diff --git a/platform/unix/deps.m4 b/platform/unix/deps.m4
index 42938d96c..fbfb1c9a7 100644
--- a/platform/unix/deps.m4
+++ b/platform/unix/deps.m4
@@ -20,7 +20,9 @@ AC_DEFUN([ACLOVE_DEP_LIBM], [
 	AC_SEARCH_LIBS([sqrt], [m], [], [LOVE_MSG_ERROR([the C math library])])])
 
 AC_DEFUN([ACLOVE_DEP_SDL2], [
-	AM_PATH_SDL2([], [], [LOVE_MSG_ERROR([SDL 2])])])
+	aclove_sdl2_found=no
+	AM_PATH_SDL2([], [aclove_sdl2_found=yes], [])
+	AS_VAR_IF([aclove_sdl2_found], [no], [LOVE_MSG_ERROR([SDL 2])], [])])
 
 AC_DEFUN([ACLOVE_DEP_PTHREAD], [
 	AC_SEARCH_LIBS([pthread_create], [pthread], [], [LOVE_MSG_ERROR([the POSIX threads library])])])