diff --git a/src/engine/dispatchContainer.cpp b/src/engine/dispatchContainer.cpp
index da37565b9..ca2d99ce2 100644
--- a/src/engine/dispatchContainer.cpp
+++ b/src/engine/dispatchContainer.cpp
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ void DivDispatchContainer::init(DivSystem sys, DivEngine* eng, int chanCount, do
       ((DivPlatformOPL*)dispatch)->setOPLType(3,true);
       break;
     case DIV_SYSTEM_SAA1099: {
-      int saaCore=eng->getConfInt("saaCore",0);
+      int saaCore=eng->getConfInt("saaCore",1);
       if (saaCore<0 || saaCore>2) saaCore=0;
       dispatch=new DivPlatformSAA1099;
       ((DivPlatformSAA1099*)dispatch)->setCore((DivSAACores)saaCore);
diff --git a/src/gui/gui.h b/src/gui/gui.h
index e1e414f83..0aec32566 100644
--- a/src/gui/gui.h
+++ b/src/gui/gui.h
@@ -547,7 +547,7 @@ class FurnaceGUI {
       audioQuality(0),
       arcadeCore(0),
       ym2612Core(0),
-      saaCore(0),
+      saaCore(1),
       mainFont(0),
       patFont(0),
       audioRate(44100),
diff --git a/src/gui/settings.cpp b/src/gui/settings.cpp
index 2d018399b..c8f6763b4 100644
--- a/src/gui/settings.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/settings.cpp
@@ -861,7 +861,7 @@ void FurnaceGUI::syncSettings() {
   settings.audioRate=e->getConfInt("audioRate",44100);
   settings.arcadeCore=e->getConfInt("arcadeCore",0);
   settings.ym2612Core=e->getConfInt("ym2612Core",0);
-  settings.saaCore=e->getConfInt("saaCore",0);
+  settings.saaCore=e->getConfInt("saaCore",1);
   settings.mainFont=e->getConfInt("mainFont",0);
   settings.patFont=e->getConfInt("patFont",0);
   settings.mainFontPath=e->getConfString("mainFontPath","");