--- a/configure.in	2013-08-06 16:35:30.740061017 -0700
+++ b/configure.in	2013-08-06 16:40:47.511004499 -0700
@@ -95,10 +95,14 @@
 
 dnl #########  Check for SDL: #####################
 dnl the sdl script pollutes our global values:
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(sdl,
+    AC_HELP_STRING([--enable-sdl],[enable the sdl layer]) ) 
+
+sdl_enabled="no"
+if test x"$enable_sdl" = x"yes"; then
 temp_LIBS="$LIBS"
 temp_CFLAGS="$CFLAGS"
 temp_CXXFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS"
-sdl_enabled=""
 SDL_VERSION=1.2.0
 AM_PATH_SDL($SDL_VERSION,
     [sdl_enabled="yes"],
@@ -111,6 +115,7 @@
 dnl ### the sdl script already does that:
 dnl AC_SUBST(SDL_CFLAGS)
 dnl AC_SUBST(SDL_LIBS)
+fi
 AM_CONDITIONAL(ENABLE_SDL,[test xyes = x$sdl_enabled -a xno != x$enable_platform -a x$win32_host != xyes])
 dnl ###############################################