diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 8e71597..32a0317 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -3,15 +3,18 @@ cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.14)
 project(doompanning)
 
 set(CMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS ON)
-
 ## Create binaries in the root of the build directory
 set(CMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR})
 set(CMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE ON CACHE BOOL "ON")
 
+option(DOOMPANNING_INTERNAL_SDL "Build and use the included version of SDL2" OFF)
+
 # The SDL renderer backend in the version of ImGui included in this repo
 # requires at least SDL-2.0.17. This is enforced in
 # external/imgui/backends/imgui_impl_sdlrenderer.cpp .
-find_package(SDL2 2.0.17)
+if (NOT DOOMPANNING_INTERNAL_SDL)
+    find_package(SDL2 2.0.17)
+endif()
 
 find_file(DOOM1_WAD doom1.wad HINTS /usr/share/games/doom)
 if (DOOM1_WAD)