diff --git a/src/modules/event/sdl/Event.cpp b/src/modules/event/sdl/Event.cpp
index a515a1df2..faf2150b4 100644
--- a/src/modules/event/sdl/Event.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/event/sdl/Event.cpp
@@ -69,6 +69,30 @@ static void normalizedToPixelCoords(double *x, double *y)
 }
 #endif
 
+// SDL's event watch callbacks trigger when the event is actually posted inside
+// SDL, unlike with SDL_PollEvents. This is useful for some events which require
+// handling inside the function which triggered them on some backends.
+static int SDLCALL watchAppEvents(void * /*udata*/, SDL_Event *event)
+{
+	graphics::Graphics *gfx = Module::getInstance<graphics::Graphics>(Module::M_GRAPHICS);
+
+	switch (event->type)
+	{
+	// On iOS, calling any OpenGL ES function after the function which triggers
+	// SDL_APP_DIDENTERBACKGROUND is called will kill the app, so we handle it
+	// with an event watch callback, which will be called inside that function.
+	case SDL_APP_DIDENTERBACKGROUND:
+	case SDL_APP_WILLENTERFOREGROUND:
+		if (gfx)
+			gfx->setActive(event->type == SDL_APP_WILLENTERFOREGROUND);
+		break;
+	default:
+		break;
+	}
+
+	return 1;
+}
+
 const char *Event::getName() const
 {
 	return "love.event.sdl";
@@ -78,10 +102,13 @@ Event::Event()
 {
 	if (SDL_InitSubSystem(SDL_INIT_EVENTS) < 0)
 		throw love::Exception("%s", SDL_GetError());
+
+	SDL_AddEventWatch(watchAppEvents, this);
 }
 
 Event::~Event()
 {
+	SDL_DelEventWatch(watchAppEvents, this);
 	SDL_QuitSubSystem(SDL_INIT_EVENTS);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/modules/graphics/Graphics.h b/src/modules/graphics/Graphics.h
index 04bce98ad..93a27ed49 100644
--- a/src/modules/graphics/Graphics.h
+++ b/src/modules/graphics/Graphics.h
@@ -178,6 +178,20 @@ public:
 	 **/
 	virtual void unSetMode() = 0;
 
+	/**
+	 * Sets whether the module is active (internal use only.)
+	 **/
+	virtual void setActive(bool active) = 0;
+
+	/**
+	 * Gets whether the module is active. Graphics module methods are only
+	 * guaranteed to work when it is active. Calling them otherwise may cause
+	 * the program to crash (or worse.)
+	 * Normally the module will always be active as long as a window exists, it
+	 * may be different on some platforms (especially mobile ones.)
+	 **/
+	virtual bool isActive() const = 0;
+
 	static bool getConstant(const char *in, DrawMode &out);
 	static bool getConstant(DrawMode in, const char  *&out);
 
diff --git a/src/modules/graphics/opengl/Graphics.cpp b/src/modules/graphics/opengl/Graphics.cpp
index 16a6d73af..0172ce4c6 100644
--- a/src/modules/graphics/opengl/Graphics.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/graphics/opengl/Graphics.cpp
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ Graphics::Graphics()
 	: width(0)
 	, height(0)
 	, created(false)
+	, active(true)
 	, writingToStencil(false)
 {
 	gl = OpenGL();
@@ -322,6 +323,23 @@ void Graphics::unSetMode()
 	created = false;
 }
 
+void Graphics::setActive(bool enable)
+{
+	// Make sure all pending OpenGL commands have fully executed before
+	// returning, if we're going from active to inactive.
+	if (isCreated() && this->active && !enable)
+		glFinish();
+
+	active = enable;
+}
+
+bool Graphics::isActive() const
+{
+	// The graphics module is only completely 'active' if there's a window, a
+	// context, and the active variable is set.
+	return active && isCreated() && currentWindow && currentWindow->isCreated();
+}
+
 static void APIENTRY debugCB(GLenum source, GLenum type, GLuint id, GLenum severity, GLsizei /*len*/, const GLchar *msg, const GLvoid* /*usr*/)
 {
 	// Human-readable strings for the debug info.
@@ -409,6 +427,9 @@ void Graphics::clear(ClearType type)
 
 void Graphics::present()
 {
+	if (!isActive())
+		return;
+
 	// Make sure we don't have a canvas active.
 	std::vector<StrongRef<Canvas>> canvases = states.back().canvases;
 	setCanvas();
diff --git a/src/modules/graphics/opengl/Graphics.h b/src/modules/graphics/opengl/Graphics.h
index 95958b85f..80ae4d4fb 100644
--- a/src/modules/graphics/opengl/Graphics.h
+++ b/src/modules/graphics/opengl/Graphics.h
@@ -68,6 +68,9 @@ public:
 	virtual bool setMode(int width, int height, bool &sRGB);
 	virtual void unSetMode();
 
+	virtual void setActive(bool active);
+	virtual bool isActive() const;
+
 	void setDebug(bool enable);
 
 	/**
@@ -470,6 +473,7 @@ private:
 	int width;
 	int height;
 	bool created;
+	bool active;
 
 	bool writingToStencil;
 
diff --git a/src/modules/graphics/opengl/wrap_Graphics.cpp b/src/modules/graphics/opengl/wrap_Graphics.cpp
index 32a631178..fd50702a9 100644
--- a/src/modules/graphics/opengl/wrap_Graphics.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/graphics/opengl/wrap_Graphics.cpp
@@ -69,6 +69,12 @@ int w_isCreated(lua_State *L)
 	return 1;
 }
 
+int w_isActive(lua_State *L)
+{
+	luax_pushboolean(L, instance()->isActive());
+	return 1;
+}
+
 int w_getWidth(lua_State *L)
 {
 	lua_pushinteger(L, instance()->getWidth());
@@ -1510,6 +1516,7 @@ static const luaL_Reg functions[] =
 	{ "printf", w_printf },
 
 	{ "isCreated", w_isCreated },
+	{ "isActive", w_isActive },
 	{ "getWidth", w_getWidth },
 	{ "getHeight", w_getHeight },
 	{ "getDimensions", w_getDimensions },
diff --git a/src/modules/graphics/opengl/wrap_Graphics.h b/src/modules/graphics/opengl/wrap_Graphics.h
index e995f4512..5270cdb89 100644
--- a/src/modules/graphics/opengl/wrap_Graphics.h
+++ b/src/modules/graphics/opengl/wrap_Graphics.h
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ int w_reset(lua_State *L);
 int w_clear(lua_State *L);
 int w_present(lua_State *L);
 int w_isCreated(lua_State *L);
+int w_isActive(lua_State *L);
 int w_getWidth(lua_State *L);
 int w_getHeight(lua_State *L);
 int w_getDimensions(lua_State *L);
diff --git a/src/scripts/boot.lua b/src/scripts/boot.lua
index 725d6ca88..a21f3349e 100644
--- a/src/scripts/boot.lua
+++ b/src/scripts/boot.lua
@@ -521,7 +521,7 @@ function love.run()
 		-- Call update and draw
 		if love.update then love.update(dt) end -- will pass 0 if love.timer is disabled
 
-		if love.window and love.graphics and love.window.isCreated() then
+		if love.graphics and love.graphics.isActive() then
 			love.graphics.clear()
 			love.graphics.origin()
 			if love.draw then love.draw() end
@@ -529,7 +529,6 @@ function love.run()
 		end
 
 		if love.timer then love.timer.sleep(0.001) end
-
 	end
 
 end
diff --git a/src/scripts/boot.lua.h b/src/scripts/boot.lua.h
index d75a22111..4183035af 100644
--- a/src/scripts/boot.lua.h
+++ b/src/scripts/boot.lua.h
@@ -939,10 +939,9 @@ const unsigned char boot_lua[] =
 	0x29, 0x20, 0x65, 0x6e, 0x64, 0x20, 0x2d, 0x2d, 0x20, 0x77, 0x69, 0x6c, 0x6c, 0x20, 0x70, 0x61, 0x73, 0x73, 
 	0x20, 0x30, 0x20, 0x69, 0x66, 0x20, 0x6c, 0x6f, 0x76, 0x65, 0x2e, 0x74, 0x69, 0x6d, 0x65, 0x72, 0x20, 0x69, 
 	0x73, 0x20, 0x64, 0x69, 0x73, 0x61, 0x62, 0x6c, 0x65, 0x64, 0x0a,
-	0x09, 0x09, 0x69, 0x66, 0x20, 0x6c, 0x6f, 0x76, 0x65, 0x2e, 0x77, 0x69, 0x6e, 0x64, 0x6f, 0x77, 0x20, 0x61, 
-	0x6e, 0x64, 0x20, 0x6c, 0x6f, 0x76, 0x65, 0x2e, 0x67, 0x72, 0x61, 0x70, 0x68, 0x69, 0x63, 0x73, 0x20, 0x61, 
-	0x6e, 0x64, 0x20, 0x6c, 0x6f, 0x76, 0x65, 0x2e, 0x77, 0x69, 0x6e, 0x64, 0x6f, 0x77, 0x2e, 0x69, 0x73, 0x43, 
-	0x72, 0x65, 0x61, 0x74, 0x65, 0x64, 0x28, 0x29, 0x20, 0x74, 0x68, 0x65, 0x6e, 0x0a,
+	0x09, 0x09, 0x69, 0x66, 0x20, 0x6c, 0x6f, 0x76, 0x65, 0x2e, 0x67, 0x72, 0x61, 0x70, 0x68, 0x69, 0x63, 0x73, 
+	0x20, 0x61, 0x6e, 0x64, 0x20, 0x6c, 0x6f, 0x76, 0x65, 0x2e, 0x67, 0x72, 0x61, 0x70, 0x68, 0x69, 0x63, 0x73, 
+	0x2e, 0x69, 0x73, 0x41, 0x63, 0x74, 0x69, 0x76, 0x65, 0x28, 0x29, 0x20, 0x74, 0x68, 0x65, 0x6e, 0x0a,
 	0x09, 0x09, 0x09, 0x6c, 0x6f, 0x76, 0x65, 0x2e, 0x67, 0x72, 0x61, 0x70, 0x68, 0x69, 0x63, 0x73, 0x2e, 0x63, 
 	0x6c, 0x65, 0x61, 0x72, 0x28, 0x29, 0x0a,
 	0x09, 0x09, 0x09, 0x6c, 0x6f, 0x76, 0x65, 0x2e, 0x67, 0x72, 0x61, 0x70, 0x68, 0x69, 0x63, 0x73, 0x2e, 0x6f,