diff --git a/package/qemu/Config.in b/package/qemu/Config.in
index d7390141f9..33d4cccd7b 100644
--- a/package/qemu/Config.in
+++ b/package/qemu/Config.in
@@ -118,13 +118,15 @@ comment "Frontends"
 
 config BR2_PACKAGE_QEMU_SDL
 	bool "Enable SDL frontend"
-	depends on BR2_PACKAGE_XORG7
-	select BR2_PACKAGE_SDL
-	select BR2_PACKAGE_SDL_X11
+	depends on !BR2_STATIC_LIBS # sdl2
+	select BR2_PACKAGE_SDL2
 	help
 	  Say 'y' to enable the SDL frontend, that is, a graphical
 	  window presenting the VM's display.
 
+comment "SDL frontend needs a toolchain w/ dynamic library"
+	depends on BR2_STATIC_LIBS
+
 comment "Misc. features"
 
 config BR2_PACKAGE_QEMU_FDT
diff --git a/package/qemu/qemu.mk b/package/qemu/qemu.mk
index 968c8073e4..5bdf390bc9 100644
--- a/package/qemu/qemu.mk
+++ b/package/qemu/qemu.mk
@@ -62,8 +62,8 @@ endif
 
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_QEMU_SDL),y)
 QEMU_OPTS += --enable-sdl
-QEMU_DEPENDENCIES += sdl
-QEMU_VARS += SDL_CONFIG=$(BR2_STAGING_DIR)/usr/bin/sdl-config
+QEMU_DEPENDENCIES += sdl2
+QEMU_VARS += SDL2_CONFIG=$(BR2_STAGING_DIR)/usr/bin/sdl2-config
 else
 QEMU_OPTS += --disable-sdl
 endif