Index: mutter-3.23.2/src/meta/prefs.h
===================================================================
--- mutter-3.23.2.orig/src/meta/prefs.h
+++ mutter-3.23.2/src/meta/prefs.h
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ typedef enum
   META_PREF_WORKSPACE_NAMES,
   META_PREF_VISUAL_BELL,
   META_PREF_AUDIBLE_BELL,
+  META_PREF_AUDIBLE_BELL_FORCE_THROUGH_SERVER,
   META_PREF_VISUAL_BELL_TYPE,
   META_PREF_GNOME_ACCESSIBILITY,
   META_PREF_GNOME_ANIMATIONS,
@@ -399,6 +400,7 @@ MetaKeyBindingAction meta_prefs_get_keyb
 
 gboolean           meta_prefs_get_visual_bell      (void);
 gboolean           meta_prefs_bell_is_audible      (void);
+gboolean           meta_prefs_bell_force_through_server (void);
 GDesktopVisualBellType meta_prefs_get_visual_bell_type (void);
 
 #endif
Index: mutter-3.23.2/src/core/prefs.c
===================================================================
--- mutter-3.23.2.orig/src/core/prefs.c
+++ mutter-3.23.2/src/core/prefs.c
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ static gboolean auto_raise_delay = 500;
 static gboolean focus_change_on_pointer_rest = FALSE;
 static gboolean bell_is_visible = FALSE;
 static gboolean bell_is_audible = TRUE;
+static gboolean bell_force_through_server = FALSE;
 static gboolean gnome_accessibility = FALSE;
 static gboolean gnome_animations = TRUE;
 static char *cursor_theme = NULL;
@@ -353,6 +354,13 @@ static MetaBoolPreference preferences_bo
       &bell_is_audible, /* FIXME: change the name: it's confusing */
     },
     {
+      { "audible-bell-force-through-server",
+        SCHEMA_MUTTER,
+        META_PREF_AUDIBLE_BELL_FORCE_THROUGH_SERVER,
+      },
+      &bell_force_through_server,
+    },
+    {
       { KEY_GNOME_ACCESSIBILITY,
         SCHEMA_INTERFACE,
         META_PREF_GNOME_ACCESSIBILITY,
@@ -1813,6 +1821,9 @@ meta_preference_to_string (MetaPreferenc
     case META_PREF_AUDIBLE_BELL:
       return "AUDIBLE_BELL";
 
+    case META_PREF_AUDIBLE_BELL_FORCE_THROUGH_SERVER:
+      return "AUDIBLE_BELL_FORCE_THROUGH_SERVER";
+
     case META_PREF_VISUAL_BELL_TYPE:
       return "VISUAL_BELL_TYPE";
 
@@ -2077,6 +2088,12 @@ meta_prefs_bell_is_audible (void)
   return bell_is_audible;
 }
 
+gboolean
+meta_prefs_bell_force_through_server (void)
+{
+  return bell_force_through_server;
+}
+
 GDesktopVisualBellType
 meta_prefs_get_visual_bell_type (void)
 {
Index: mutter-3.23.2/src/core/bell.c
===================================================================
--- mutter-3.23.2.orig/src/core/bell.c
+++ mutter-3.23.2/src/core/bell.c
@@ -220,6 +220,12 @@ meta_bell_notify (MetaDisplay *display,
   if (meta_prefs_get_visual_bell ())
     bell_visual_notify (display, window);
 
+  if (meta_prefs_bell_force_through_server ())
+   {
+    XkbForceBell (display->xdisplay, 100);
+    return TRUE;
+    }
+
   if (meta_prefs_bell_is_audible ())
     return bell_audible_notify (display, window);
 
Index: mutter-3.23.2/data/org.gnome.mutter.gschema.xml.in
===================================================================
--- mutter-3.23.2.orig/data/org.gnome.mutter.gschema.xml.in
+++ mutter-3.23.2/data/org.gnome.mutter.gschema.xml.in
@@ -102,6 +102,16 @@
       </description>
     </key>
 
+    <key name="audible-bell-force-through-server" type="b">
+      <default>false</default>
+      <summary>Force the System Bell through the X server only.</summary>
+      <description>
+        Force the System Bell through the X server only for systems that
+        do not want to go through the sound card - for example that don't
+        have speakers.
+      </description>
+    </key>
+
     <child name="keybindings" schema="org.gnome.mutter.keybindings"/>
 
   </schema>