diff --git a/arch/3ds/CONFIG.3DS b/arch/3ds/CONFIG.3DS
index d158f4365..9231b3aee 100755
--- a/arch/3ds/CONFIG.3DS
+++ b/arch/3ds/CONFIG.3DS
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
 ./config.sh --platform 3ds --enable-release --enable-meter --disable-utils \
-            --enable-tremor --disable-screenshots --enable-stdio-redirect "$@"
+            --disable-sdl --enable-tremor --disable-screenshots \
+            --enable-stdio-redirect "$@"
+
diff --git a/arch/3ds/Makefile.in b/arch/3ds/Makefile.in
index fa3319bbc..3d2c623cb 100644
--- a/arch/3ds/Makefile.in
+++ b/arch/3ds/Makefile.in
@@ -61,6 +61,12 @@ endif
 
 MACHDEP = -march=armv6k -mtune=mpcore -mfloat-abi=hard -mtp=soft -mword-relocations
 
+ifneq (${BUILD_SDL},)
+# devkitPro's SDL 1.2 port accidentally defines key_press and key_release as
+# global symbols.
+ARCH_CFLAGS   += -Dkey_press=mzx_key_press -Dkey_release=mzx_key_release
+endif
+
 ARCH_CFLAGS   += ${EXTRA_INCLUDES} ${MACHDEP} -DARM11 -D__3DS__ -Iarch/3ds
 ARCH_CXXFLAGS += ${ARCH_CFLAGS}
 ARCH_LDFLAGS  += ${EXTRA_LIBS} ${MACHDEP} -specs=3dsx.specs
@@ -120,7 +126,15 @@ clean:
 
 build := ${build_root}/3ds/megazeux
 build: package ${build}
+ifeq ($(BUILD_SDL),)
 	${CP} arch/3ds/pad.config ${build}
+else
+ifeq ($(BUILD_LIBSDL2),)
+	${CP} arch/3ds/pad.config.sdl12 ${build}/pad.config
+else
+	${CP} arch/3ds/pad.config.sdl2 ${build}/pad.config
+endif
+endif
 	${CP} ${mzxrun}.3dsx ${build}
 ifneq (${BUILD_EDITOR},)
 	${CP} ${mzx}.3dsx ${build}
diff --git a/arch/3ds/pad.config.sdl12 b/arch/3ds/pad.config.sdl12
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fc0a187ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/arch/3ds/pad.config.sdl12
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+# Axis 1/2: Circle pad x/y
+# Hat: Directional pad
+# Button1: Start
+# Button2: A
+# Button3: B
+# Button4: X
+# Button5: Y
+# Button6: Left shoulder
+# Button7: Right shoulder
+# Button8: Select
+# Button9: ZL (NOTE: New 3DS only)
+# Button10: ZR (NOTE: New 3DS only)
+
+joy1hat = act_up, act_down, act_left, act_right
+joy1axis1 = act_l_left, act_l_right
+joy1axis2 = act_l_up, act_l_down
+joy1button1 = act_start
+joy1button2 = act_a
+joy1button3 = act_b
+joy1button4 = act_x
+joy1button5 = act_y
+joy1button6 = act_lshoulder
+joy1button7 = act_rshoulder
+joy1button8 = act_select
+joy1button9 = act_ltrigger
+joy1button10 = act_rtrigger
+joy1.axis_lx = 1
+joy1.axis_ly = 2
diff --git a/arch/3ds/pad.config.sdl2 b/arch/3ds/pad.config.sdl2
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e0e3ffbac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/arch/3ds/pad.config.sdl2
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+# Axis 1/2: Circle pad x/y
+# Button1: A
+# Button2: B
+# Button3: Select
+# Button4: Start
+# Button5: Right
+# Button6: Left
+# Button7: Up
+# Button8: Down
+# Button9: Right shoulder
+# Button10: Left shoulder
+# Button11: X
+# Button12: Y
+# Button15: ZL (NOTE: New 3DS only)
+# Button16: ZR (NOTE: New 3DS only)
+
+joy1axis1 = act_l_left, act_l_right
+joy1axis2 = act_l_up, act_l_down
+joy1button1 = act_a
+joy1button2 = act_b
+joy1button3 = act_select
+joy1button4 = act_start
+joy1button5 = act_right
+joy1button6 = act_left
+joy1button7 = act_up
+joy1button8 = act_down
+joy1button9 = act_rshoulder
+joy1button10 = act_lshoulder
+joy1button11 = act_x
+joy1button12 = act_y
+joy1button15 = act_ltrigger
+joy1button16 = act_rtrigger
+joy1.axis_lx = 1
+joy1.axis_ly = 2
diff --git a/config.sh b/config.sh
index a13639f60..9e84e3d9e 100755
--- a/config.sh
+++ b/config.sh
@@ -737,8 +737,7 @@ echo "LICENSEDIR=$LICENSEDIR" >> platform.inc
 #
 # Platform-specific libraries, or SDL?
 #
-if [ "$PLATFORM" = "3ds" ] ||
-   [ "$PLATFORM" = "nds" ] ||
+if [ "$PLATFORM" = "nds" ] ||
    [ "$PLATFORM" = "nds-blocksds" ] ||
    [ "$PLATFORM" = "djgpp" ] ||
    [ "$PLATFORM" = "dreamcast" ] ||
@@ -877,6 +876,18 @@ if [ "$PLATFORM" = "3ds" ]; then
 	IPV6="false"
 fi
 
+#
+# If the 3DS arch is enabled and SDL 1.2 is used, softscale is not
+# available. On SDL 2.0, due to the rendering pipeline not supporting
+# hardware acceleration as of writing, it is available, but with
+# unsatisfactory performance. As a workaround, use the GP2X
+# 320x240 renderer.
+#
+if [ "$PLATFORM" = "3ds" ] && [ "$SDL" = "true" ]; then
+	echo "Force-enabling GP2X 320x240 renderer (SDL on 3DS)."
+	GP2X="true"
+fi
+
 #
 # If the Wii arch is enabled, some code has to be compile time
 # enabled too.
@@ -1501,6 +1512,15 @@ if [ "$PLATFORM" = "wii" ] && [ "$SDL" = "false" ]; then
 	echo "BUILD_RENDER_GX=1" >> platform.inc
 fi
 
+#
+# CTR renderer (3DS)
+#
+if [ "$PLATFORM" = "3ds" ] && [ "$SDL" = "false" ]; then
+	echo "Building custom CTR renderer."
+	echo "#define CONFIG_RENDER_CTR" >> src/config.h
+	echo "BUILD_RENDER_CTR=1" >> platform.inc
+fi
+
 #
 # GP2X renderer
 #
diff --git a/docs/platform_matrix.html b/docs/platform_matrix.html
index 1069c779d..634090942 100644
--- a/docs/platform_matrix.html
+++ b/docs/platform_matrix.html
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
 var no_low_memory = subopt("NO", 5);
 var no_updater = subopt("NO", 6);
 var no_updater_unix = subopt("NO", 7);
-var no_sdl_3ds = std("NO", 8);
+var optional_sdl_3ds = std("NO / SDL 1.2 / SDL 2", 8);
 var optional_sdl_wii = std("NO / SDL 1.2", 9);
 var yes_but_8bpp = subopt("YES (8bpp)", 10);
 var no_gl_switch = subopt("NO", 11);
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@
     adlib_engine:     rad,
     ogg_vorbis:       tremor,
     optimization:     speed,
-    sdl:              no_sdl_3ds,
+    sdl:              optional_sdl_3ds,
     editor:           yes,
     helpsys:          yes,
     audio:            yes,
diff --git a/src/Makefile.in b/src/Makefile.in
index 864b929bf..eeb832ad8 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.in
+++ b/src/Makefile.in
@@ -154,11 +154,14 @@ endif
 endif
 
 ifeq (${BUILD_3DS},1)
+# SDL and platform_sdl.c takes care of all of this when enabled.
+ifeq (${BUILD_SDL},)
 core_cobjs += arch/3ds/shader_2d.shbin.o arch/3ds/shader_playfield.shbin.o
 core_cobjs += arch/3ds/platform.o arch/3ds/render.o
 core_cobjs += arch/3ds/event.o arch/3ds/audio.o
 core_cobjs += arch/3ds/keyboard.o
 endif
+endif
 
 ifeq (${BUILD_WII},1)
 # SDL and platform_sdl.c takes care of all of this when enabled.
diff --git a/src/configure.c b/src/configure.c
index 2956c29f3..de5cbaaf6 100644
--- a/src/configure.c
+++ b/src/configure.c
@@ -99,6 +99,12 @@
 #endif
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_3DS
+#ifdef CONFIG_SDL
+#define VIDEO_OUTPUT_DEFAULT "gp2x"
+#define FULLSCREEN_WIDTH_DEFAULT 400
+#define FULLSCREEN_HEIGHT_DEFAULT 240
+#define FORCE_BPP_DEFAULT 16
+#endif
 #define VIDEO_RATIO_DEFAULT RATIO_CLASSIC_4_3
 #define VFS_ENABLE_DEFAULT true
 #define VFS_MAX_CACHE_SIZE_DEFAULT (1 << 25) /* 32 MiB */
diff --git a/src/event_sdl.c b/src/event_sdl.c
index 16608cb5e..9d3e8f4b4 100644
--- a/src/event_sdl.c
+++ b/src/event_sdl.c
@@ -1650,10 +1650,11 @@ void __warp_mouse(int x, int y)
 
 void initialize_joysticks(void)
 {
-#if !SDL_VERSION_ATLEAST(2,0,0) || defined(CONFIG_SWITCH) || defined(CONFIG_PSVITA)
+#if !SDL_VERSION_ATLEAST(2,0,0) || defined(CONFIG_SWITCH) || defined(CONFIG_PSVITA) \
+ || defined(CONFIG_3DS)
   // SDL 1.2 doesn't have joystick added/removed events.
-  // Switch SDL doesn't seem to generate these events at all on startup. The vita
-  // appears to have the same issue.
+  // Switch SDL doesn't seem to generate these events at all on startup. The Vita
+  // and 3DS appear to have the same issue.
   int i, count;
 
   count = SDL_NumJoysticks();
diff --git a/src/graphics.c b/src/graphics.c
index fd77f562f..70002742b 100644
--- a/src/graphics.c
+++ b/src/graphics.c
@@ -90,8 +90,10 @@ static const struct renderer_data renderers[] =
   { "nds", render_nds_register },
 #endif
 #if defined(CONFIG_3DS)
+#if defined(CONFIG_RENDER_CTR)
   { "3ds", render_ctr_register },
 #endif
+#endif
 #if defined(CONFIG_WII)
 #if defined(CONFIG_RENDER_GX)
   { "gx", render_gx_register },