diff --git a/include/SDL3/SDL_audio.h b/include/SDL3/SDL_audio.h
index b91586fd6a..90e0018b90 100644
--- a/include/SDL3/SDL_audio.h
+++ b/include/SDL3/SDL_audio.h
@@ -1064,6 +1064,15 @@ extern SDL_DECLSPEC SDL_AudioStream * SDLCALL SDL_CreateAudioStream(const SDL_Au
 /**
  * Get the properties associated with an audio stream.
  *
+ * The application can hang any data it wants here, but
+ * the following properties are understood by SDL:
+ *
+ * - `SDL_PROP_AUDIOSTREAM_KEEP_ON_SHUTDOWN_BOOLEAN`: if true, the stream will
+ *   not be automatically destroyed during SDL_Quit(). This property is
+ *   ignored for streams created through SDL_OpenAudioDeviceStream(). Streams
+ *   bound to devices that aren't destroyed will still be unbound.
+ *   Default false. (since SDL 3.4.0)
+ *
  * \param stream the SDL_AudioStream to query.
  * \returns a valid property ID on success or 0 on failure; call
  *          SDL_GetError() for more information.
@@ -1074,6 +1083,9 @@ extern SDL_DECLSPEC SDL_AudioStream * SDLCALL SDL_CreateAudioStream(const SDL_Au
  */
 extern SDL_DECLSPEC SDL_PropertiesID SDLCALL SDL_GetAudioStreamProperties(SDL_AudioStream *stream);
 
+#define SDL_PROP_AUDIOSTREAM_KEEP_ON_SHUTDOWN_BOOLEAN "SDL.audiostream.keep_on_shutdown"
+
+
 /**
  * Query the current format of an audio stream.
  *
diff --git a/src/audio/SDL_audio.c b/src/audio/SDL_audio.c
index 90d9f9bba6..979484c858 100644
--- a/src/audio/SDL_audio.c
+++ b/src/audio/SDL_audio.c
@@ -941,6 +941,9 @@ bool SDL_InitAudio(const char *driver_name)
         driver_name = SDL_GetHint(SDL_HINT_AUDIO_DRIVER);
     }
 
+    // save this off in case we kept any streams from a previous init/quit.
+    SDL_AudioStream *streams = current_audio.existing_streams;
+
     bool initialized = false;
     bool tried_to_init = false;
 
@@ -1024,6 +1027,8 @@ bool SDL_InitAudio(const char *driver_name)
 
     CompleteAudioEntryPoints();
 
+    current_audio.existing_streams = streams;  // in case we kept any.
+
     // Make sure we have a list of devices available at startup...
     SDL_AudioDevice *default_playback = NULL;
     SDL_AudioDevice *default_recording = NULL;
@@ -1073,9 +1078,13 @@ void SDL_QuitAudio(void)
 
     current_audio.impl.DeinitializeStart();
 
-    // Destroy any audio streams that still exist...
-    while (current_audio.existing_streams) {
-        SDL_DestroyAudioStream(current_audio.existing_streams);
+    // Destroy any audio streams that still exist...unless app asked to keep it.
+    SDL_AudioStream *next = NULL;
+    for (SDL_AudioStream *i = current_audio.existing_streams; i; i = next) {
+        next = i->next;
+        if (i->simplified || !SDL_GetBooleanProperty(i->props, SDL_PROP_AUDIOSTREAM_KEEP_ON_SHUTDOWN_BOOLEAN, false)) {
+            SDL_DestroyAudioStream(i);
+        }
     }
 
     SDL_LockRWLockForWriting(current_audio.device_hash_lock);