diff --git a/package/shairport-sync/shairport-sync.hash b/package/shairport-sync/shairport-sync.hash
index dc7c7eee5b..1eafe03b53 100644
--- a/package/shairport-sync/shairport-sync.hash
+++ b/package/shairport-sync/shairport-sync.hash
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 # Locally calculated
-sha256  a1242d100b61fe1fffbbf706e919ed51d6a341c9fb8293fb42046e32ae2b3338  shairport-sync-4.3.7.tar.gz
-sha256  1daaa904985807b7f9f2fa91f6b19f3faadf8df4e813f7451a691f89a6965e3f  LICENSES
+sha256  20271e220e859b8f60a707597187564d3bda7dbf69dd61aa1357ec1656285246  shairport-sync-5.6.tar.gz
+sha256  5ffb12379c3293e48010d0ed04185940e107b54e48b520d58d847da53a153c33  LICENSES
diff --git a/package/shairport-sync/shairport-sync.mk b/package/shairport-sync/shairport-sync.mk
index a792e461ef..7fd1a23eb3 100644
--- a/package/shairport-sync/shairport-sync.mk
+++ b/package/shairport-sync/shairport-sync.mk
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 #
 ################################################################################
 
-SHAIRPORT_SYNC_VERSION = 4.3.7
+SHAIRPORT_SYNC_VERSION = 5.6
 SHAIRPORT_SYNC_SITE = $(call github,mikebrady,shairport-sync,$(SHAIRPORT_SYNC_VERSION))
 
 SHAIRPORT_SYNC_LICENSE = MIT, BSD-3-Clause
@@ -54,13 +54,23 @@ SHAIRPORT_SYNC_CONF_OPTS += --without-convolution
 endif
 
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_SHAIRPORT_SYNC_AIRPLAY2),y)
-# host-vim needed for xxd
-SHAIRPORT_SYNC_DEPENDENCIES += libplist libsodium libgcrypt ffmpeg util-linux host-vim
+# host-libplist needed for plistutil, host-vim needed for xxd
+SHAIRPORT_SYNC_DEPENDENCIES += libplist libsodium libgcrypt ffmpeg util-linux \
+	host-libplist host-vim
 SHAIRPORT_SYNC_CONF_OPTS += --with-airplay-2
 else
 SHAIRPORT_SYNC_CONF_OPTS += --without-airplay-2
 endif
 
+# Classic AirPlay needs an ALAC decoder: FFmpeg if available, otherwise
+# the bundled Hammerton decoder (always built in before 5.6).
+ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_FFMPEG),y)
+SHAIRPORT_SYNC_DEPENDENCIES += ffmpeg
+SHAIRPORT_SYNC_CONF_OPTS += --with-ffmpeg --without-hammerton
+else
+SHAIRPORT_SYNC_CONF_OPTS += --without-ffmpeg --with-hammerton
+endif
+
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_SHAIRPORT_SYNC_DBUS),y)
 SHAIRPORT_SYNC_DEPENDENCIES += libglib2
 SHAIRPORT_SYNC_CONF_OPTS += --with-dbus-interface --with-mpris-interface