--- a/dom/bluetooth/BluetoothInterface.cpp
+++ b/dom/bluetooth/BluetoothInterface.cpp
@@ -90,46 +90,66 @@ BluetoothNotificationHandler::~Bluetooth
 
 // Interface
 //
 
 BluetoothInterface*
 BluetoothInterface::GetInstance()
 {
 #if ANDROID_VERSION >= 17
-  /* We pick a default backend from the available ones. The branches
-   * are ordered by preference.
+  /* We pick a default backend from the available ones. The options are
+   * ordered by preference. If a backend is supported but not available
+   * on the current system, we pick the next one. The selected default
+   * can be overriden manually by storing the respective string in the
+   * system property 'ro.moz.bluetooth.backend'.
    */
+
+  static const char* const sDefaultBackend[] = {
+#ifdef MOZ_B2G_BT_DAEMON
+    "bluetoothd",
+#endif
 #ifdef MOZ_B2G_BT_BLUEDROID
-  static const char sDefaultBackend[] = "bluedroid";
-#else
-#ifdef MOZ_B2G_BT_DAEMON
-  static const char sDefaultBackend[] = "bluetoothd";
-#else
-  static const char* const sDefaultBackend = nullptr;
+    "bluedroid",
 #endif
-#endif
+    nullptr // no default backend; must be final element in array
+  };
+
+  const char* defaultBackend;
+
+  for (size_t i = 0; i < MOZ_ARRAY_LENGTH(sDefaultBackend); ++i) {
+
+    /* select current backend */
+    defaultBackend = sDefaultBackend[i];
+
+    if (defaultBackend) {
+      if (!strcmp(defaultBackend, "bluetoothd") &&
+          access("/init.bluetooth.rc", F_OK) == -1) {
+        continue; /* bluetoothd not available */
+      }
+    }
+    break;
+  }
+
+  char value[PROPERTY_VALUE_MAX];
+  int len;
+
+  len = property_get("ro.moz.bluetooth.backend", value, defaultBackend);
+  if (len < 0) {
+    BT_WARNING("No Bluetooth backend available.");
+    return nullptr;
+  }
+
+  const nsDependentCString backend(value, len);
 
   /* Here's where we decide which implementation to use. Currently
    * there is only Bluedroid and the Bluetooth daemon, but others are
    * possible. Having multiple interfaces built-in and selecting the
    * correct one at runtime is also an option.
    */
 
-  char value[PROPERTY_VALUE_MAX];
-  int len;
-
-  len = property_get("ro.moz.bluetooth.backend", value, sDefaultBackend);
-  if (len < 0) {
-    BT_WARNING("No Bluetooth backend available.");
-    return nullptr;
-  }
-
-  const nsDependentCString backend(value, len);
-
 #ifdef MOZ_B2G_BT_BLUEDROID
   if (backend.LowerCaseEqualsLiteral("bluedroid")) {
     return BluetoothHALInterface::GetInstance();
   } else
 #endif
 #ifdef MOZ_B2G_BT_DAEMON
   if (backend.LowerCaseEqualsLiteral("bluetoothd")) {
     return BluetoothDaemonInterface::GetInstance();