diff --git a/platform/unix/configure.ac b/platform/unix/configure.ac
index 6cc5ff5fc..8f1259f31 100644
--- a/platform/unix/configure.ac
+++ b/platform/unix/configure.ac
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ AS_VAR_IF([cxx11name], [no], AC_MSG_ERROR([Can't LÖVE without C++11]), CXXFLAGS
 
 # Libraries
 AC_SEARCH_LIBS([sqrt], [m], [], AC_MSG_ERROR([Can't LÖVE without C math library]))
-AC_SEARCH_LIBS([SDL_Init], [SDL2], [], AC_MSG_ERROR([Can't LÖVE without SDL 2]))
 AC_SEARCH_LIBS([glLoadIdentity], [GL], [], AC_MSG_ERROR([Can't LÖVE without OpenGL]))
 AC_SEARCH_LIBS([alSourcePlay], [openal], [], AC_MSG_ERROR([Can't LÖVE without OpenAL]))
 AC_SEARCH_LIBS([ilInit], [IL], [], AC_MSG_ERROR([Can't LÖVE without DevIL]))
@@ -44,9 +43,11 @@ AC_SEARCH_LIBS([ModPlug_Load], [modplug], [], AC_MSG_ERROR([Can't LÖVE without
 AC_SEARCH_LIBS([ov_open], [vorbisfile], [], AC_MSG_ERROR([Can't LÖVE without VorbisFile]))
 
 # Includes
-AC_CHECK_HEADER([SDL2/SDL.h], [includes="$includes -I/usr/include/SDL2"])
 AC_CHECK_HEADER([freetype2/freetype/config/ftheader.h], [includes="$includes -I/usr/include/freetype2"])
 
+# SDL 2, treated seperately because it combines setting SDL2_LIBS and SDL2_CFLAGS into one step
+AM_PATH_SDL2([], [], AC_MSG_ERROR([Can't LÖVE without SDL 2]))
+
 # Lua, treated seperately because of --with-lua
 AC_ARG_WITH([lua], [AS_HELP_STRING([--with-lua], [Select the lua implementation])],
 			[], [with_lua=lua])
diff --git a/platform/unix/gen-makefile b/platform/unix/gen-makefile
index 999611448..e1791e8fa 100644
--- a/platform/unix/gen-makefile
+++ b/platform/unix/gen-makefile
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ inc_libraries="$inc_current/libraries"
 
 cat > Makefile.am << EOF
 AM_CPPFLAGS = -I$inc_current -I$inc_modules -I$inc_libraries -I$inc_libraries/enet/libenet/include \$(LOVE_INCLUDES) \$(FILE_OFFSET)
+AM_CXXFLAGS = \$(SDL_CFLAGS)
 AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS = subdir-objects
 SUBDIRS =
 
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ endif
 
 # libLÖVE
 lib_LTLIBRARIES = liblove.la
-liblove_la_LDFLAGS = -module -export-dynamic \$(LDFLAGS)
+liblove_la_LDFLAGS = -module -export-dynamic \$(LDFLAGS) \$(SDL_LIBS)
 liblove_la_SOURCES = \\
 EOF