diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index fbe4e7a39..68668c93b 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ ENDIF()
 OPTION(CONFIG_BUILD_GLSLANG "Build glslangValidator from source instead of using the SDK" ${DEFAULT_BUILD_GLSLANG})
 OPTION(CONFIG_BUILD_IPO "Enable interprocedural optimizations" OFF)
 OPTION(CONFIG_BUILD_SHADER_DEBUG_INFO "Build shaders with debug info" OFF)
+OPTION(USE_SYSTEM_SDL2 "Prefer system SDL2 instead of the bundled one" OFF)
 OPTION(USE_SYSTEM_ZLIB "Prefer system ZLIB instead of the bundled one" OFF)
 OPTION(USE_SYSTEM_OPENAL "Prefer system OpenAL Soft instead of the bundled one" OFF)
 OPTION(USE_SYSTEM_CURL "Prefer system cURL instead of the bundled one" OFF)
diff --git a/VC/inc/SDL2/SDL.h b/VC/inc/SDL2/SDL.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5d64d2e6f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/VC/inc/SDL2/SDL.h
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+#include <SDL.h>
diff --git a/VC/inc/SDL2/SDL_gamecontroller.h b/VC/inc/SDL2/SDL_gamecontroller.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0bd77c659
--- /dev/null
+++ b/VC/inc/SDL2/SDL_gamecontroller.h
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+#include <SDL_gamecontroller.h>
diff --git a/VC/inc/SDL2/SDL_joystick.h b/VC/inc/SDL2/SDL_joystick.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4bd0beb41
--- /dev/null
+++ b/VC/inc/SDL2/SDL_joystick.h
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+#include <SDL_joystick.h>
diff --git a/VC/inc/SDL2/SDL_messagebox.h b/VC/inc/SDL2/SDL_messagebox.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c5a0cf822
--- /dev/null
+++ b/VC/inc/SDL2/SDL_messagebox.h
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+#include <SDL_messagebox.h>
diff --git a/VC/inc/SDL2/SDL_opengl.h b/VC/inc/SDL2/SDL_opengl.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0bb6e405f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/VC/inc/SDL2/SDL_opengl.h
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+#include <SDL_opengl.h>
diff --git a/VC/inc/SDL2/SDL_video.h b/VC/inc/SDL2/SDL_video.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..db437744b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/VC/inc/SDL2/SDL_video.h
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+#include <SDL_video.h>
diff --git a/VC/inc/SDL2/SDL_vulkan.h b/VC/inc/SDL2/SDL_vulkan.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6e9cb44a7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/VC/inc/SDL2/SDL_vulkan.h
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+#include <SDL_vulkan.h>
diff --git a/extern/CMakeLists.txt b/extern/CMakeLists.txt
index eb8e5b1b0..49fcf137f 100644
--- a/extern/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/extern/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -39,21 +39,25 @@ endif()
 
 # On a 32-bit target, only the server is built, and it doesn't need SDL
 if (IS_64_BIT)
-    option(SDL_SHARED "" OFF)
-    option(SDL_STATIC "" ON)
-    option(SDL_SHARED_ENABLED_BY_DEFAULT OFF)
-    option(SDL_TEST OFF)
-
-    if (CONFIG_LINUX_STEAM_RUNTIME_SUPPORT)
-        option(INPUT_TSLIB OFF)
-    endif()
-
-    add_subdirectory(SDL2)
-
-    set_target_properties(SDL2main PROPERTIES FOLDER extern)
-    set_target_properties(SDL2-static PROPERTIES FOLDER extern)
-    set_target_properties(uninstall PROPERTIES FOLDER extern)
-    set_target_properties(sdl_headers_copy PROPERTIES FOLDER extern)
+  if (USE_SYSTEM_SDL2)
+      find_package(SDL2 REQUIRED)
+  else()
+      option(SDL_SHARED "" OFF)
+      option(SDL_STATIC "" ON)
+      option(SDL_SHARED_ENABLED_BY_DEFAULT OFF)
+      option(SDL_TEST OFF)
+
+      if (CONFIG_LINUX_STEAM_RUNTIME_SUPPORT)
+          option(INPUT_TSLIB OFF)
+      endif()
+
+      add_subdirectory(SDL2)
+
+      set_target_properties(SDL2main PROPERTIES FOLDER extern)
+      set_target_properties(SDL2-static PROPERTIES FOLDER extern)
+      set_target_properties(uninstall PROPERTIES FOLDER extern)
+      set_target_properties(sdl_headers_copy PROPERTIES FOLDER extern)
+  endif()
 endif()
 
 #
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 14dc75163..a5d02dce8 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -564,12 +564,16 @@ ENDIF()
 
 TARGET_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(server PRIVATE ../inc)
 
-if(NOT USE_SYSTEM_ZLIB)
-    TARGET_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(server PRIVATE "${ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIRS}")
+if(TARGET client)
+    if (USE_SYSTEM_SDL2)
+        TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(client SDL2)
+    else()
+        TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(client SDL2main SDL2-static)
+    endif()
 endif()
 
-if(TARGET client)
-    TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(client SDL2main SDL2-static)
+if(NOT USE_SYSTEM_ZLIB)
+    TARGET_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(server PRIVATE "${ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIRS}")
 endif()
 
 if(USE_SYSTEM_ZLIB)
diff --git a/src/refresh/gl/qgl.h b/src/refresh/gl/qgl.h
index 7af569f35..f9e1a53f4 100644
--- a/src/refresh/gl/qgl.h
+++ b/src/refresh/gl/qgl.h
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
 #define QGL_H
 
 #if USE_SDL
- #include <SDL_opengl.h>
+ #include <SDL2/SDL_opengl.h>
 #else
 #ifdef _WIN32
  #define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN 1
diff --git a/src/refresh/vkpt/main.c b/src/refresh/vkpt/main.c
index d8a6e13e2..3cccc86bb 100644
--- a/src/refresh/vkpt/main.c
+++ b/src/refresh/vkpt/main.c
@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@ with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
 #include "shader/vertex_buffer.h"
 
 #include <vulkan/vulkan.h>
-#include <SDL.h>
-#include <SDL_vulkan.h>
+#include <SDL2/SDL.h>
+#include <SDL2/SDL_vulkan.h>
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
diff --git a/src/refresh/vkpt/physical_sky.c b/src/refresh/vkpt/physical_sky.c
index 95ec568c3..260bde2aa 100644
--- a/src/refresh/vkpt/physical_sky.c
+++ b/src/refresh/vkpt/physical_sky.c
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@ with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
 #include "../../client/client.h"
 #include <time.h>
 
-#include <SDL_joystick.h>
-#include <SDL_gamecontroller.h>
+#include <SDL2/SDL_joystick.h>
+#include <SDL2/SDL_gamecontroller.h>
 
 static VkImage          img_envmap = 0;
 static VkImageView      imv_envmap = 0;
diff --git a/src/refresh/vkpt/vkpt.h b/src/refresh/vkpt/vkpt.h
index 744b5a895..5ececfffc 100644
--- a/src/refresh/vkpt/vkpt.h
+++ b/src/refresh/vkpt/vkpt.h
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@ with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
 #define  __VKPT_H__
 
 #include <vulkan/vulkan.h>
-#include <SDL.h>
-#include <SDL_vulkan.h>
+#include <SDL2/SDL.h>
+#include <SDL2/SDL_vulkan.h>
 
 #if !defined(HAVE_M_PI)
 #define HAVE_M_PI
diff --git a/src/unix/sound/sdl.c b/src/unix/sound/sdl.c
index 25cf24a07..480bbeaf0 100644
--- a/src/unix/sound/sdl.c
+++ b/src/unix/sound/sdl.c
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
 #include "shared/shared.h"
 #include "common/zone.h"
 #include "client/sound/dma.h"
-#include "SDL.h"
+#include "SDL2/SDL.h"
 
 static void Filler(void *userdata, Uint8 *stream, int len)
 {
diff --git a/src/unix/system.c b/src/unix/system.c
index e98b9a75c..2fd4f3d8a 100644
--- a/src/unix/system.c
+++ b/src/unix/system.c
@@ -40,9 +40,9 @@ with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
 #include <errno.h>
 
 #if USE_CLIENT
-#include <SDL_video.h>
-#include <SDL_messagebox.h>
-#include <SDL.h>
+#include <SDL2/SDL_video.h>
+#include <SDL2/SDL_messagebox.h>
+#include <SDL2/SDL.h>
 
 extern SDL_Window *get_sdl_window(void);
 
diff --git a/src/unix/video/sdl.c b/src/unix/video/sdl.c
index 805d497bf..e03c5203c 100644
--- a/src/unix/video/sdl.c
+++ b/src/unix/video/sdl.c
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
 #include "refresh/refresh.h"
 #include "system/system.h"
 #include "../res/q2pro.xbm"
-#include <SDL.h>
+#include <SDL2/SDL.h>
 
 #ifdef _WINDOWS
 #include <ShellScalingAPI.h>