diff --git a/src/notifybyaudio.cpp b/src/notifybyaudio.cpp
index 6ae63b8df8e7aa692e88b03ca7b7538c78101917..903e9969895af543c9ef56b39c88b3072c1a099b 100644
--- a/src/notifybyaudio.cpp
+++ b/src/notifybyaudio.cpp
@@ -60,16 +60,23 @@ void NotifyByAudio::notify(KNotification *notification, KNotifyConfig *config)
         return;
     }
 
-    QUrl soundURL = QUrl(soundFilename); // this CTOR accepts both absolute paths (/usr/share/sounds/blabla.ogg and blabla.ogg) w/o screwing the scheme
-    if (soundURL.isRelative() && !soundURL.toString().startsWith('/')) { // QUrl considers url.scheme.isEmpty() == url.isRelative()
-        soundURL = QUrl::fromLocalFile(QStandardPaths::locate(QStandardPaths::GenericDataLocation, QStringLiteral("sounds/") + soundFilename));
-
-        if (soundURL.isEmpty()) {
-            qCWarning(LOG_KNOTIFICATIONS) << "Audio notification requested, but sound file from notifyrc file was not found, aborting audio notification";
-
-            finish(notification);
-            return;
+    QUrl soundURL;
+    const auto dataLocations = QStandardPaths::standardLocations(QStandardPaths::GenericDataLocation);
+    foreach (const QString &dataLocation, dataLocations) {
+        soundURL = QUrl::fromUserInput(soundFilename,
+                                       dataLocation + "/sounds",
+                                       QUrl::AssumeLocalFile);
+        if (soundURL.isLocalFile() && QFile::exists(soundURL.toLocalFile())) {
+            break;
+        } else if (!soundURL.isLocalFile() && soundURL.isValid()) {
+            break;
         }
+        soundURL.clear();
+    }
+    if (soundURL.isEmpty()) {
+        qCWarning(LOG_KNOTIFICATIONS) << "Audio notification requested, but sound file from notifyrc file was not found, aborting audio notification";
+        finish(notification);
+        return;
     }
 
     Phonon::MediaObject *m;