diff --git a/core/libs/prx/libSceAudioOut/src/AudioOut2PadMix.cpp b/core/libs/prx/libSceAudioOut/src/AudioOut2PadMix.cpp
index 8732ab428e..f49efa446b 100644
--- a/core/libs/prx/libSceAudioOut/src/AudioOut2PadMix.cpp
+++ b/core/libs/prx/libSceAudioOut/src/AudioOut2PadMix.cpp
@@ -31,13 +31,14 @@ static bool IsMutedText(const char* text) {
 
 float AudioPadSpeakerFallbackGainFrom(const char* dbText) {
     if (dbText == nullptr) return DEFAULT_PAD_SPEAKER_FALLBACK_GAIN;
+    const char* const text = dbText;
     while (std::isspace(static_cast<unsigned char>(*dbText))) dbText++;
     if (IsMutedText(dbText)) return 0.0f;
     char* end = nullptr;
     const float db = std::strtof(dbText, &end);
     while (std::isspace(static_cast<unsigned char>(*end))) end++;
     if (end == dbText || !std::isfinite(db) || *end != '\0' || db < PAD_SPEAKER_FALLBACK_MIN_DB || db > PAD_SPEAKER_FALLBACK_MAX_DB) {
-        throw std::runtime_error(std::string(AUDIO_PAD_SPEAKER_FALLBACK_ENV) + '=' + dbText + ": expected mute, off, -inf or a number of dB from -60 to 0");
+        throw std::runtime_error(std::string(AUDIO_PAD_SPEAKER_FALLBACK_ENV) + '=' + text + ": expected mute, off, -inf or a number of dB from -60 to 0");
     }
     return std::pow(10.0f, db / 20.0f);
 }
diff --git a/core/libs/prx/libSceAudioOut/tests/AudioOut2DeviceState.cpp b/core/libs/prx/libSceAudioOut/tests/AudioOut2DeviceState.cpp
index dffab531e6..2e1956f746 100644
--- a/core/libs/prx/libSceAudioOut/tests/AudioOut2DeviceState.cpp
+++ b/core/libs/prx/libSceAudioOut/tests/AudioOut2DeviceState.cpp
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #include "prx/libSceAudioOut/libSceAudioOut.hpp"
+#include "prx/libSceAudioOut/src/AudioOut2PadMix.hpp"
 #include "SceTypes.hpp"
 
 #include <cstddef>
@@ -37,6 +38,14 @@ void SetEnvironment(const char* name, const std::string& value) {
 #endif
 }
 
+void UnsetEnvironment(const char* name) {
+#ifdef _WIN32
+    _putenv_s(name, "");
+#else
+    unsetenv(name);
+#endif
+}
+
 AudioOut2PortState StateOfPort(AudioOut2ContextHandle context, std::uint32_t format) {
     AudioOut2PortParam params{};
     params.port_type = portTypeMain;
@@ -145,6 +154,7 @@ void SystemStateIsSilentAndRejectsNull() {
 }
 
 int main() {
+    UnsetEnvironment(AUDIO_PAD_SPEAKER_FALLBACK_ENV);
     const auto path = std::filesystem::temp_directory_path() / ("anyps5_audio_out2_device_state-" + std::to_string(std::random_device{}()) + ".raw");
     std::filesystem::remove(path);
     SetEnvironment("SDL_DISKAUDIOFILE", path.string());
diff --git a/core/libs/prx/libSceAudioOut/tests/AudioOut2PadMix.cpp b/core/libs/prx/libSceAudioOut/tests/AudioOut2PadMix.cpp
index 5a23bce489..e967ba8200 100644
--- a/core/libs/prx/libSceAudioOut/tests/AudioOut2PadMix.cpp
+++ b/core/libs/prx/libSceAudioOut/tests/AudioOut2PadMix.cpp
@@ -36,18 +36,20 @@ static void RequireRejected(const char* text, const char* message) {
         AudioPadSpeakerFallbackGainFrom(text);
     } catch (const std::exception& error) {
         const std::string what(error.what());
-        Require(what.find(AUDIO_PAD_SPEAKER_FALLBACK_ENV) != std::string::npos && what.find("expected") != std::string::npos, message);
+        Require(what.find(std::string(AUDIO_PAD_SPEAKER_FALLBACK_ENV) + '=' + text) != std::string::npos && what.find("expected") != std::string::npos, message);
         return;
     }
     Require(false, message);
 }
 
-template<typename TAction>
+template<typename TException, typename TAction>
 static bool Throws(TAction action) {
     try {
         action();
-    } catch (const std::exception&) {
+    } catch (const TException&) {
         return true;
+    } catch (...) {
+        return false;
     }
     return false;
 }
@@ -131,8 +133,8 @@ int main() {
     {
         auto out = Silence<1>();
         const float data[8] = {1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f};
-        Require(Throws([&] { AudioOut2AccumulatePadFrame(AudioOut2Route::Main, data, 2, unity, out.data()); }), "a main-mix port is refused");
-        Require(Throws([&] { AudioOut2AccumulatePadFrame(AudioOut2Route::PadVibration, data, 8, unity, out.data()); }), "an 8-channel pad port is refused");
+        Require(Throws<std::invalid_argument>([&] { AudioOut2AccumulatePadFrame(AudioOut2Route::Main, data, 2, unity, out.data()); }), "a main-mix port is refused");
+        Require(Throws<std::invalid_argument>([&] { AudioOut2AccumulatePadFrame(AudioOut2Route::PadVibration, data, 8, unity, out.data()); }), "an 8-channel pad port is refused");
         for (float sample : out) Require(sample == 0.0f, "a refused port mixes nothing");
     }
 
@@ -152,6 +154,7 @@ int main() {
     RequireRejected("5", "a value above the range is rejected");
     RequireRejected("garbage", "invalid input is rejected");
     RequireRejected("-15x", "trailing text is rejected");
+    RequireRejected("  -15x", "leading whitespace is reported verbatim");
 
     UnsetEnvironment(AUDIO_PAD_SPEAKER_FALLBACK_ENV);
     Require(std::fabs(AudioPadSpeakerFallbackGain() - 1.0f) <= 1e-6f, "unset environment keeps unity");
@@ -160,7 +163,7 @@ int main() {
     SetEnvironment(AUDIO_PAD_SPEAKER_FALLBACK_ENV, "mute");
     Require(AudioPadSpeakerFallbackGain() == 0.0f, "muted environment");
     SetEnvironment(AUDIO_PAD_SPEAKER_FALLBACK_ENV, "garbage");
-    Require(Throws([] { AudioPadSpeakerFallbackGain(); }), "an invalid environment stops the title");
+    Require(Throws<std::runtime_error>([] { AudioPadSpeakerFallbackGain(); }), "an invalid environment stops the title");
     UnsetEnvironment(AUDIO_PAD_SPEAKER_FALLBACK_ENV);
 
     {
diff --git a/core/libs/prx/libSceAudioOut/tests/AudioOut2PortBuffers.cpp b/core/libs/prx/libSceAudioOut/tests/AudioOut2PortBuffers.cpp
index a46559d5ae..f14b1d290e 100644
--- a/core/libs/prx/libSceAudioOut/tests/AudioOut2PortBuffers.cpp
+++ b/core/libs/prx/libSceAudioOut/tests/AudioOut2PortBuffers.cpp
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #include "prx/libSceAudioOut/include/AudioOut2.hpp"
+#include "prx/libSceAudioOut/src/AudioOut2PadMix.hpp"
 #include "SceTypes.hpp"
 
 #include <algorithm>
@@ -28,6 +29,14 @@ static void SetEnvironment(const char* name, const std::string& value) {
 #endif
 }
 
+static void UnsetEnvironment(const char* name) {
+#ifdef _WIN32
+    _putenv_s(name, "");
+#else
+    unsetenv(name);
+#endif
+}
+
 namespace {
 
 constexpr std::uint32_t grain = 256;
@@ -300,6 +309,7 @@ void TestBufferReusedAcrossPortsKeepsEachPortsGrain(bool advanced) {
 }
 
 int main() {
+    UnsetEnvironment(AUDIO_PAD_SPEAKER_FALLBACK_ENV);
     SetEnvironment("SDL_AUDIODRIVER", "disk");
     TestAdvanceRetainsRewrittenBuffer();
     TestAdvanceRetainsVolume();
diff --git a/core/libs/prx/libSceAudioOut/tests/AudioOut2PortLayouts.cpp b/core/libs/prx/libSceAudioOut/tests/AudioOut2PortLayouts.cpp
index 8183b58da8..c6fec59e84 100644
--- a/core/libs/prx/libSceAudioOut/tests/AudioOut2PortLayouts.cpp
+++ b/core/libs/prx/libSceAudioOut/tests/AudioOut2PortLayouts.cpp
@@ -383,6 +383,7 @@ void TestMeasuredMainPortFormats() {
 }
 
 int main() {
+    UnsetEnvironment(AUDIO_PAD_SPEAKER_FALLBACK_ENV);
     TestUserAttributes();
     SetEnvironment("SDL_AUDIODRIVER", "disk");
     for (const Layout* layout : {&mono, &stereo, &surround71, &surround714}) {
diff --git a/core/libs/prx/libSceAudioOut/tests/AudioOut2Timing.cpp b/core/libs/prx/libSceAudioOut/tests/AudioOut2Timing.cpp
index d0b85c57cc..60218552ec 100644
--- a/core/libs/prx/libSceAudioOut/tests/AudioOut2Timing.cpp
+++ b/core/libs/prx/libSceAudioOut/tests/AudioOut2Timing.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #include "prx/libSceAudioOut/include/AudioOut2.hpp"
 #include "prx/libSceAudioOut/src/AudioOut2Internal.hpp"
+#include "prx/libSceAudioOut/src/AudioOut2PadMix.hpp"
 #include "SceTypes.hpp"
 
 #include <chrono>
@@ -27,6 +28,14 @@ static void SetEnvironment(const char* name, const std::string& value) {
 #endif
 }
 
+static void UnsetEnvironment(const char* name) {
+#ifdef _WIN32
+    _putenv_s(name, "");
+#else
+    unsetenv(name);
+#endif
+}
+
 namespace {
 
 constexpr std::uint32_t grain = 256;
@@ -352,6 +361,7 @@ void TestLowLatencyQueueLevelFillsToTheDepth() {
 }
 
 int main() {
+    UnsetEnvironment(AUDIO_PAD_SPEAKER_FALLBACK_ENV);
     SetEnvironment("SDL_AUDIODRIVER", "disk");
     TestReadAtNextPush();
     TestRecreatedPort();
diff --git a/core/libs/prx/libSceAudioOut/tests/AudioOutShutdown.cpp b/core/libs/prx/libSceAudioOut/tests/AudioOutShutdown.cpp
index fcadcec548..46ea98cb5e 100644
--- a/core/libs/prx/libSceAudioOut/tests/AudioOutShutdown.cpp
+++ b/core/libs/prx/libSceAudioOut/tests/AudioOutShutdown.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #include "prx/libSceAudioOut/include/AudioOut2.hpp"
 #include "prx/libSceAudioOut/include/AudioOut.hpp"
+#include "prx/libSceAudioOut/src/AudioOut2PadMix.hpp"
 #include "SceTypes.hpp"
 #include "prx/libc/include/general/VabiMacros.hpp"
 #include "prx/libc/include/Shutdown.hpp"
@@ -125,8 +126,10 @@ void OutputAudioOut() {
 int main(int argc, char** argv) {
 #ifdef _WIN32
     _putenv_s("SDL_AUDIODRIVER", "dummy");
+    _putenv_s(AUDIO_PAD_SPEAKER_FALLBACK_ENV, "");
 #else
     setenv("SDL_AUDIODRIVER", "dummy", 1);
+    unsetenv(AUDIO_PAD_SPEAKER_FALLBACK_ENV);
 #endif
     const bool waiting = argc == 2 && std::strcmp(argv[1], "--audio-out2-waiting-push") == 0;
     if (argc == 2 && std::strcmp(argv[1], "--audio-out2") == 0) PushAudioOut2();