diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index bbf086054..2663b662d 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -830,10 +830,6 @@ endif()
 
 if(BUILD_SDL)
 	add_subdirectory(${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/platform/sdl ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/sdl)
-	# The SDL platform CMakeLists could decide to disable SDL, so check again before adding the define.
-	if(BUILD_SDL)
-		add_definitions(-DBUILD_SDL)
-	endif()
 endif()
 
 if(BUILD_QT)
@@ -887,7 +883,7 @@ if(BUILD_EXAMPLE)
 	target_link_libraries(${BINARY_NAME}-example-server ${BINARY_NAME})
 	set_target_properties(${BINARY_NAME}-example-server PROPERTIES COMPILE_DEFINITIONS "${OS_DEFINES};${FEATURE_DEFINES};${FUNCTION_DEFINES}")
 
-	if(BUILD_SDL)
+	if(FOUND_SDL)
 		add_executable(${BINARY_NAME}-example-client ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/platform/example/client-server/client.c)
 		target_link_libraries(${BINARY_NAME}-example-client ${BINARY_NAME} ${SDL_LIBRARY} ${SDLMAIN_LIBRARY} ${OPENGL_LIBRARY} ${OPENGLES2_LIBRARY})
 		set_target_properties(${BINARY_NAME}-example-client PROPERTIES
@@ -991,7 +987,7 @@ if(BUILD_QT)
 	cpack_add_component(${BINARY_NAME}-qt GROUP qt DEPENDS base)
 endif()
 
-if(BUILD_SDL)
+if(FOUND_SDL)
 	cpack_add_component_group(sdl PARENT_GROUP base)
 	cpack_add_component(${BINARY_NAME}-sdl GROUP sdl DEPENDS base)
 endif()
diff --git a/src/platform/qt/CMakeLists.txt b/src/platform/qt/CMakeLists.txt
index 22d036631..2d3ef87a2 100644
--- a/src/platform/qt/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/platform/qt/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -6,9 +6,7 @@ set(PLATFORM_SRC)
 set(QT_STATIC OFF)
 
 if(BUILD_SDL)
-	if(NOT SDL_FOUND AND NOT SDL2_FOUND)
-		find_package(SDL 1.2 REQUIRED)
-	endif()
+	add_definitions(-DBUILD_SDL)
 	if(SDL2_FOUND)
 		link_directories(${SDL2_LIBDIR})
 	endif()
@@ -32,9 +30,9 @@ if(NOT BUILD_GL AND NOT BUILD_GLES2)
 	message(WARNING "OpenGL is recommended to build the Qt port")
 endif()
 
+set(FOUND_QT ${Qt5Widgets_FOUND} PARENT_SCOPE)
 if(NOT Qt5Widgets_FOUND)
 	message(WARNING "Cannot find Qt modules")
-	set(BUILD_QT OFF PARENT_SCOPE)
 	return()
 endif()
 
diff --git a/src/platform/qt/main.cpp b/src/platform/qt/main.cpp
index 35ae30d09..5d177d852 100644
--- a/src/platform/qt/main.cpp
+++ b/src/platform/qt/main.cpp
@@ -40,8 +40,10 @@ Q_IMPORT_PLUGIN(AVFServicePlugin);
 using namespace QGBA;
 
 int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
-#if defined(BUILD_SDL) && SDL_VERSION_ATLEAST(2, 0, 0)
+#ifdef BUILD_SDL
+#if SDL_VERSION_ATLEAST(2, 0, 0) // CPP does not shortcut function lookup
 	SDL_SetMainReady();
+#endif
 #endif
 
 	ConfigController configController;
diff --git a/src/platform/sdl/CMakeLists.txt b/src/platform/sdl/CMakeLists.txt
index bfc840d4c..bb8a1a99d 100644
--- a/src/platform/sdl/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/platform/sdl/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -13,13 +13,15 @@ endif()
 
 if(SDL_VERSION EQUAL "1.2" OR NOT SDL2_FOUND)
 	find_package(SDL 1.2)
-	set(SDL_VERSION "1.2" PARENT_SCOPE)
-	set(SDL_VERSION_DEBIAN "1.2debian")
-	set(USE_PIXMAN ON)
+	if(SDL_FOUND)
+		set(SDL_VERSION "1.2" PARENT_SCOPE)
+		set(SDL_VERSION_DEBIAN "1.2debian")
+		set(USE_PIXMAN ON)
+	endif()
 endif()
 
 if (NOT SDL2_FOUND AND NOT SDL_FOUND)
-	set(BUILD_SDL OFF PARENT_SCOPE)
+	set(SDL_FOUND OFF PARENT_SCOPE)
 	return()
 endif()