diff --git a/include/ui/sdl2.h b/include/ui/sdl2.h
index dbe6e3d9739b..9daf5ecffae7 100644
--- a/include/ui/sdl2.h
+++ b/include/ui/sdl2.h
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ struct sdl2_console {
     bool gui_keysym;
     SDL_GLContext winctx;
     QKbdState *kbd;
+    bool has_dmabuf;
 #ifdef CONFIG_OPENGL
     QemuGLShader *gls;
     egl_fb guest_fb;
@@ -96,5 +97,11 @@ void sdl2_gl_scanout_texture(DisplayChangeListener *dcl,
                              void *d3d_tex2d);
 void sdl2_gl_scanout_flush(DisplayChangeListener *dcl,
                            uint32_t x, uint32_t y, uint32_t w, uint32_t h);
+void sdl2_gl_scanout_dmabuf(DisplayChangeListener *dcl,
+                            QemuDmaBuf *dmabuf);
+void sdl2_gl_release_dmabuf(DisplayChangeListener *dcl,
+                            QemuDmaBuf *dmabuf);
+bool sdl2_gl_has_dmabuf(DisplayChangeListener *dcl);
+void sdl2_gl_console_init(struct sdl2_console *scon);
 
 #endif /* SDL2_H */
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 8b9fda4d95e6..c0b5f1ccc026 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -1966,10 +1966,8 @@ if get_option('gtk') \
   endif
 endif
 
-x11 = not_found
-if gtkx11.found()
-  x11 = dependency('x11', method: 'pkg-config', required: gtkx11.found())
-endif
+x11 = dependency('x11', method: 'pkg-config', required: gtkx11.found())
+
 png = not_found
 if get_option('png').allowed() and have_system
    png = dependency('libpng', version: '>=1.6.34', required: get_option('png'),
diff --git a/ui/sdl2-gl.c b/ui/sdl2-gl.c
index b1fe96d6af22..8d53e340d40d 100644
--- a/ui/sdl2-gl.c
+++ b/ui/sdl2-gl.c
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@
  */
 
 #include "qemu/osdep.h"
+#include "qemu/main-loop.h"
+#include "qemu/error-report.h"
 #include "ui/console.h"
 #include "ui/input.h"
 #include "ui/sdl2.h"
@@ -249,3 +251,65 @@ void sdl2_gl_scanout_flush(DisplayChangeListener *dcl,
 
     SDL_GL_SwapWindow(scon->real_window);
 }
+
+void sdl2_gl_scanout_dmabuf(DisplayChangeListener *dcl,
+                            QemuDmaBuf *dmabuf)
+{
+    struct sdl2_console *scon = container_of(dcl, struct sdl2_console, dcl);
+
+    assert(scon->opengl);
+    SDL_GL_MakeCurrent(scon->real_window, scon->winctx);
+
+    egl_dmabuf_import_texture(dmabuf);
+    if (!qemu_dmabuf_get_texture(dmabuf)) {
+        error_report("%s: failed fd=%d", __func__, qemu_dmabuf_get_fd(dmabuf));
+        return;
+    }
+
+    sdl2_gl_scanout_texture(dcl, qemu_dmabuf_get_texture(dmabuf), false,
+                            qemu_dmabuf_get_width(dmabuf),
+                            qemu_dmabuf_get_height(dmabuf),
+                            0, 0,
+                            qemu_dmabuf_get_width(dmabuf),
+                            qemu_dmabuf_get_height(dmabuf),
+                            NULL);
+
+    if (qemu_dmabuf_get_allow_fences(dmabuf)) {
+        scon->guest_fb.dmabuf = dmabuf;
+    }
+}
+
+void sdl2_gl_release_dmabuf(DisplayChangeListener *dcl,
+                            QemuDmaBuf *dmabuf)
+{
+    egl_dmabuf_release_texture(dmabuf);
+}
+
+bool sdl2_gl_has_dmabuf(DisplayChangeListener *dcl)
+{
+    struct sdl2_console *scon = container_of(dcl, struct sdl2_console, dcl);
+
+    return scon->has_dmabuf;
+}
+
+void sdl2_gl_console_init(struct sdl2_console *scon)
+{
+    bool hidden = scon->hidden;
+
+    scon->hidden = true;
+    scon->surface = qemu_create_displaysurface(1, 1);
+    sdl2_window_create(scon);
+
+    /*
+     * QEMU checks whether console supports dma-buf before switching
+     * to the console.  To break this chicken-egg problem we pre-check
+     * dma-buf availability beforehand using a dummy SDL window.
+     */
+    scon->has_dmabuf = qemu_egl_has_dmabuf();
+
+    sdl2_window_destroy(scon);
+    qemu_free_displaysurface(scon->surface);
+
+    scon->surface = NULL;
+    scon->hidden = hidden;
+}
diff --git a/ui/sdl2.c b/ui/sdl2.c
index cda4293a53e6..943974544343 100644
--- a/ui/sdl2.c
+++ b/ui/sdl2.c
@@ -35,6 +35,10 @@
 #include "qemu/log.h"
 #include "qemu-main.h"
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_X11
+#include <X11/Xlib.h>
+#endif
+
 static int sdl2_num_outputs;
 static struct sdl2_console *sdl2_console;
 
@@ -120,6 +124,9 @@ void sdl2_window_create(struct sdl2_console *scon)
         /* The SDL renderer is only used by sdl2-2D, when OpenGL is disabled */
         scon->real_renderer = SDL_CreateRenderer(scon->real_window, -1, 0);
     }
+
+    qemu_egl_display = eglGetCurrentDisplay();
+
     sdl_update_caption(scon);
 }
 
@@ -798,6 +805,10 @@ static const DisplayChangeListenerOps dcl_gl_ops = {
     .dpy_gl_scanout_disable  = sdl2_gl_scanout_disable,
     .dpy_gl_scanout_texture  = sdl2_gl_scanout_texture,
     .dpy_gl_update           = sdl2_gl_scanout_flush,
+
+    .dpy_gl_scanout_dmabuf   = sdl2_gl_scanout_dmabuf,
+    .dpy_gl_release_dmabuf   = sdl2_gl_release_dmabuf,
+    .dpy_has_dmabuf          = sdl2_gl_has_dmabuf,
 };
 
 static bool
@@ -825,6 +836,35 @@ static void sdl2_display_early_init(DisplayOptions *o)
     }
 }
 
+static void sdl2_set_hint_x11_force_egl(void)
+{
+#if defined(SDL_HINT_VIDEO_X11_FORCE_EGL) && defined(CONFIG_OPENGL) && \
+    defined(CONFIG_X11)
+    Display *x_disp = XOpenDisplay(NULL);
+    EGLDisplay egl_display;
+
+    if (!x_disp) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    /* Prefer EGL over GLX to get dma-buf support. */
+    egl_display = eglGetDisplay((EGLNativeDisplayType)x_disp);
+
+    if (egl_display != EGL_NO_DISPLAY) {
+        /*
+         * Setting X11_FORCE_EGL hint doesn't make SDL to prefer X11 over
+         * Wayland. SDL will use Wayland driver even if XWayland presents.
+         * It's always safe to set the hint even if X11 is not used by SDL.
+         * SDL will work regardless of the hint.
+         */
+        SDL_SetHint(SDL_HINT_VIDEO_X11_FORCE_EGL, "1");
+        eglTerminate(egl_display);
+    }
+
+    XCloseDisplay(x_disp);
+#endif
+}
+
 static void sdl2_display_init(DisplayState *ds, DisplayOptions *o)
 {
     uint8_t data = 0;
@@ -852,6 +892,7 @@ static void sdl2_display_init(DisplayState *ds, DisplayOptions *o)
     SDL_SetHint(SDL_HINT_ALLOW_ALT_TAB_WHILE_GRABBED, "0");
 #endif
     SDL_SetHint(SDL_HINT_WINDOWS_NO_CLOSE_ON_ALT_F4, "1");
+    sdl2_set_hint_x11_force_egl();
     SDL_EnableScreenSaver();
     memset(&info, 0, sizeof(info));
     SDL_VERSION(&info.version);
@@ -898,6 +939,7 @@ static void sdl2_display_init(DisplayState *ds, DisplayOptions *o)
         sdl2_console[i].kbd = qkbd_state_init(con);
         if (display_opengl) {
             qemu_console_set_display_gl_ctx(con, &sdl2_console[i].dgc);
+            sdl2_gl_console_init(&sdl2_console[i]);
         }
         register_displaychangelistener(&sdl2_console[i].dcl);
 
