diff --git a/INSTALL b/INSTALL
index cc6fbdc36..fdebbe71d 100644
--- a/INSTALL
+++ b/INSTALL
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ libsidplay2 - http://sidplay2.sourceforge.net/
 For C64 SID support.
 
 libfluidsynth - http://fluidsynth.resonance.org/
-For MIDI support (DO NOT USE - use libwildmidi instead)
+For MIDI support.
 
 libwildmidi - http://wildmidi.sourceforge.net/
 For MIDI support.
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index bf1d49ede..a054dd6ed 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -1111,7 +1111,6 @@ test_dump_playlist_SOURCES = test/dump_playlist.c \
 	src/audio_check.c src/pcm_buffer.c \
 	src/text_input_stream.c src/fifo_buffer.c \
 	src/cue/cue_parser.c src/cue/cue_parser.h \
-	src/timer.c src/clock.c \
 	src/fd_util.c
 
 if HAVE_FLAC
@@ -1138,7 +1137,6 @@ test_run_decoder_SOURCES = test/run_decoder.c \
 	src/fd_util.c \
 	src/audio_check.c \
 	src/audio_format.c \
-	src/timer.c src/clock.c \
 	$(ARCHIVE_SRC) \
 	$(INPUT_SRC) \
 	$(TAG_SRC) \
@@ -1160,7 +1158,6 @@ test_read_tags_SOURCES = test/read_tags.c \
 	src/uri.c \
 	src/fd_util.c \
 	src/audio_check.c \
-	src/timer.c src/clock.c \
 	$(DECODER_SRC)
 
 if HAVE_ID3TAG
diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index d9b75e191..30f44be42 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@ ver 0.18 (2012/??/??)
 ver 0.17.2 (2012/??/??)
 * protocol:
   - fix crash in local file check
+* decoder:
+  - fluidsynth: remove throttle (requires libfluidsynth 1.1)
+  - fluidsynth: stop playback at end of file
+  - fluidsynth: check MIDI file format while scanning
+  - fluidsynth: add sample rate setting
 * output:
   - httpd: use monotonic clock, avoid hiccups after system clock adjustment
   - httpd: fix throttling bug after resuming playback
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 358b674af..8659fdbb3 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -220,8 +220,8 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(flac,
 
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(fluidsynth,
 	AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-fluidsynth],
-		[enable MIDI support via fluidsynth (default: disable)]),,
-	enable_fluidsynth=no)
+		[enable MIDI support via fluidsynth (default: auto)]),,
+	enable_fluidsynth=auto)
 
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(gme,
 	AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-gme],
@@ -857,7 +857,7 @@ enable_flac_encoder=$enable_flac
 
 dnl -------------------------------- FluidSynth -------------------------------
 if test x$enable_fluidsynth = xyes; then
-	PKG_CHECK_MODULES(FLUIDSYNTH, [fluidsynth],
+	PKG_CHECK_MODULES(FLUIDSYNTH, [fluidsynth >= 1.1],
 		AC_DEFINE(ENABLE_FLUIDSYNTH, 1, [Define for fluidsynth support]),
 		enable_fluidsynth=no)
 fi
diff --git a/doc/user.xml b/doc/user.xml
index 942e5c767..65b7cb10f 100644
--- a/doc/user.xml
+++ b/doc/user.xml
@@ -937,6 +937,46 @@ systemctl start mpd.socket</programlisting>
 
       </section>
 
+      <section>
+        <title><varname>fluidsynth</varname></title>
+
+        <para>
+          MIDI decoder based on libfluidsynth.
+        </para>
+
+        <informaltable>
+          <tgroup cols="2">
+            <thead>
+              <row>
+                <entry>Setting</entry>
+                <entry>Description</entry>
+              </row>
+            </thead>
+            <tbody>
+              <row>
+                <entry>
+                  <varname>sample_rate</varname>
+                </entry>
+                <entry>
+                  The sample rate that shall be synthesized by the
+                  plugin.  Defaults to 48000.
+                </entry>
+              </row>
+              <row>
+                <entry>
+                  <varname>soundfont</varname>
+                </entry>
+                <entry>
+                  The absolute path of the soundfont file.  Defaults
+                  to
+                  <filename>/usr/share/sounds/sf2/FluidR3_GM.sf2</filename>.
+                </entry>
+              </row>
+            </tbody>
+          </tgroup>
+        </informaltable>
+      </section>
+
       <section>
         <title><varname>mikmod</varname></title>
 
@@ -966,6 +1006,37 @@ systemctl start mpd.socket</programlisting>
           </tgroup>
         </informaltable>
       </section>
+
+      <section>
+        <title><varname>wildmidi</varname></title>
+
+        <para>
+          MIDI decoder based on libwildmidi.
+        </para>
+
+        <informaltable>
+          <tgroup cols="2">
+            <thead>
+              <row>
+                <entry>Setting</entry>
+                <entry>Description</entry>
+              </row>
+            </thead>
+            <tbody>
+              <row>
+                <entry>
+                  <varname>config_file</varname>
+                </entry>
+                <entry>
+                  The absolute path of the timidity config file.  Defaults
+                  to
+                  <filename>/etc/timidity/timidity.cfg</filename>.
+                </entry>
+              </row>
+            </tbody>
+          </tgroup>
+        </informaltable>
+      </section>
     </section>
 
     <section>
diff --git a/src/decoder/fluidsynth_decoder_plugin.c b/src/decoder/fluidsynth_decoder_plugin.c
index 085f84f14..894b2d353 100644
--- a/src/decoder/fluidsynth_decoder_plugin.c
+++ b/src/decoder/fluidsynth_decoder_plugin.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (C) 2003-2011 The Music Player Daemon Project
+ * Copyright (C) 2003-2012 The Music Player Daemon Project
  * http://www.musicpd.org
  *
  * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
@@ -17,18 +17,9 @@
  * 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
  */
 
-/*
- * WARNING!  This plugin suffers from major shortcomings in the
- * libfluidsynth API, which render it practically unusable.  For a
- * discussion, see the post on the fluidsynth mailing list:
- *
- * http://www.mail-archive.com/fluid-dev@nongnu.org/msg01099.html
- *
- */
-
 #include "config.h"
 #include "decoder_api.h"
-#include "timer.h"
+#include "audio_check.h"
 #include "conf.h"
 
 #include <glib.h>
@@ -38,6 +29,9 @@
 #undef G_LOG_DOMAIN
 #define G_LOG_DOMAIN "fluidsynth"
 
+static unsigned sample_rate;
+static const char *soundfont_path;
+
 /**
  * Convert a fluidsynth log level to a GLib log level.
  */
@@ -75,8 +69,21 @@ fluidsynth_mpd_log_function(int level, char *message, G_GNUC_UNUSED void *data)
 }
 
 static bool
-fluidsynth_init(G_GNUC_UNUSED const struct config_param *param)
+fluidsynth_init(const struct config_param *param)
 {
+	GError *error = NULL;
+
+	sample_rate = config_get_block_unsigned(param, "sample_rate", 48000);
+	if (!audio_check_sample_rate(sample_rate, &error)) {
+		g_warning("%s\n", error->message);
+		g_error_free(error);
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	soundfont_path =
+		config_get_block_string(param, "soundfont",
+					"/usr/share/sounds/sf2/FluidR3_GM.sf2");
+
 	fluid_set_log_function(LAST_LOG_LEVEL,
 			       fluidsynth_mpd_log_function, NULL);
 
@@ -86,36 +93,24 @@ fluidsynth_init(G_GNUC_UNUSED const struct config_param *param)
 static void
 fluidsynth_file_decode(struct decoder *decoder, const char *path_fs)
 {
-	static const struct audio_format audio_format = {
-		.sample_rate = 48000,
-		.format = SAMPLE_FORMAT_S16,
-		.channels = 2,
-	};
 	char setting_sample_rate[] = "synth.sample-rate";
 	/*
 	char setting_verbose[] = "synth.verbose";
 	char setting_yes[] = "yes";
 	*/
-	const char *soundfont_path;
 	fluid_settings_t *settings;
 	fluid_synth_t *synth;
 	fluid_player_t *player;
-	char *path_dup;
 	int ret;
-	struct timer *timer;
 	enum decoder_command cmd;
 
-	soundfont_path =
-		config_get_string("soundfont",
-				  "/usr/share/sounds/sf2/FluidR3_GM.sf2");
-
 	/* set up fluid settings */
 
 	settings = new_fluid_settings();
 	if (settings == NULL)
 		return;
 
-	fluid_settings_setnum(settings, setting_sample_rate, 48000);
+	fluid_settings_setnum(settings, setting_sample_rate, sample_rate);
 
 	/*
 	fluid_settings_setstr(settings, setting_verbose, setting_yes);
@@ -146,11 +141,7 @@ fluidsynth_file_decode(struct decoder *decoder, const char *path_fs)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	/* temporarily duplicate the path_fs string, because
-	   fluidsynth wants a writable string */
-	path_dup = g_strdup(path_fs);
-	ret = fluid_player_add(player, path_dup);
-	g_free(path_dup);
+	ret = fluid_player_add(player, path_fs);
 	if (ret != 0) {
 		g_warning("fluid_player_add() failed");
 		delete_fluid_player(player);
@@ -170,47 +161,34 @@ fluidsynth_file_decode(struct decoder *decoder, const char *path_fs)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	/* set up a timer for synchronization; fluidsynth always
-	   decodes in real time, which forces us to synchronize */
-	/* XXX is there any way to switch off real-time decoding? */
-
-	timer = timer_new(&audio_format);
-	timer_start(timer);
-
 	/* initialization complete - announce the audio format to the
 	   MPD core */
 
+	struct audio_format audio_format;
+	audio_format_init(&audio_format, sample_rate, SAMPLE_FORMAT_S16, 2);
 	decoder_initialized(decoder, &audio_format, false, -1);
 
-	do {
+	while (fluid_player_get_status(player) == FLUID_PLAYER_PLAYING) {
 		int16_t buffer[2048];
 		const unsigned max_frames = G_N_ELEMENTS(buffer) / 2;
 
-		/* synchronize with the fluid player */
-
-		timer_add(timer, sizeof(buffer));
-		timer_sync(timer);
-
 		/* read samples from fluidsynth and send them to the
 		   MPD core */
 
 		ret = fluid_synth_write_s16(synth, max_frames,
 					    buffer, 0, 2,
 					    buffer, 1, 2);
-		/* XXX how do we see whether the player is done?  We
-		   can't access the private attribute
-		   player->status */
 		if (ret != 0)
 			break;
 
 		cmd = decoder_data(decoder, NULL, buffer, sizeof(buffer),
 				   0);
-	} while (cmd == DECODE_COMMAND_NONE);
+		if (cmd != DECODE_COMMAND_NONE)
+			break;
+	}
 
 	/* clean up */
 
-	timer_free(timer);
-
 	fluid_player_stop(player);
 	fluid_player_join(player);
 
@@ -224,10 +202,7 @@ fluidsynth_scan_file(const char *file,
 		     G_GNUC_UNUSED const struct tag_handler *handler,
 		     G_GNUC_UNUSED void *handler_ctx)
 {
-	/* to be implemented */
-	(void)file;
-
-	return true;
+	return fluid_is_midifile(file);
 }
 
 static const char *const fluidsynth_suffixes[] = {