diff --git a/src/common/FBSurfaceSDL2.cxx b/src/common/FBSurfaceSDL2.cxx
index d72c55314..f68b06b4b 100644
--- a/src/common/FBSurfaceSDL2.cxx
+++ b/src/common/FBSurfaceSDL2.cxx
@@ -25,7 +25,12 @@ FBSurfaceSDL2::FBSurfaceSDL2(FrameBufferSDL2& buffer, uInt32 width, uInt32 heigh
     myFB(buffer),
     mySurface(NULL),
     myTexture(NULL),
-    mySurfaceIsDirty(true)
+    mySurfaceIsDirty(true),
+    myDataIsStatic(false),
+    myInterpolate(false),
+    myBlendEnabled(false),
+    myBlendAlpha(255),
+    myStaticData(NULL)
 {
   // Create a surface in the same format as the parent GL class
   const SDL_PixelFormat* pf = myFB.myPixelFormat;
@@ -56,6 +61,12 @@ FBSurfaceSDL2::~FBSurfaceSDL2()
     SDL_FreeSurface(mySurface);
 
   free();
+
+  if(myStaticData)
+  {
+    delete[] myStaticData;
+    myStaticData = NULL;
+  }
 }
 
 // - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
@@ -92,8 +103,31 @@ void FBSurfaceSDL2::addDirtyRect(uInt32 x, uInt32 y, uInt32 w, uInt32 h)
 }
 
 // - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
-void FBSurfaceSDL2::basePtr(uInt32*& pixels, uInt32& pitch)
+void FBSurfaceSDL2::setStaticContents(const uInt32* pixels, uInt32 pitch)
 {
+  myDataIsStatic = true;
+  myStaticPitch = pitch * 4;  // we need pitch in 'bytes'
+
+  if(!myStaticData)
+    myStaticData = new uInt32[mySurface->w * mySurface->h];
+  SDL_memcpy(myStaticData, pixels, mySurface->w * mySurface->h);
+
+  // Re-create the texture with the new settings
+  free();
+  reload();
+}
+
+// - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
+void FBSurfaceSDL2::setInterpolationAndBlending(
+    bool smoothScale, bool useBlend, uInt32 blendAlpha)
+{
+  myInterpolate = smoothScale;
+  myBlendEnabled = useBlend;
+  myBlendAlpha = blendAlpha * 2.55;
+
+  // Re-create the texture with the new settings
+  free();
+  reload();
 }
 
 // - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
@@ -147,7 +181,8 @@ void FBSurfaceSDL2::render()
 //cerr << "src: x=" << mySrcR.x << ", y=" << mySrcR.y << ", w=" << mySrcR.w << ", h=" << mySrcR.h << endl;
 //cerr << "dst: x=" << myDstR.x << ", y=" << myDstR.y << ", w=" << myDstR.w << ", h=" << myDstR.h << endl;
 
-    SDL_UpdateTexture(myTexture, &mySrcR, mySurface->pixels, mySurface->pitch);
+    if(!myDataIsStatic)
+      SDL_UpdateTexture(myTexture, &mySrcR, mySurface->pixels, mySurface->pitch);
     SDL_RenderCopy(myFB.myRenderer, myTexture, &mySrcR, &myDstR);
 
     mySurfaceIsDirty = false;
@@ -177,7 +212,19 @@ void FBSurfaceSDL2::free()
 void FBSurfaceSDL2::reload()
 {
   // Re-create texture; the underlying SDL_Surface is fine as-is
-  myTexture = SDL_CreateTexture(myFB.myRenderer,
-      SDL_PIXELFORMAT_ARGB8888, SDL_TEXTUREACCESS_STREAMING,
+  SDL_SetHint(SDL_HINT_RENDER_SCALE_QUALITY, myInterpolate ? "1" : "0");
+  myTexture = SDL_CreateTexture(myFB.myRenderer, myFB.myPixelFormat->format,
+      myDataIsStatic ? SDL_TEXTUREACCESS_STATIC : SDL_TEXTUREACCESS_STREAMING,
       mySurface->w, mySurface->h);
+
+  // If the data is static, we only upload it once
+  if(myDataIsStatic)
+    SDL_UpdateTexture(myTexture, NULL, myStaticData, myStaticPitch);
+
+  // Blending enabled?
+  if(myBlendEnabled)
+  {
+    SDL_SetTextureBlendMode(myTexture, SDL_BLENDMODE_BLEND);
+    SDL_SetTextureAlphaMod(myTexture, myBlendAlpha);
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/common/FBSurfaceSDL2.hxx b/src/common/FBSurfaceSDL2.hxx
index fb25a6151..84ba163b1 100644
--- a/src/common/FBSurfaceSDL2.hxx
+++ b/src/common/FBSurfaceSDL2.hxx
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ class FBSurfaceSDL2 : public FBSurface
 {
   public:
     FBSurfaceSDL2(FrameBufferSDL2& buffer, uInt32 width, uInt32 height);
+
     virtual ~FBSurfaceSDL2();
 
     // Most of the surface drawing primitives are implemented in FBSurface;
@@ -42,7 +43,9 @@ class FBSurfaceSDL2 : public FBSurface
     void drawSurface(const FBSurface* surface, uInt32 x, uInt32 y);
     void addDirtyRect(uInt32 x, uInt32 y, uInt32 w, uInt32 h);
 
-    void basePtr(uInt32*& pixels, uInt32& pitch);
+    void setStaticContents(const uInt32* pixels, uInt32 pitch);
+    void setInterpolationAndBlending(bool smoothScale, bool useBlend,
+                                     uInt32 blendAlpha);
 
     GUI::Rect srcRect();
     GUI::Rect dstRect();
@@ -65,6 +68,14 @@ class FBSurfaceSDL2 : public FBSurface
     SDL_Rect mySrcR, myDstR;
 
     bool mySurfaceIsDirty;
+
+    bool myDataIsStatic;  // Is pixel data constant or can it change?
+    bool myInterpolate;   // Scaling is smoothed or blocky
+    bool myBlendEnabled;  // Blending is enabled
+    uInt8 myBlendAlpha;   // Alpha to use in blending mode
+
+    uInt32* myStaticData; // The data to use when the buffer contents are static
+    uInt32 myStaticPitch; // The number of bytes in a row of static data
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/common/FBSurfaceTIA.hxx b/src/common/FBSurfaceTIA.hxx
index 0d4c7f61e..3c018f4c6 100644
--- a/src/common/FBSurfaceTIA.hxx
+++ b/src/common/FBSurfaceTIA.hxx
@@ -48,7 +48,9 @@ class FBSurfaceTIA : public FBSurface
     void free();
     void reload();
 
-    void basePtr(uInt32*& pixels, uInt32& pitch) { }
+    void setStaticContents(const uInt32* pixels, uInt32 pitch) { }
+    void setInterpolationAndBlending(bool smoothScale, bool useBlend,
+                                     uInt32 blendAlpha) { }
 
     GUI::Rect srcRect() { return GUI::Rect(); }
     GUI::Rect dstRect() { return GUI::Rect(); }
diff --git a/src/common/FrameBufferSDL2.cxx b/src/common/FrameBufferSDL2.cxx
index ec7d4a829..8e4f62fb6 100644
--- a/src/common/FrameBufferSDL2.cxx
+++ b/src/common/FrameBufferSDL2.cxx
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ void FrameBufferSDL2::setTIAPalette(const uInt32* palette)
 }
 
 // - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
-FBSurface* FrameBufferSDL2::createSurface(int w, int h) const
+FBSurface* FrameBufferSDL2::createSurface(uInt32 w, uInt32 h) const
 {
   return new FBSurfaceSDL2((FrameBufferSDL2&)*this, w, h);
 }
diff --git a/src/common/FrameBufferSDL2.hxx b/src/common/FrameBufferSDL2.hxx
index f3d183154..f4184efca 100644
--- a/src/common/FrameBufferSDL2.hxx
+++ b/src/common/FrameBufferSDL2.hxx
@@ -165,13 +165,12 @@ class FrameBufferSDL2 : public FrameBuffer
     void invalidate();
 
     /**
-      This method is called to create a surface compatible with the one
-      currently in use, but having the given dimensions.
+      This method is called to create a surface with the given attributes.
 
       @param w  The requested width of the new surface.
       @param h  The requested height of the new surface.
     */
-    FBSurface* createSurface(int w, int h) const;
+    FBSurface* createSurface(uInt32 w, uInt32 h) const;
 
     /**
       Grabs or ungrabs the mouse based on the given boolean value.
diff --git a/src/emucore/FBSurface.hxx b/src/emucore/FBSurface.hxx
index f98cc2e05..9fac81818 100644
--- a/src/emucore/FBSurface.hxx
+++ b/src/emucore/FBSurface.hxx
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ class FBSurface
     //        implemented in child classes.
     //
     //  For the following, 'src' indicates the actual data buffer area
-    // (non-scaled) and 'dst' indicates the rendered area (possibly scaled).
+    //  (non-scaled) and 'dst' indicates the rendered area (possibly scaled).
     //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
     /**
@@ -238,6 +238,30 @@ class FBSurface
     virtual void setDstPos(uInt32 x, uInt32 y)  = 0;
     virtual void setDstSize(uInt32 w, uInt32 h) = 0;
 
+    /**
+      This method should be called to indicate that the surface contains
+      static data that will never change.  Some rendering toolkits can
+      use this information to optimize how the data is rendered.
+
+      Note that once this method is called, all other drawing primitives
+      will not work.
+
+      @param pixels  The static data to use
+      @param pitch   The number of pixels in a row
+    */
+    virtual void setStaticContents(const uInt32* pixels, uInt32 pitch) = 0;
+
+    /**
+      This method should be called to modify the interpolation and
+      blending effects to be applied to this surface.
+
+      @param smoothScale  Whether to use interpolation during scaling
+      @param useBlend     Whether the surface should use alpha blending
+      @param blendAlpha   The alpha to use during blending (if used)
+    */
+    virtual void setInterpolationAndBlending(bool smoothScale,
+        bool useBlend, uInt32 blendAlpha) = 0;
+
     /**
       This method should be called to translate the given coordinates
       to the (destination) surface coordinates.
diff --git a/src/emucore/FrameBuffer.hxx b/src/emucore/FrameBuffer.hxx
index 679e3976f..d9e257c89 100644
--- a/src/emucore/FrameBuffer.hxx
+++ b/src/emucore/FrameBuffer.hxx
@@ -437,13 +437,12 @@ class FrameBuffer
     virtual void invalidate() = 0;
 
     /**
-      This method is called to create a surface compatible with the one
-      currently in use, but having the given dimensions.
+      This method is called to create a surface with the given attributes.
 
       @param w  The requested width of the new surface.
       @param h  The requested height of the new surface.
     */
-    virtual FBSurface* createSurface(int w, int h) const = 0;
+    virtual FBSurface* createSurface(uInt32 w, uInt32 h) const = 0;
 
     /**
       Change scanline intensity and interpolation.