diff --git a/include/SDL_hints.h b/include/SDL_hints.h
index fcc04e901..04e92e163 100644
--- a/include/SDL_hints.h
+++ b/include/SDL_hints.h
@@ -244,6 +244,17 @@ extern "C" {
  */
 #define SDL_HINT_VIDEO_X11_NET_WM_BYPASS_COMPOSITOR "SDL_VIDEO_X11_NET_WM_BYPASS_COMPOSITOR"
 
+/**
+ * \brief A variable controlling whether X11 should use GLX or EGL by default
+ *
+ * This variable can be set to the following values:
+ * "0" - Use GLX
+ * "1" - Use EGL
+ *
+ * By default SDL will use GLX when both are present.
+ */
+#define SDL_HINT_VIDEO_X11_FORCE_EGL "SDL_VIDEO_X11_FORCE_EGL"
+
 /**
  *  \brief  A variable controlling whether the window frame and title bar are interactive when the cursor is hidden 
  *
diff --git a/src/video/x11/SDL_x11opengl.c b/src/video/x11/SDL_x11opengl.c
index 02364c245..8747ff2db 100644
--- a/src/video/x11/SDL_x11opengl.c
+++ b/src/video/x11/SDL_x11opengl.c
@@ -238,7 +238,8 @@ X11_GL_LoadLibrary(_THIS, const char *path)
     /* If we need a GL ES context and there's no  
      * GLX_EXT_create_context_es2_profile extension, switch over to X11_GLES functions  
      */
-    if (_this->gl_config.profile_mask == SDL_GL_CONTEXT_PROFILE_ES && 
+    if (((_this->gl_config.profile_mask == SDL_GL_CONTEXT_PROFILE_ES) ||
+         SDL_GetHintBoolean(SDL_HINT_VIDEO_X11_FORCE_EGL, SDL_FALSE)) &&
         X11_GL_UseEGL(_this) ) {
 #if SDL_VIDEO_OPENGL_EGL
         X11_GL_UnloadLibrary(_this);
@@ -649,8 +650,13 @@ SDL_bool
 X11_GL_UseEGL(_THIS)
 {
     SDL_assert(_this->gl_data != NULL);
-    SDL_assert(_this->gl_config.profile_mask == SDL_GL_CONTEXT_PROFILE_ES);
+    if (SDL_GetHintBoolean(SDL_HINT_VIDEO_X11_FORCE_EGL, SDL_FALSE))
+    {
+        /* use of EGL has been requested, even for desktop GL */
+        return SDL_TRUE;
+    }
 
+    SDL_assert(_this->gl_config.profile_mask == SDL_GL_CONTEXT_PROFILE_ES);
     return (SDL_GetHintBoolean(SDL_HINT_OPENGL_ES_DRIVER, SDL_FALSE)
             || _this->gl_config.major_version == 1 /* No GLX extension for OpenGL ES 1.x profiles. */
             || _this->gl_config.major_version > _this->gl_data->es_profile_max_supported_version.major
diff --git a/src/video/x11/SDL_x11opengles.c b/src/video/x11/SDL_x11opengles.c
index 5c4890e1c..d3bdaa648 100644
--- a/src/video/x11/SDL_x11opengles.c
+++ b/src/video/x11/SDL_x11opengles.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 
 #if SDL_VIDEO_DRIVER_X11 && SDL_VIDEO_OPENGL_EGL
 
+#include "SDL_hints.h"
 #include "SDL_x11video.h"
 #include "SDL_x11opengles.h"
 #include "SDL_x11opengl.h"
@@ -34,7 +35,8 @@ X11_GLES_LoadLibrary(_THIS, const char *path)
     SDL_VideoData *data = (SDL_VideoData *) _this->driverdata;
 
     /* If the profile requested is not GL ES, switch over to X11_GL functions  */
-    if (_this->gl_config.profile_mask != SDL_GL_CONTEXT_PROFILE_ES) {
+    if ((_this->gl_config.profile_mask != SDL_GL_CONTEXT_PROFILE_ES) &&
+        !SDL_GetHintBoolean(SDL_HINT_VIDEO_X11_FORCE_EGL, SDL_FALSE)) {
         #if SDL_VIDEO_OPENGL_GLX
         X11_GLES_UnloadLibrary(_this);
         _this->GL_LoadLibrary = X11_GL_LoadLibrary;
diff --git a/src/video/x11/SDL_x11video.c b/src/video/x11/SDL_x11video.c
index 059b05d95..76cce5831 100644
--- a/src/video/x11/SDL_x11video.c
+++ b/src/video/x11/SDL_x11video.c
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #include "SDL_video.h"
 #include "SDL_mouse.h"
 #include "SDL_timer.h"
+#include "SDL_hints.h"
 #include "../SDL_sysvideo.h"
 #include "../SDL_pixels_c.h"
 
@@ -276,16 +277,23 @@ X11_CreateDevice(int devindex)
     device->GL_GetSwapInterval = X11_GL_GetSwapInterval;
     device->GL_SwapWindow = X11_GL_SwapWindow;
     device->GL_DeleteContext = X11_GL_DeleteContext;
-#elif SDL_VIDEO_OPENGL_EGL
-    device->GL_LoadLibrary = X11_GLES_LoadLibrary;
-    device->GL_GetProcAddress = X11_GLES_GetProcAddress;
-    device->GL_UnloadLibrary = X11_GLES_UnloadLibrary;
-    device->GL_CreateContext = X11_GLES_CreateContext;
-    device->GL_MakeCurrent = X11_GLES_MakeCurrent;
-    device->GL_SetSwapInterval = X11_GLES_SetSwapInterval;
-    device->GL_GetSwapInterval = X11_GLES_GetSwapInterval;
-    device->GL_SwapWindow = X11_GLES_SwapWindow;
-    device->GL_DeleteContext = X11_GLES_DeleteContext;
+#endif
+#if SDL_VIDEO_OPENGL_EGL
+#if SDL_VIDEO_OPENGL_GLX
+    if (SDL_GetHintBoolean(SDL_HINT_VIDEO_X11_FORCE_EGL, SDL_FALSE)) {
+#endif
+        device->GL_LoadLibrary = X11_GLES_LoadLibrary;
+        device->GL_GetProcAddress = X11_GLES_GetProcAddress;
+        device->GL_UnloadLibrary = X11_GLES_UnloadLibrary;
+        device->GL_CreateContext = X11_GLES_CreateContext;
+        device->GL_MakeCurrent = X11_GLES_MakeCurrent;
+        device->GL_SetSwapInterval = X11_GLES_SetSwapInterval;
+        device->GL_GetSwapInterval = X11_GLES_GetSwapInterval;
+        device->GL_SwapWindow = X11_GLES_SwapWindow;
+        device->GL_DeleteContext = X11_GLES_DeleteContext;
+#if SDL_VIDEO_OPENGL_GLX
+    }
+#endif
 #endif
 
     device->SetClipboardText = X11_SetClipboardText;
diff --git a/src/video/x11/SDL_x11window.c b/src/video/x11/SDL_x11window.c
index d5b7fd04f..554da0661 100644
--- a/src/video/x11/SDL_x11window.c
+++ b/src/video/x11/SDL_x11window.c
@@ -418,7 +418,8 @@ X11_CreateWindow(_THIS, SDL_Window * window)
         XVisualInfo *vinfo = NULL;
 
 #if SDL_VIDEO_OPENGL_EGL
-        if (_this->gl_config.profile_mask == SDL_GL_CONTEXT_PROFILE_ES 
+        if (((_this->gl_config.profile_mask == SDL_GL_CONTEXT_PROFILE_ES) ||
+             SDL_GetHintBoolean(SDL_HINT_VIDEO_X11_FORCE_EGL, SDL_FALSE))
 #if SDL_VIDEO_OPENGL_GLX            
             && ( !_this->gl_data || X11_GL_UseEGL(_this) )
 #endif
@@ -628,9 +629,10 @@ X11_CreateWindow(_THIS, SDL_Window * window)
     }
     windowdata = (SDL_WindowData *) window->driverdata;
 
-#if SDL_VIDEO_OPENGL_ES || SDL_VIDEO_OPENGL_ES2
+#if SDL_VIDEO_OPENGL_ES || SDL_VIDEO_OPENGL_ES2 || SDL_VIDEO_OPENGL_EGL
     if ((window->flags & SDL_WINDOW_OPENGL) && 
-        _this->gl_config.profile_mask == SDL_GL_CONTEXT_PROFILE_ES
+        ((_this->gl_config.profile_mask == SDL_GL_CONTEXT_PROFILE_ES) ||
+         SDL_GetHintBoolean(SDL_HINT_VIDEO_X11_FORCE_EGL, SDL_FALSE))
 #if SDL_VIDEO_OPENGL_GLX            
         && ( !_this->gl_data || X11_GL_UseEGL(_this) )
 #endif