diff --git a/src/lib/alsa/meson.build b/src/lib/alsa/meson.build
index ee5b9840d..4171ed660 100644
--- a/src/lib/alsa/meson.build
+++ b/src/lib/alsa/meson.build
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ if not is_linux
   subdir_done()
 endif
 
-libasound_dep = dependency('alsa', version: '>= 1.1', required: get_option('alsa'))
+libasound_dep = dependency('alsa', version: '>= 1.2', required: get_option('alsa'))
 if not libasound_dep.found()
   alsa_dep = dependency('', required: false)
   subdir_done()
diff --git a/src/output/plugins/AlsaOutputPlugin.cxx b/src/output/plugins/AlsaOutputPlugin.cxx
index 08f87d2b7..4c64e75cd 100644
--- a/src/output/plugins/AlsaOutputPlugin.cxx
+++ b/src/output/plugins/AlsaOutputPlugin.cxx
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
 #include "lib/alsa/HwSetup.hxx"
 #include "lib/alsa/NonBlock.hxx"
 #include "lib/alsa/PeriodBuffer.hxx"
-#include "lib/alsa/Version.hxx"
 #include "lib/fmt/RuntimeError.hxx"
 #include "lib/fmt/ToBuffer.hxx"
 #include "../OutputAPI.hxx"
@@ -175,17 +174,6 @@ class AlsaOutput final
 	bool need_thesycon_dsd_workaround = thesycon_dsd_workaround;
 #endif
 
-	/**
-	 * Is this a buggy alsa-lib version, which needs a workaround
-	 * for the snd_pcm_drain() bug always returning -EAGAIN?  See
-	 * alsa-lib commits fdc898d41135 and e4377b16454f for details.
-	 * This bug was fixed in alsa-lib version 1.1.4.
-	 *
-	 * The workaround is to re-enable blocking mode for the
-	 * snd_pcm_drain() call.
-	 */
-	bool work_around_drain_bug;
-
 	/**
 	 * After Open() or Cancel(), has this output been activated by
 	 * a Play() command?
@@ -657,19 +645,6 @@ AlsaOutput::SetupOrDop(AudioFormat &audio_format, PcmExport::Params &params
 #endif
 }
 
-static constexpr bool
-MaybeDmix(snd_pcm_type_t type)
-{
-	return type == SND_PCM_TYPE_DMIX || type == SND_PCM_TYPE_PLUG;
-}
-
-[[gnu::pure]]
-static bool
-MaybeDmix(snd_pcm_t *pcm) noexcept
-{
-	return MaybeDmix(snd_pcm_type(pcm));
-}
-
 static const Alsa::AllowedFormat &
 BestMatch(const std::forward_list<Alsa::AllowedFormat> &haystack,
 	  const AudioFormat &needle)
@@ -842,9 +817,6 @@ AlsaOutput::Open(AudioFormat &audio_format)
 						       GetDevice()));
 	}
 
-	work_around_drain_bug = MaybeDmix(pcm) &&
-		GetRuntimeAlsaVersion() < MakeAlsaVersion(1, 1, 4);
-
 	snd_pcm_nonblock(pcm, 1);
 
 #ifdef ENABLE_DSD
@@ -1058,14 +1030,7 @@ AlsaOutput::DrainInternal()
 
 	/* .. and finally drain the ALSA hardware buffer */
 
-	int result;
-	if (work_around_drain_bug) {
-		snd_pcm_nonblock(pcm, 0);
-		result = snd_pcm_drain(pcm);
-		snd_pcm_nonblock(pcm, 1);
-	} else
-		result = snd_pcm_drain(pcm);
-
+	const int result = snd_pcm_drain(pcm);
 	if (result == 0)
 		return true;
 	else if (result == -EAGAIN)