diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index b92599d6..968a23f8 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ option(USE_MUMBLE "Mumble support" ON)
 option(USE_FREETYPE "Freetype font rendering" OFF)
 
 option(USE_INTERNAL_LIBS "Use internally packaged libraries" ON)
+option(USE_INTERNAL_SDL "Use internal SDL binary (if available)" ${USE_INTERNAL_LIBS})
 option(USE_INTERNAL_ZLIB "Use internal copy of zlib" ${USE_INTERNAL_LIBS})
 option(USE_INTERNAL_JPEG "Use internal copy of libjpeg" ${USE_INTERNAL_LIBS})
 option(USE_INTERNAL_OGG "Use internal copy of ogg" ${USE_INTERNAL_LIBS})
diff --git a/cmake/libraries/sdl.cmake b/cmake/libraries/sdl.cmake
index b1e81ae5..4fa044e6 100644
--- a/cmake/libraries/sdl.cmake
+++ b/cmake/libraries/sdl.cmake
@@ -2,16 +2,14 @@ set(INTERNAL_SDL_DIR ${SOURCE_DIR}/thirdparty/SDL2-2.32.8)
 
 include(utils/arch)
 
-if(NOT WIN32 AND NOT APPLE)
-    set(SYSTEM_SDL_REQUIRED REQUIRED)
+if(WIN32 OR APPLE)
+    # On Windows and macOS we have internal SDL binaries we can use
+    set(HAVE_INTERNAL_SDL true)
 endif()
 
-find_package(SDL2 QUIET ${SYSTEM_SDL_REQUIRED})
-
-if(NOT SDL2_FOUND)
+if(USE_INTERNAL_SDL AND HAVE_INTERNAL_SDL)
     set(SDL2_INCLUDE_DIRS ${INTERNAL_SDL_DIR}/include)
 
-    # On Windows and macOS we have internal SDL binaries we can use
     if(WIN32)
         if(ARCH STREQUAL "x86_64")
             set(LIB_DIR ${SOURCE_DIR}/thirdparty/libs/win64)
@@ -39,8 +37,10 @@ if(NOT SDL2_FOUND)
         list(APPEND CLIENT_DEPLOY_LIBRARIES
             ${SOURCE_DIR}/thirdparty/libs/macos/libSDL2-2.0.0.dylib)
     else()
-        message(FATAL_ERROR "SDL2 not found and no internal binaries available")
+        message(FATAL_ERROR "HAVE_INTERNAL_SDL set incorrectly; file a bug")
     endif()
+else()
+    find_package(SDL2 REQUIRED)
 endif()
 
 list(APPEND CLIENT_LIBRARIES ${SDL2_LIBRARIES})