diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 5d2105968..730cc6804 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ Misc:
  - Qt: Window title updates can be disabled (closes mgba.io/i/1912)
  - Qt: Redo OpenGL context thread handling (fixes mgba.io/i/1724)
  - Qt: Discard additional frame draws if waiting fails
+ - SDL: Fall back to sw blit if OpenGL init fails
  - Util: Reset vector size on deinit
  - VFS: Change semantics of VFile.sync on mapped files (fixes mgba.io/i/1730)
 
diff --git a/src/platform/sdl/CMakeLists.txt b/src/platform/sdl/CMakeLists.txt
index b79e91142..9dcf74704 100644
--- a/src/platform/sdl/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/platform/sdl/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -94,12 +94,10 @@ else()
 		list(APPEND PLATFORM_SRC ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/platform/sdl/gl-common.c)
 		include_directories(${OPENGLES2_INCLUDE_DIR})
 	endif()
-	if(NOT BUILD_GL AND NOT BUILD_GLES2)
-		if(SDL_VERSION EQUAL "2")
-			list(APPEND MAIN_SRC ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/platform/sdl/sw-sdl2.c)
-		else()
-			list(APPEND MAIN_SRC ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/platform/sdl/sw-sdl1.c)
-		endif()
+	if(SDL_VERSION EQUAL "2")
+		list(APPEND MAIN_SRC ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/platform/sdl/sw-sdl2.c)
+	else()
+		list(APPEND MAIN_SRC ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/platform/sdl/sw-sdl1.c)
 	endif()
 endif()
 
diff --git a/src/platform/sdl/gl-common.c b/src/platform/sdl/gl-common.c
index d9c62c9a5..37a041828 100644
--- a/src/platform/sdl/gl-common.c
+++ b/src/platform/sdl/gl-common.c
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ void mSDLGLCommonSwap(struct VideoBackend* context) {
 #endif
 }
 
-void mSDLGLCommonInit(struct mSDLRenderer* renderer) {
+bool mSDLGLCommonInit(struct mSDLRenderer* renderer) {
 #ifndef COLOR_16_BIT
 	SDL_GL_SetAttribute(SDL_GL_RED_SIZE, 8);
 	SDL_GL_SetAttribute(SDL_GL_GREEN_SIZE, 8);
@@ -41,7 +41,11 @@ void mSDLGLCommonInit(struct mSDLRenderer* renderer) {
 
 #if SDL_VERSION_ATLEAST(2, 0, 0)
 	renderer->window = SDL_CreateWindow(projectName, SDL_WINDOWPOS_UNDEFINED, SDL_WINDOWPOS_UNDEFINED, renderer->viewportWidth, renderer->viewportHeight, SDL_WINDOW_OPENGL | SDL_WINDOW_RESIZABLE | (SDL_WINDOW_FULLSCREEN_DESKTOP * renderer->player.fullscreen));
-	renderer->glCtx = SDL_GL_CreateContext(renderer->window);
+	renderer->glCtx = NULL;//SDL_GL_CreateContext(renderer->window);
+	if (!renderer->glCtx) {
+		SDL_DestroyWindow(renderer->window);
+		return false;
+	}
 	SDL_GL_SetSwapInterval(1);
 	SDL_GetWindowSize(renderer->window, &renderer->viewportWidth, &renderer->viewportHeight);
 	renderer->player.window = renderer->window;
@@ -51,10 +55,14 @@ void mSDLGLCommonInit(struct mSDLRenderer* renderer) {
 #else
 	SDL_GL_SetAttribute(SDL_GL_SWAP_CONTROL, 1);
 #ifdef COLOR_16_BIT
-	SDL_SetVideoMode(renderer->viewportWidth, renderer->viewportHeight, 16, SDL_OPENGL | SDL_RESIZABLE | (SDL_FULLSCREEN * renderer->player.fullscreen));
+	SDL_Surface* surface = SDL_SetVideoMode(renderer->viewportWidth, renderer->viewportHeight, 16, SDL_OPENGL | SDL_RESIZABLE | (SDL_FULLSCREEN * renderer->player.fullscreen));
 #else
-	SDL_SetVideoMode(renderer->viewportWidth, renderer->viewportHeight, 32, SDL_OPENGL | SDL_RESIZABLE | (SDL_FULLSCREEN * renderer->player.fullscreen));
+	SDL_Surface* surface = SDL_SetVideoMode(renderer->viewportWidth, renderer->viewportHeight, 32, SDL_OPENGL | SDL_RESIZABLE | (SDL_FULLSCREEN * renderer->player.fullscreen));
 #endif
+	if (!surface) {
+		return false;
+	}
 	SDL_WM_SetCaption(projectName, "");
 #endif
+	return true;
 }
diff --git a/src/platform/sdl/gl-common.h b/src/platform/sdl/gl-common.h
index 307da756f..be98d7964 100644
--- a/src/platform/sdl/gl-common.h
+++ b/src/platform/sdl/gl-common.h
@@ -10,11 +10,11 @@
 
 CXX_GUARD_START
 
-#include "main.h"
-
+struct VideoBackend;
+struct mSDLRenderer;
 void mSDLGLDoViewport(int w, int h, struct VideoBackend* v);
 void mSDLGLCommonSwap(struct VideoBackend* context);
-void mSDLGLCommonInit(struct mSDLRenderer* renderer);
+bool mSDLGLCommonInit(struct mSDLRenderer* renderer);
 
 CXX_GUARD_END
 
diff --git a/src/platform/sdl/gl-sdl.c b/src/platform/sdl/gl-sdl.c
index 539ef88d0..6c1508d33 100644
--- a/src/platform/sdl/gl-sdl.c
+++ b/src/platform/sdl/gl-sdl.c
@@ -24,8 +24,6 @@ void mSDLGLCreate(struct mSDLRenderer* renderer) {
 }
 
 bool mSDLGLInit(struct mSDLRenderer* renderer) {
-	mSDLGLCommonInit(renderer);
-
 	size_t size = renderer->width * renderer->height * BYTES_PER_PIXEL;
 	renderer->outputBuffer = malloc(size);
 	memset(renderer->outputBuffer, 0, size);
diff --git a/src/platform/sdl/gles2-sdl.c b/src/platform/sdl/gles2-sdl.c
index 1cedc5ad5..7237b6273 100644
--- a/src/platform/sdl/gles2-sdl.c
+++ b/src/platform/sdl/gles2-sdl.c
@@ -28,12 +28,6 @@ void mSDLGLES2Create(struct mSDLRenderer* renderer) {
 }
 
 bool mSDLGLES2Init(struct mSDLRenderer* renderer) {
-#ifdef BUILD_RASPI
-	mRPIGLCommonInit(renderer);
-#else
-	mSDLGLCommonInit(renderer);
-#endif
-
 	size_t size = renderer->width * renderer->height * BYTES_PER_PIXEL;
 #ifdef _WIN32
 	renderer->outputBuffer = _aligned_malloc(size, 16);
diff --git a/src/platform/sdl/main.c b/src/platform/sdl/main.c
index 2b2704a9c..fdf88703e 100644
--- a/src/platform/sdl/main.c
+++ b/src/platform/sdl/main.c
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@
 
 #define PORT "sdl"
 
-static bool mSDLInit(struct mSDLRenderer* renderer);
 static void mSDLDeinit(struct mSDLRenderer* renderer);
 
 static int mSDLRun(struct mSDLRenderer* renderer, struct mArguments* args);
@@ -84,6 +83,12 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
 		return 0;
 	}
 
+	if (SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_VIDEO) < 0) {
+		printf("Could not initialize video: %s\n", SDL_GetError());
+		freeArguments(&args);
+		return 1;
+	}
+
 	renderer.core = mCoreFind(args.fname);
 	if (!renderer.core) {
 		printf("Could not run game. Are you sure the file exists and is a compatible game?\n");
@@ -97,14 +102,6 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
 	}
 
 	renderer.core->desiredVideoDimensions(renderer.core, &renderer.width, &renderer.height);
-#ifdef BUILD_GL
-	mSDLGLCreate(&renderer);
-#elif defined(BUILD_GLES2) || defined(USE_EPOXY)
-	mSDLGLES2Create(&renderer);
-#else
-	mSDLSWCreate(&renderer);
-#endif
-
 	renderer.ratio = graphicsOpts.multiplier;
 	if (renderer.ratio == 0) {
 		renderer.ratio = 1;
@@ -139,7 +136,25 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
 	renderer.interframeBlending = renderer.core->opts.interframeBlending;
 	renderer.filter = renderer.core->opts.resampleVideo;
 
-	if (!mSDLInit(&renderer)) {
+#ifdef BUILD_GL
+	if (mSDLGLCommonInit(&renderer)) {
+		mSDLGLCreate(&renderer);
+	} else
+#elif defined(BUILD_GLES2) || defined(USE_EPOXY)
+#ifdef BUILD_RASPI
+	mRPIGLCommonInit(&renderer);
+#else
+	if (mSDLGLCommonInit(&renderer))
+#endif
+	{
+		mSDLGLES2Create(&renderer);
+	} else
+#endif
+	{
+		mSDLSWCreate(&renderer);
+	}
+
+	if (!renderer.init(&renderer)) {
 		freeArguments(&args);
 		mCoreConfigDeinit(&renderer.core->config);
 		renderer.core->deinit(renderer.core);
@@ -295,15 +310,6 @@ int mSDLRun(struct mSDLRenderer* renderer, struct mArguments* args) {
 	return didFail;
 }
 
-static bool mSDLInit(struct mSDLRenderer* renderer) {
-	if (SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_VIDEO) < 0) {
-		printf("Could not initialize video: %s\n", SDL_GetError());
-		return false;
-	}
-
-	return renderer->init(renderer);
-}
-
 static void mSDLDeinit(struct mSDLRenderer* renderer) {
 	mSDLDeinitEvents(&renderer->events);
 	mSDLDeinitAudio(&renderer->audio);
diff --git a/src/platform/sdl/main.h b/src/platform/sdl/main.h
index d6148babf..5f52f5e19 100644
--- a/src/platform/sdl/main.h
+++ b/src/platform/sdl/main.h
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ CXX_GUARD_START
 #include "sdl-events.h"
 
 #ifdef BUILD_GL
+#include "gl-common.h"
 #include "platform/opengl/gl.h"
 #endif
 
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@ CXX_GUARD_START
 #endif
 
 #if defined(BUILD_GLES2) || defined(USE_EPOXY)
+#include "gl-common.h"
 #include "platform/opengl/gles2.h"
 #endif