diff --git a/libs/backends/pulseaudio/pulseaudio_backend.cc b/libs/backends/pulseaudio/pulseaudio_backend.cc
index feb51e8290..f1923b1097 100644
--- a/libs/backends/pulseaudio/pulseaudio_backend.cc
+++ b/libs/backends/pulseaudio/pulseaudio_backend.cc
@@ -22,11 +22,14 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <sys/mman.h>
 #include <sys/time.h>
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
 
 #include <glibmm.h>
 
 #include "pbd/compose.h"
 #include "pbd/error.h"
+#include "pbd/file_utils.h"
 #include "pbd/pthread_utils.h"
 
 #include "ardour/port_manager.h"
@@ -521,6 +524,30 @@ PulseAudioBackend::midi_option () const
 	return get_standard_device_name (DeviceNone);
 }
 
+/* External control app */
+std::string
+PulseAudioBackend::control_app_name () const
+{
+	std::string ignored;
+	if (PBD::find_file (PBD::Searchpath (Glib::getenv("PATH")), X_("pavucontrol"), ignored)) {
+		return "pavucontrol";
+	}
+	return "";
+}
+
+void
+PulseAudioBackend::launch_control_app ()
+{
+#ifdef NO_VFORK
+	(void) system ("pavucontrol");
+#else
+	if (::vfork () == 0) {
+		::execlp ("pavucontrol", "pavucontrol", (char*)NULL);
+		exit (EXIT_SUCCESS);
+	}
+#endif
+}
+
 /* State Control */
 
 static void*
diff --git a/libs/backends/pulseaudio/pulseaudio_backend.h b/libs/backends/pulseaudio/pulseaudio_backend.h
index d4eccf2bad..a886603274 100644
--- a/libs/backends/pulseaudio/pulseaudio_backend.h
+++ b/libs/backends/pulseaudio/pulseaudio_backend.h
@@ -202,8 +202,8 @@ public:
 	uint32_t    systemic_midi_output_latency (std::string const) const { return 0; }
 
 	/* External control app */
-	std::string control_app_name () const { return std::string (); }
-	void launch_control_app () { }
+	std::string control_app_name () const;
+	void launch_control_app ();
 
 	/* MIDI */
 	std::vector<std::string>  enumerate_midi_options () const;