diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 044c6fafe2..96dee6572c 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -5668,6 +5668,12 @@ if test "$gtkabi" = "2.0"; then
     echo "WARNING: future releases. Please switch to using GTK 3.0"
 fi
 
+if test "$sdlabi" = "1.2"; then
+    echo
+    echo "WARNING: Use of SDL 1.2 is deprecated and will be removed in"
+    echo "WARNING: future releases. Please switch to using SDL 2.0"
+fi
+
 if test "$supported_cpu" = "no"; then
     echo
     echo "WARNING: SUPPORT FOR THIS HOST CPU WILL GO AWAY IN FUTURE RELEASES!"
diff --git a/qemu-doc.texi b/qemu-doc.texi
index 3e9eb819a6..79d08b3f04 100644
--- a/qemu-doc.texi
+++ b/qemu-doc.texi
@@ -2596,6 +2596,13 @@ and 3.x series APIs. Support for the GTK 2.x builds will be
 discontinued, so maintainers should switch to using GTK 3.x,
 which is the default.
 
+@subsection SDL 1.2
+
+Previously QEMU has supported building against both SDL 1.2
+and 2.0 series APIs. Support for the SDL 1.2 builds will be
+discontinued, so maintainers should switch to using SDL 2.0,
+which is the default.
+
 @section System emulator command line arguments
 
 @subsection -tdf (since 1.3.0)
diff --git a/ui/sdl.c b/ui/sdl.c
index afb4992da2..f26048d3a2 100644
--- a/ui/sdl.c
+++ b/ui/sdl.c
@@ -918,6 +918,9 @@ void sdl_display_init(DisplayState *ds, int full_screen, int no_frame)
             exit(1);
     }
 
+    g_printerr("Running QEMU with SDL 1.2 is deprecated, and will be removed\n"
+               "in a future release. Please switch to SDL 2.0 instead\n");
+
     if (no_frame)
         gui_noframe = 1;