diff --git a/include/SDL_main.h b/include/SDL_main.h
index 59bd20167..7a766d24c 100644
--- a/include/SDL_main.h
+++ b/include/SDL_main.h
@@ -72,6 +72,15 @@ extern C_LINKAGE int SDL_main(int argc, char *argv[]);
 extern "C" {
 #endif
 
+/*
+ *  This is called by the real SDL main function to let the rest of the
+ *  library know that initialization was done properly.
+ *
+ *  Calling this yourself without knowing what you're doing can cause
+ *  crashes and hard to diagnose problems with your application.
+ */
+extern DECLSPEC void SDL_SetMainReady(void);
+
 #ifdef __WIN32__
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/SDL.c b/src/SDL.c
index 5f28373a1..f6f3dec69 100644
--- a/src/SDL.c
+++ b/src/SDL.c
@@ -43,6 +43,11 @@ extern int SDL_HelperWindowDestroy(void);
 
 
 /* The initialized subsystems */
+#ifdef SDL_MAIN_NEEDED
+static SDL_bool SDL_MainIsReady = SDL_FALSE;
+#else
+static SDL_bool SDL_MainIsReady = SDL_TRUE;
+#endif
 static SDL_bool SDL_bInMainQuit = SDL_FALSE;
 static Uint8 SDL_SubsystemRefCount[ 32 ];
 
@@ -88,9 +93,20 @@ SDL_PrivateShouldQuitSubsystem(Uint32 subsystem) {
     return SDL_SubsystemRefCount[subsystem_index] == 1 || SDL_bInMainQuit;
 }
 
+void
+SDL_SetMainReady(void)
+{
+    SDL_MainIsReady = SDL_TRUE;
+}
+
 int
 SDL_InitSubSystem(Uint32 flags)
 {
+    if (!SDL_MainIsReady) {
+        SDL_SetError("Application didn't initialize properly, did you include SDL_main.h in the file containing your main() function?");
+        return -1;
+    }
+
 #if !SDL_TIMERS_DISABLED
     SDL_InitTicks();
 #endif
diff --git a/src/main/android/SDL_android_main.cpp b/src/main/android/SDL_android_main.cpp
index 4581e1c3b..5f3abbab8 100644
--- a/src/main/android/SDL_android_main.cpp
+++ b/src/main/android/SDL_android_main.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ extern "C" void Java_org_libsdl_app_SDLActivity_nativeInit(JNIEnv* env, jclass c
     /* This interface could expand with ABI negotiation, calbacks, etc. */
     SDL_Android_Init(env, cls);
 
+    SDL_SetMainReady();
+
     /* Run the application code! */
     int status;
     char *argv[2];
diff --git a/src/main/psp/SDL_psp_main.c b/src/main/psp/SDL_psp_main.c
index c60e8441b..77ef39d5a 100644
--- a/src/main/psp/SDL_psp_main.c
+++ b/src/main/psp/SDL_psp_main.c
@@ -37,8 +37,6 @@
    PSP_MAIN_THREAD_STACK_SIZE, etc.
 */
 
-extern int SDL_main(int argc, char *argv[]);
-
 PSP_MODULE_INFO("SDL App", 0, 1, 1);
 
 int sdl_psp_exit_callback(int arg1, int arg2, void *common)
@@ -75,6 +73,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     /* Register sceKernelExitGame() to be called when we exit */
     atexit(sceKernelExitGame);
 
+    SDL_SetMainReady();
+
     (void)SDL_main(argc, argv);
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/main/windows/SDL_windows_main.c b/src/main/windows/SDL_windows_main.c
index f4f78f68c..bea208224 100644
--- a/src/main/windows/SDL_windows_main.c
+++ b/src/main/windows/SDL_windows_main.c
@@ -134,6 +134,8 @@ console_main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
     int status;
 
+    SDL_SetMainReady();
+
     /* Run the application main() code */
     status = SDL_main(argc, argv);
 
diff --git a/src/video/uikit/SDL_uikitappdelegate.m b/src/video/uikit/SDL_uikitappdelegate.m
index d13c2bbce..93af43821 100644
--- a/src/video/uikit/SDL_uikitappdelegate.m
+++ b/src/video/uikit/SDL_uikitappdelegate.m
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@
 #undef main
 #endif
 
-extern int SDL_main(int argc, char *argv[]);
 static int forward_argc;
 static char **forward_argv;
 static int exit_status;
@@ -187,6 +186,8 @@ static void SDL_IdleTimerDisabledChanged(const char *name, const char *oldValue,
 
 - (void)postFinishLaunch
 {
+    SDL_SetMainReady();
+
     /* run the user's application, passing argc and argv */
     SDL_iPhoneSetEventPump(SDL_TRUE);
     exit_status = SDL_main(forward_argc, forward_argv);