diff --git a/features.in/sound/config.mk b/features.in/sound/config.mk
index a3edddbe..02b603e8 100644
--- a/features.in/sound/config.mk
+++ b/features.in/sound/config.mk
@@ -1,11 +1,16 @@
 +pulse: use/sound/pulse; @:
++alsa:  use/sound/alsa; @:
 
 # "bare" ALSA (which is good enough for many of us) with persistent levels
 use/sound:
 	@$(call add_feature)
 	@$(call add,THE_KMODULES,alsa sound)
-	@$(call add,THE_PACKAGES,amixer alsa-utils aplay udev-alsa)
+	@$(call add,THE_LISTS,sound/base)
+
+# ALSA only sound (additional utils needed if using pulseaudio)
+use/sound/alsa: use/sound
+	@$(call add,THE_PACKAGES,apulse)
 
 # PulseAudio (useful for per-app levels, dynamic devices and networked sound)
 use/sound/pulse: use/sound
-	@$(call add,THE_LISTS,pulseaudio)
+	@$(call add,THE_LISTS,sound/pulseaudio)
diff --git a/pkg.in/lists/sound/base b/pkg.in/lists/sound/base
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..93088b6c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg.in/lists/sound/base
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+amixer
+alsa-utils
+aplay
+udev-alsa
diff --git a/pkg.in/lists/pulseaudio b/pkg.in/lists/sound/pulseaudio
similarity index 100%
rename from pkg.in/lists/pulseaudio
rename to pkg.in/lists/sound/pulseaudio