == lastBuf)
 		{
@@ -506,7 +521,7 @@ void ALStream::render() {
 			sourceExhausted = true;
 #else
 			sourceExhausted.set();
-#endif
+#endif // MKXPZ_RETRO
 			return;
 		}
 
@@ -529,7 +544,7 @@ void ALStream::render() {
 			sourceExhausted = true;
 #else
 			sourceExhausted.set();
-#endif
+#endif // MKXPZ_RETRO
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/audio/alstream.h b/src/audio/alstream.h
index 1b6fc0b1..1d5b6a5f 100644
--- a/src/audio/alstream.h
+++ b/src/audio/alstream.h
@@ -52,7 +52,10 @@ struct ALStream
 	ALDataSource *source;
 
 #ifdef MKXPZ_RETRO
+	bool streamInited;
 	bool sourceExhausted;
+	bool threadTermReq;
+	bool needsRewind;
 #else
 	SDL_Thread *thread;
 
diff --git a/src/core.cpp b/src/core.cpp
index 1be327ab..e44798fe 100644
--- a/src/core.cpp
+++ b/src/core.cpp
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@
 #include <cstdarg>
 #include <cstring>
 #include <boost/optional.hpp>
-#include <AL/alc.h>
-#include <AL/alext.h>
+#include <alc.h>
+#include <alext.h>
 #include <fluidlite.h>
 #include <fluidsynth_priv.h>
 #include "git-hash.h"
diff --git a/src/eventthread.h b/src/eventthread.h
index 10f2535e..f521120d 100644
--- a/src/eventthread.h
+++ b/src/eventthread.h
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
 #include "keybindings.h"
 
 #ifdef MKXPZ_RETRO
-#  include <AL/alc.h>
+#  include <alc.h>
 #else
 typedef struct MKXPZ_ALCDEVICE ALCdevice;
 #endif // MKXPZ_RETRO
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index e90b5176..9aca9c06 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 #include "icon.png.xxd"
 #endif
 
-#include <AL/alc.h>
+#include <alc.h>
 
 #include <SDL.h>
 #include <SDL_image.h>
diff --git a/src/util/serial-util.h b/src/util/serial-util.h
index 29eb8df6..50b18775 100644
--- a/src/util/serial-util.h
+++ b/src/util/serial-util.h
@@ -25,16 +25,9 @@
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
-#ifdef MKXPZ_RETRO
-#  if WABT_BIG_ENDIAN
-#    error "Non little endian systems not supported"
-#  endif
-#else
-#  include <SDL_endian.h>
-#  if SDL_BYTEORDER != SDL_LIL_ENDIAN
-#    error "Non little endian systems not supported"
-#  endif
-#endif // MKXPZ_RETRO
+#ifdef MKXPZ_BIG_ENDIAN
+#  error "Non little endian systems not supported"
+#endif // MKXPZ_BIG_ENDIAN
 
 static inline int32_t
 readInt32(const char **dataP)