diff --git a/src/video/x11/SDL_x11sym.h b/src/video/x11/SDL_x11sym.h
index d194df44c..d2b8fc287 100644
--- a/src/video/x11/SDL_x11sym.h
+++ b/src/video/x11/SDL_x11sym.h
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ SDL_X11_SYM(int,XMissingExtension,(Display* a,_Xconst char* b),(a,b),return)
 SDL_X11_SYM(int,XMoveWindow,(Display* a,Window b,int c,int d),(a,b,c,d),return)
 SDL_X11_SYM(int,XNextEvent,(Display* a,XEvent* b),(a,b),return)
 SDL_X11_SYM(Display*,XOpenDisplay,(_Xconst char* a),(a),return)
+SDL_X11_SYM(Status,XInitThreads,(void),(),return)
 SDL_X11_SYM(int,XPeekEvent,(Display* a,XEvent* b),(a,b),return)
 SDL_X11_SYM(int,XPending,(Display* a),(a),return)
 SDL_X11_SYM(int,XPutImage,(Display* a,Drawable b,GC c,XImage* d,int e,int f,int g,int h,unsigned int i,unsigned int j),(a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i,j),return)
diff --git a/src/video/x11/SDL_x11video.c b/src/video/x11/SDL_x11video.c
index 44fff3159..122023832 100644
--- a/src/video/x11/SDL_x11video.c
+++ b/src/video/x11/SDL_x11video.c
@@ -156,6 +156,10 @@ X11_CreateDevice(int devindex)
         return NULL;
     }
 
+    // Need for threading gl calls. This is also required for the proprietary nVidia
+	//  driver to be threaded.
+    XInitThreads();
+
     /* Initialize all variables that we clean on shutdown */
     device = (SDL_VideoDevice *) SDL_calloc(1, sizeof(SDL_VideoDevice));
     if (!device) {