diff --git a/src/notify.c b/src/notify.c
index b867374..df3e7af 100644
--- a/src/notify.c
+++ b/src/notify.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <time.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
 
 #ifdef __APPLE__
     #include <OpenAL/al.h>
@@ -232,13 +233,16 @@ void terminate_notify()
 }
 
 #ifdef _SOUND_NOTIFY
-void set_sound(Notification sound, const char* value)
+int set_sound(Notification sound, const char* value)
 {
     free(Control.sounds[sound]);
 
     size_t len = strlen(value) + 1;
     Control.sounds[sound] = calloc(1, len);
     memcpy(Control.sounds[sound], value, len);
+
+    struct stat buf;
+    return stat(value, &buf) == 0;
 }
 
 int play_sound_internal(Notification what, _Bool loop)
diff --git a/src/notify.h b/src/notify.h
index 1a3089c..6df75e6 100644
--- a/src/notify.h
+++ b/src/notify.h
@@ -66,8 +66,8 @@ void terminate_notify();
 int notify(ToxWindow* self, Notification notif, uint64_t flags);
 
 #ifdef _SOUND_NOTIFY
-void set_sound(Notification sound, const char* value);
+int set_sound(Notification sound, const char* value);
 void stop_sound(int sound);
 #endif /* _SOUND_NOTIFY */
 
-#endif /* _notify_h */
\ No newline at end of file
+#endif /* _notify_h */
diff --git a/src/settings.c b/src/settings.c
index ac4c915..4ab5276 100644
--- a/src/settings.c
+++ b/src/settings.c
@@ -36,6 +36,10 @@
 #include "settings.h"
 #include "line_info.h"
 
+#ifndef PACKAGE_DATADIR
+    #define PACKAGE_DATADIR "."
+#endif
+
 const struct _ui_strings {
     const char* self;
     const char* timestamps;
@@ -197,38 +201,60 @@ int settings_load(struct user_settings *s, const char *patharg)
 
 #ifdef _SOUND_NOTIFY
     if ((setting = config_lookup(cfg, sound_strings.self)) != NULL) {
-        if ( config_setting_lookup_string(setting, sound_strings.error, &str) == CONFIG_TRUE ) 
-            set_sound(error, str);
-                
-        if ( config_setting_lookup_string(setting, sound_strings.user_log_in, &str) ) 
-            set_sound(user_log_in, str);
+        if ( (config_setting_lookup_string(setting, sound_strings.error, &str) != CONFIG_TRUE) ||
+                !set_sound(error, str) )
+            set_sound(error, PACKAGE_DATADIR "/sounds/Error.wav");
         
-        if ( config_setting_lookup_string(setting, sound_strings.self_log_in, &str) ) 
-            set_sound(self_log_in, str);
+        if ( !config_setting_lookup_string(setting, sound_strings.user_log_in, &str) ||
+                !set_sound(user_log_in, str) )
+            set_sound(user_log_in, PACKAGE_DATADIR "/sounds/ContactLogsIn.wav");
         
-        if ( config_setting_lookup_string(setting, sound_strings.user_log_out, &str) ) 
-            set_sound(user_log_out, str);
+        if ( !config_setting_lookup_string(setting, sound_strings.self_log_in, &str) ||
+                !set_sound(self_log_in, str) )
+             set_sound(self_log_in, PACKAGE_DATADIR "/sounds/LogIn.wav");
         
-        if ( config_setting_lookup_string(setting, sound_strings.self_log_out, &str) ) 
-            set_sound(self_log_out, str);
+        if ( !config_setting_lookup_string(setting, sound_strings.user_log_out, &str) ||
+                !set_sound(user_log_out, str) )
+            set_sound(user_log_out, PACKAGE_DATADIR "/sounds/ContactLogsOut.wav");
         
-        if ( config_setting_lookup_string(setting, sound_strings.call_incoming, &str) ) 
-            set_sound(call_incoming, str);        
+        if ( !config_setting_lookup_string(setting, sound_strings.self_log_out, &str) ||
+                !set_sound(self_log_out, str) )
+            set_sound(self_log_out, PACKAGE_DATADIR "/sounds/LogOut.wav");
         
-        if ( config_setting_lookup_string(setting, sound_strings.call_outgoing, &str) ) 
-            set_sound(call_outgoing, str);
+        if ( !config_setting_lookup_string(setting, sound_strings.call_incoming, &str) ||
+                !set_sound(call_incoming, str) )
+            set_sound(call_incoming, PACKAGE_DATADIR "/sounds/IncomingCall.wav");
         
-        if ( config_setting_lookup_string(setting, sound_strings.generic_message, &str) ) 
-            set_sound(generic_message, str);
+        if ( !config_setting_lookup_string(setting, sound_strings.call_outgoing, &str) ||
+                !set_sound(call_outgoing, str) )
+            set_sound(call_outgoing, PACKAGE_DATADIR "/sounds/OutgoingCall.wav");
         
-        if ( config_setting_lookup_string(setting, sound_strings.transfer_pending, &str) ) 
-            set_sound(transfer_pending, str);
+        if ( config_setting_lookup_string(setting, sound_strings.generic_message, &str) ||
+                !set_sound(generic_message, str) )
+            set_sound(generic_message, PACKAGE_DATADIR "/sounds/NewMessage.wav");
         
-        if ( config_setting_lookup_string(setting, sound_strings.transfer_completed, &str) ) 
-            set_sound(transfer_completed, str);
+        if ( !config_setting_lookup_string(setting, sound_strings.transfer_pending, &str) ||
+                !set_sound(transfer_pending, str) )
+            set_sound(transfer_pending, PACKAGE_DATADIR "/sounds/TransferPending.wav");
+        
+        if ( !config_setting_lookup_string(setting, sound_strings.transfer_completed, &str) ||
+                !set_sound(transfer_completed, str) )
+            set_sound(transfer_completed, PACKAGE_DATADIR "/sounds/TransferComplete.wav");
+    }
+    else {
+        set_sound(error, PACKAGE_DATADIR "/sounds/Error.wav");
+        set_sound(user_log_in, PACKAGE_DATADIR "/sounds/ContactLogsIn.wav");
+        set_sound(self_log_in, PACKAGE_DATADIR "/sounds/LogIn.wav");
+        set_sound(user_log_out, PACKAGE_DATADIR "/sounds/ContactLogsOut.wav");
+        set_sound(self_log_out, PACKAGE_DATADIR "/sounds/LogOut.wav");
+        set_sound(call_incoming, PACKAGE_DATADIR "/sounds/IncomingCall.wav");
+        set_sound(call_outgoing, PACKAGE_DATADIR "/sounds/OutgoingCall.wav");
+        set_sound(generic_message, PACKAGE_DATADIR "/sounds/NewMessage.wav");
+        set_sound(transfer_pending, PACKAGE_DATADIR "/sounds/TransferPending.wav");
+        set_sound(transfer_completed, PACKAGE_DATADIR "/sounds/TransferComplete.wav");
     }
 #endif
 
     config_destroy(cfg);
     return 0;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}