diff --git a/cmake/sdlchecks.cmake b/cmake/sdlchecks.cmake
index 98fadf9bd4..c02a9f9e37 100644
--- a/cmake/sdlchecks.cmake
+++ b/cmake/sdlchecks.cmake
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ endmacro()
 # - HAVE_SDL_LOADSO opt
 macro(CheckPulseAudio)
   if(SDL_PULSEAUDIO)
-    pkg_check_modules(PKG_PULSEAUDIO libpulse-simple>=0.9.15)
+    pkg_check_modules(PKG_PULSEAUDIO libpulse-simple>=5.0)
     if(PKG_PULSEAUDIO_FOUND)
       set(HAVE_PULSEAUDIO TRUE)
       file(GLOB PULSEAUDIO_SOURCES ${SDL3_SOURCE_DIR}/src/audio/pulseaudio/*.c)
diff --git a/src/audio/pulseaudio/SDL_pulseaudio.c b/src/audio/pulseaudio/SDL_pulseaudio.c
index 8c5e049257..adc1d0dd6b 100644
--- a/src/audio/pulseaudio/SDL_pulseaudio.c
+++ b/src/audio/pulseaudio/SDL_pulseaudio.c
@@ -190,6 +190,7 @@ static int load_pulseaudio_syms(void)
     SDL_PULSEAUDIO_SYM(pa_threaded_mainloop_wait);
     SDL_PULSEAUDIO_SYM(pa_threaded_mainloop_signal);
     SDL_PULSEAUDIO_SYM(pa_threaded_mainloop_free);
+    SDL_PULSEAUDIO_SYM(pa_threaded_mainloop_set_name);
     SDL_PULSEAUDIO_SYM(pa_operation_get_state);
     SDL_PULSEAUDIO_SYM(pa_operation_cancel);
     SDL_PULSEAUDIO_SYM(pa_operation_set_state_callback);
@@ -226,15 +227,6 @@ static int load_pulseaudio_syms(void)
     SDL_PULSEAUDIO_SYM(pa_stream_set_read_callback);
     SDL_PULSEAUDIO_SYM(pa_context_get_server_info);
 
-    /* optional */
-#ifdef SDL_AUDIO_DRIVER_PULSEAUDIO_DYNAMIC
-    load_pulseaudio_sym("pa_threaded_mainloop_set_name", (void **)(char *)&PULSEAUDIO_pa_threaded_mainloop_set_name);
-#elif (PA_PROTOCOL_VERSION >= 29)
-    PULSEAUDIO_pa_threaded_mainloop_set_name = pa_threaded_mainloop_set_name;
-#else
-    PULSEAUDIO_pa_threaded_mainloop_set_name = NULL;
-#endif
-
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -320,9 +312,7 @@ static int ConnectToPulseServer(void)
         return SDL_SetError("pa_threaded_mainloop_new() failed");
     }
 
-    if (PULSEAUDIO_pa_threaded_mainloop_set_name) {
-        PULSEAUDIO_pa_threaded_mainloop_set_name(pulseaudio_threaded_mainloop, "PulseMainloop");
-    }
+    PULSEAUDIO_pa_threaded_mainloop_set_name(pulseaudio_threaded_mainloop, "PulseMainloop");
 
     if (PULSEAUDIO_pa_threaded_mainloop_start(pulseaudio_threaded_mainloop) < 0) {
         PULSEAUDIO_pa_threaded_mainloop_free(pulseaudio_threaded_mainloop);