diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index c5ca8164c..02d4d420f 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ add_library(${BINARY_NAME} SHARED ${ARM_SRC} ${GBA_SRC} ${DEBUGGER_SRC} ${RENDER
 target_link_libraries(${BINARY_NAME} m ${DEBUGGER_LIB} ${OS_LIB})
 
 if(BUILD_SDL)
+	add_definitions(-DBUILD_SDL)
 	add_subdirectory(${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/platform/sdl ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/sdl)
 endif()
 
diff --git a/src/platform/qt/CMakeLists.txt b/src/platform/qt/CMakeLists.txt
index a70101303..189bb53e0 100644
--- a/src/platform/qt/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/platform/qt/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -8,6 +8,13 @@ if(APPLE)
 	set(CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH "/usr/local/opt/qt5") # Temporary stopgap measure
 endif()
 
+if(BUILD_SDL)
+	find_package(SDL 1.2 REQUIRED)
+	set(PLATFORM_LIBRARY "${PLATFORM_LIBRARY};${SDL_LIBRARY};${SDLMAIN_LIBRARY}")
+	set(PLATFORM_SRC ${PLATFORM_SRC} ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/platform/sdl/sdl-events.c)
+	include_directories(${SDL_INCLUDE_DIR} ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/platform/sdl)
+endif()
+
 set(CMAKE_AUTOMOC ON)
 set(CMAKE_INCLUDE_CURRENT_DIR ON)
 
@@ -17,10 +24,10 @@ find_package(OpenGL REQUIRED)
 set(SOURCE_FILES AudioDevice.cpp Display.cpp GameController.cpp Window.cpp)
 
 if(USE_GDB_STUB)
-	set(SOURCE_FILES ${SOURCE_FILES} GDBController.cpp GDBWindow.cpp)
+	set(SOURCE_FILES ${PLATFORM_SRC} ${SOURCE_FILES} GDBController.cpp GDBWindow.cpp)
 endif()
 
 add_executable(QGBAc WIN32 MACOSX_BUNDLE main.cpp ${SOURCE_FILES})
 
 qt5_use_modules(QGBAc Widgets Multimedia OpenGL)
-target_link_libraries(QGBAc ${OPENGL_LIBRARY} ${BINARY_NAME})
+target_link_libraries(QGBAc ${PLATFORM_LIBRARY} ${OPENGL_LIBRARY} ${BINARY_NAME})
diff --git a/src/platform/qt/GameController.cpp b/src/platform/qt/GameController.cpp
index 606915c7e..9dcc00d0c 100644
--- a/src/platform/qt/GameController.cpp
+++ b/src/platform/qt/GameController.cpp
@@ -11,8 +11,14 @@ GameController::GameController(QObject* parent)
 	: QObject(parent)
 	, m_drawContext(new uint32_t[256 * 256])
 	, m_audioContext(nullptr)
+	, m_activeKeys(0)
 	, m_rom(nullptr)
 {
+#ifdef BUILD_SDL
+	SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_JOYSTICK | SDL_INIT_VIDEO | SDL_INIT_NOPARACHUTE);
+	GBASDLInitEvents(&m_sdlEvents);
+	SDL_JoystickEventState(SDL_QUERY);
+#endif
 	m_renderer = new GBAVideoSoftwareRenderer;
 	GBAVideoSoftwareRendererCreate(m_renderer);
 	m_renderer->outputBuffer = (color_t*) m_drawContext;
@@ -46,6 +52,10 @@ GameController::GameController(QObject* parent)
 		controller->m_pauseMutex.unlock();
 		controller->frameAvailable(controller->m_drawContext);
 	};
+
+#ifdef BUILD_SDL
+	connect(this, SIGNAL(frameAvailable(const uint32_t*)), this, SLOT(testSDLEvents()));
+#endif
 }
 
 GameController::~GameController() {
@@ -129,10 +139,56 @@ void GameController::frameAdvance() {
 
 void GameController::keyPressed(int key) {
 	int mappedKey = 1 << key;
-	m_threadContext.activeKeys |= mappedKey;
+	m_activeKeys |= mappedKey;
+	updateKeys();
 }
 
 void GameController::keyReleased(int key) {
 	int mappedKey = 1 << key;
-	m_threadContext.activeKeys &= ~mappedKey;
+	m_activeKeys &= ~mappedKey;
+	updateKeys();
 }
+
+void GameController::updateKeys() {
+	int activeKeys = m_activeKeys;
+#ifdef BUILD_SDL
+	activeKeys |= m_activeButtons;
+#endif
+	m_threadContext.activeKeys = activeKeys;
+}
+
+#ifdef BUILD_SDL
+void GameController::testSDLEvents() {
+	SDL_Joystick* joystick = m_sdlEvents.joystick;
+	SDL_JoystickUpdate();
+	int numButtons = SDL_JoystickNumButtons(joystick);
+	m_activeButtons = 0;
+	int i;
+	for (i = 0; i < numButtons; ++i) {
+		GBAKey key = GBASDLMapButtonToKey(i);
+		if (key == GBA_KEY_NONE) {
+			continue;
+		}
+		if (SDL_JoystickGetButton(joystick, i)) {
+			m_activeButtons |= 1 << key;
+		}
+	}
+	int numHats = SDL_JoystickNumHats(joystick);
+	for (i = 0; i < numHats; ++i) {
+		int hat = SDL_JoystickGetHat(joystick, i);
+		if (hat & SDL_HAT_UP) {
+			m_activeButtons |= 1 << GBA_KEY_UP;
+		}
+		if (hat & SDL_HAT_LEFT) {
+			m_activeButtons |= 1 << GBA_KEY_LEFT;
+		}
+		if (hat & SDL_HAT_DOWN) {
+			m_activeButtons |= 1 << GBA_KEY_DOWN;
+		}
+		if (hat & SDL_HAT_RIGHT) {
+			m_activeButtons |= 1 << GBA_KEY_RIGHT;
+		}
+	}
+	updateKeys();
+}
+#endif
diff --git a/src/platform/qt/GameController.h b/src/platform/qt/GameController.h
index a64f853b2..6608c509c 100644
--- a/src/platform/qt/GameController.h
+++ b/src/platform/qt/GameController.h
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@
 
 extern "C" {
 #include "gba-thread.h"
+#ifdef BUILD_SDL
+#include "sdl-events.h"
+#endif
 }
 
 struct GBAAudio;
@@ -47,13 +50,23 @@ public slots:
 	void keyPressed(int key);
 	void keyReleased(int key);
 
+#ifdef BUILD_SDL
+private slots:
+	void testSDLEvents();
+
 private:
-	void setupAudio(GBAAudio* audio);
+	GBASDLEvents m_sdlEvents;
+	int m_activeButtons;
+#endif
+
+private:
+	void updateKeys();
 
 	uint32_t* m_drawContext;
 	AudioDevice* m_audioContext;
 	GBAThread m_threadContext;
 	GBAVideoSoftwareRenderer* m_renderer;
+	int m_activeKeys;
 
 	QFile* m_rom;
 	QFile* m_bios;