diff --git a/DOCS/man/ao.rst b/DOCS/man/ao.rst
index 9e963d43f6..9d364b9685 100644
--- a/DOCS/man/ao.rst
+++ b/DOCS/man/ao.rst
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ normal driver parameters.
 ``--ao-defaults=<driver1[:parameter1:parameter2:...],driver2,...>``
     Set defaults for each driver.
 
+    Deprecated. No replacement.
+
 .. note::
 
     See ``--ao=help`` for a list of compiled-in audio output drivers. The
@@ -23,12 +25,6 @@ normal driver parameters.
     where PulseAudio is used. On BSD systems, ``--ao=oss`` or ``--ao=sndio``
     may work (the latter being experimental).
 
-.. admonition:: Examples
-
-    - ``--ao=alsa,oss,`` Try the ALSA driver, then the OSS driver, then others.
-    - ``--ao=alsa:resample=yes:device=[plughw:0,3]`` Lets ALSA resample and
-      sets the device-name as first card, fourth device.
-
 Available audio output drivers are:
 
 ``alsa`` (Linux only)
diff --git a/audio/out/ao.c b/audio/out/ao.c
index df2fdd5416..3bfa481bc5 100644
--- a/audio/out/ao.c
+++ b/audio/out/ao.c
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ static bool get_desc(struct m_obj_desc *dst, int index)
         .priv_size = ao->priv_size,
         .priv_defaults = ao->priv_defaults,
         .options = ao->options,
+        .global_opts = ao->global_opts,
         .hidden = ao->encode,
         .p = ao,
     };
diff --git a/audio/out/ao_alsa.c b/audio/out/ao_alsa.c
index e780d349c2..c542bee030 100644
--- a/audio/out/ao_alsa.c
+++ b/audio/out/ao_alsa.c
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ struct ao_alsa_opts {
 };
 
 #define OPT_BASE_STRUCT struct ao_alsa_opts
-const struct m_sub_options ao_alsa_conf = {
+static const struct m_sub_options ao_alsa_conf = {
     .opts = (const struct m_option[]) {
         OPT_STRING("alsa-device", device, 0),
         OPT_FLAG("alsa-resample", resample, 0),
@@ -1180,4 +1180,5 @@ const struct ao_driver audio_out_alsa = {
         OPT_SUBOPT_LEGACY("ignore-chmap", "alsa-ignore-chmap"),
         {0}
     },
+    .global_opts = &ao_alsa_conf,
 };
diff --git a/audio/out/internal.h b/audio/out/internal.h
index bd8816366e..f9dc073b4d 100644
--- a/audio/out/internal.h
+++ b/audio/out/internal.h
@@ -181,6 +181,7 @@ struct ao_driver {
     int priv_size;
     const void *priv_defaults;
     const struct m_option *options;
+    const struct m_sub_options *global_opts;
 };
 
 // These functions can be called by AOs.
diff --git a/options/m_config.c b/options/m_config.c
index 3d1355904e..18a9ad4de7 100644
--- a/options/m_config.c
+++ b/options/m_config.c
@@ -406,6 +406,18 @@ static void add_sub_options(struct m_config *config,
     add_options(config, &next, new_optstruct, new_optstruct_def, subopts->opts);
 }
 
+static void add_global_subopts(struct m_config *config,
+                               const struct m_obj_list *list)
+{
+    struct m_obj_desc desc;
+    for (int n = 0; ; n++) {
+        if (!list->get_desc(&desc, n))
+            break;
+        if (desc.global_opts)
+            add_sub_options(config, NULL, desc.global_opts);
+    }
+}
+
 // Initialize a field with a given value. In case this is dynamic data, it has
 // to be allocated and copied. src can alias dst, also can be NULL.
 static void init_opt_inplace(const struct m_option *opt, void *dst,
@@ -477,6 +489,10 @@ static void m_config_add_option(struct m_config *config,
             init_opt_inplace(arg, co.data, co.default_data);
     }
 
+    // (The deprecation_message check is a hack to exclude --vo-defaults etc.)
+    if (arg->type == &m_option_type_obj_settings_list && !arg->deprecation_message)
+        add_global_subopts(config, (const struct m_obj_list *)arg->priv);
+
     if (arg->name[0]) // no own name -> hidden
         MP_TARRAY_APPEND(config, config->opts, config->num_opts, co);
 }
diff --git a/options/m_option.h b/options/m_option.h
index d344a79db2..48afc23df7 100644
--- a/options/m_option.h
+++ b/options/m_option.h
@@ -130,6 +130,8 @@ struct m_obj_desc {
     // Set by m_obj_list_find(). If the requested name is an old alias, this
     // is set to the old name (while the name field uses the new name).
     const char *replaced_name;
+    // For convenience: these are added as global command-line options.
+    const struct m_sub_options *global_opts;
 };
 
 // Extra definition needed for \ref m_option_type_obj_settings_list options.
diff --git a/options/options.c b/options/options.c
index e00c46c676..e5de82d8a3 100644
--- a/options/options.c
+++ b/options/options.c
@@ -74,7 +74,6 @@ extern const struct m_sub_options input_config;
 extern const struct m_sub_options encode_config;
 extern const struct m_sub_options image_writer_conf;
 extern const struct m_sub_options gl_video_conf;
-extern const struct m_sub_options vo_opengl_conf;
 extern const struct m_sub_options ao_alsa_conf;
 
 extern const struct m_obj_list vf_obj_list;
@@ -473,7 +472,8 @@ const m_option_t mp_opts[] = {
 
 //---------------------- libao/libvo options ------------------------
     OPT_SETTINGSLIST("ao", audio_driver_list, 0, &ao_obj_list, ),
-    OPT_SETTINGSLIST("ao-defaults", ao_defs, 0, &ao_obj_list, ),
+    OPT_SETTINGSLIST("ao-defaults", ao_defs, 0, &ao_obj_list,
+                     .deprecation_message = "deprecated, use global options"),
     OPT_STRING("audio-device", audio_device, 0),
     OPT_STRING("audio-client-name", audio_client_name, 0),
     OPT_FLAG("audio-fallback-to-null", ao_null_fallback, 0),
@@ -648,10 +648,6 @@ const m_option_t mp_opts[] = {
 
 #if HAVE_GL
     OPT_SUBSTRUCT("", gl_video_opts, gl_video_conf, 0),
-    OPT_SUBSTRUCT("", vo_opengl_opts, vo_opengl_conf, 0),
-#endif
-#if HAVE_ALSA
-    OPT_SUBSTRUCT("", ao_alsa_opts, ao_alsa_conf, 0),
 #endif
 
 #if HAVE_ENCODING
diff --git a/options/options.h b/options/options.h
index 96345e66f4..7d735e93b4 100644
--- a/options/options.h
+++ b/options/options.h
@@ -334,8 +334,6 @@ typedef struct MPOpts {
     char *input_file;
 
     struct gl_video_opts *gl_video_opts;
-    struct vo_opengl_opts *vo_opengl_opts;
-    struct ao_alsa_opts *ao_alsa_opts;
 } MPOpts;
 
 extern const m_option_t mp_opts[];
diff --git a/video/out/vo.c b/video/out/vo.c
index ee554f0e6d..050a5303e6 100644
--- a/video/out/vo.c
+++ b/video/out/vo.c
@@ -174,6 +174,7 @@ static bool get_desc(struct m_obj_desc *dst, int index)
         .priv_size = vo->priv_size,
         .priv_defaults = vo->priv_defaults,
         .options = vo->options,
+        .global_opts = vo->global_opts,
         .hidden = vo->encode || !strcmp(vo->name, "opengl-cb"),
         .p = vo,
     };
diff --git a/video/out/vo.h b/video/out/vo.h
index 15f9f9e7df..6a6101692c 100644
--- a/video/out/vo.h
+++ b/video/out/vo.h
@@ -296,6 +296,10 @@ struct vo_driver {
 
     // List of options to parse into priv struct (requires priv_size to be set)
     const struct m_option *options;
+
+    // Global options to register if the VO is compiled in.
+    // mp_get_config_group() or other function can be used to access them.
+    const struct m_sub_options *global_opts;
 };
 
 struct vo {
diff --git a/video/out/vo_opengl.c b/video/out/vo_opengl.c
index 83f5840caa..a22f02bb5e 100644
--- a/video/out/vo_opengl.c
+++ b/video/out/vo_opengl.c
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ struct vo_opengl_opts {
 };
 
 #define OPT_BASE_STRUCT struct vo_opengl_opts
-const struct m_sub_options vo_opengl_conf = {
+static const struct m_sub_options vo_opengl_conf = {
     .opts = (const m_option_t[]) {
         OPT_FLAG("opengl-glfinish", use_glFinish, 0),
         OPT_FLAG("opengl-waitvsync", waitvsync, 0),
@@ -487,4 +487,5 @@ const struct vo_driver video_out_opengl = {
     .uninit = uninit,
     .priv_size = sizeof(struct gl_priv),
     .options = legacy_options,
+    .global_opts = &vo_opengl_conf,
 };