diff --git a/channels/console_gui.c b/channels/console_gui.c
index 903e4c4a3aca46e28bc5dad7966d59a9b3fafdb7..b8ae5998d5a1679ea63e69951258bf0f8cc6fc31 100644
--- a/channels/console_gui.c
+++ b/channels/console_gui.c
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
  * $Revision$
  */
 
+
 #include "asterisk.h"
 #include "console_video.h"
 #include "asterisk/lock.h"
@@ -11,6 +12,27 @@
 #include "asterisk/utils.h"	/* ast_calloc and ast_realloc */
 #include <math.h>		/* sqrt */
 
+/* we support 3 regions in the GUI */
+enum { WIN_LOCAL, WIN_REMOTE, WIN_KEYPAD, WIN_MAX };
+
+#ifndef HAVE_SDL
+/* stubs if we don't have any sdl */
+static void show_frame(struct video_desc *env, int out)	{}
+static void sdl_setup(struct video_desc *env)		{}
+static struct gui_info *cleanup_sdl(struct gui_info *gui)	{ return NULL; }
+static void eventhandler(struct video_desc *env, const char *caption)	{}
+static int keypad_cfg_read(struct gui_info *gui, const char *val)	{ return 0; }
+
+#else /* HAVE_SDL, the real rendering code */
+
+#include <SDL/SDL.h>
+#ifdef HAVE_SDL_IMAGE
+#include <SDL/SDL_image.h>      /* for loading images */
+#endif
+#ifdef HAVE_SDL_TTF
+#include <SDL/SDL_ttf.h>        /* render text on sdl surfaces */
+#endif
+
 enum kp_type { KP_NONE, KP_RECT, KP_CIRCLE };
 struct keypad_entry {
         int c;  /* corresponding character */
@@ -18,10 +40,6 @@ struct keypad_entry {
         enum kp_type type;
 };
 
-/* our representation of a displayed window. SDL can only do one main
- * window so we map everything within that one
- */
-enum { WIN_LOCAL, WIN_REMOTE, WIN_KEYPAD, WIN_MAX };
 /* our representation of a displayed window. SDL can only do one main
  * window so we map everything within that one
  */
@@ -531,7 +549,7 @@ static void move_capture_source(struct video_desc *env, int x_final_drag, int y_
 
 /*! \brief refresh the screen, and also grab a bunch of events.
  */
-static void eventhandler(struct video_desc *env)
+static void eventhandler(struct video_desc *env, const char *caption)
 {
 	struct gui_info *gui = env->gui;
 #define N_EVENTS	32
@@ -540,7 +558,8 @@ static void eventhandler(struct video_desc *env)
 
 	if (!gui)
 		return;
-	// SDL_UpdateRects(gui->screen, 1, &gui->win[WIN_KEYPAD].rect);// XXX inefficient
+	if (caption)
+		SDL_WM_SetCaption(caption, NULL);
 
 #define MY_EV (SDL_MOUSEBUTTONDOWN|SDL_KEYDOWN)
 	while ( (n = SDL_PeepEvents(ev, N_EVENTS, SDL_GETEVENT, SDL_ALLEVENTS)) > 0) {
@@ -959,3 +978,4 @@ static int keypad_cfg_read(struct gui_info *gui, const char *val)
 	// ast_log(LOG_WARNING, "now %d regions\n", gui->kp_used);
 	return 1;
 }
+#endif	/* HAVE_SDL */
diff --git a/channels/console_video.c b/channels/console_video.c
index f73fcf3c46168f257ab88828d2bbec20b309eb27..a1af9a4543fae95d66f674cfa3e46623d0ad7002 100644
--- a/channels/console_video.c
+++ b/channels/console_video.c
@@ -88,10 +88,10 @@ iax.conf too) the following:
 
 /*
  * Codecs are absolutely necessary or we cannot do anything.
- * In principle SDL is optional too (used for rendering only, but we
- * could still source data withouth it), however at the moment it is required.
+ * SDL is optional (used for rendering only), so that we can still
+ * stream video withouth displaying it.
  */
-#if !defined(HAVE_VIDEO_CONSOLE) || !defined(HAVE_FFMPEG) || !defined(HAVE_SDL)
+#if !defined(HAVE_VIDEO_CONSOLE) || !defined(HAVE_FFMPEG)
 /* stubs if required pieces are missing */
 int console_write_video(struct ast_channel *chan, struct ast_frame *f)
 {
@@ -1079,8 +1079,6 @@ static void *video_thread(void *arg)
 		}
 	}
 	sdl_setup(env);
-	if (env->gui)
-		SDL_UpdateRects(env->gui->screen, 1, &env->gui->win[WIN_KEYPAD].rect);// XXX inefficient
 	ast_mutex_init(&env->in.dec_in_lock);
 	if (!ast_strlen_zero(save_display))
 		setenv("DISPLAY", save_display, 1);
@@ -1097,16 +1095,15 @@ static void *video_thread(void *arg)
 	}
 
 	for (;;) {
-		/* XXX 20 times/sec */
-		struct timeval t = { 0, 50000 };
+		struct timeval t = { 0, 50000 };	/* XXX 20 times/sec */
 		struct ast_frame *p, *f;
 		struct video_in_desc *v = &env->in;
 		struct ast_channel *chan = env->owner;
 		int fd = chan->alertpipe[1];
+		char *caption = NULL, buf[160];
 
 		/* determine if video format changed */
 		if (count++ % 10 == 0) {
-			char buf[160];
 			if (env->out.sendvideo)
 			    sprintf(buf, "%s %s %dx%d @@ %dfps %dkbps",
 				env->out.videodevice, env->codec_name,
@@ -1114,14 +1111,14 @@ static void *video_thread(void *arg)
 				env->out.fps, env->out.bitrate/1000);
 			else
 			    sprintf(buf, "hold");
-			SDL_WM_SetCaption(buf, NULL);
+			caption = buf;
 		}
 
 		/* manage keypad events */
 		/* XXX here we should always check for events,
 		* otherwise the drag will not work */ 
 		if (env->gui)
-			eventhandler(env);
+			eventhandler(env, caption);
  
 		/* sleep for a while */
 		ast_select(0, NULL, NULL, NULL, &t);
diff --git a/channels/console_video.h b/channels/console_video.h
index 330e179ba2d74060ae72a81dc19c20f9147be1ec..d370679a84bd503c4d3440a90343702f38c70904 100644
--- a/channels/console_video.h
+++ b/channels/console_video.h
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 #ifndef CONSOLE_VIDEO_H
 #define CONSOLE_VIDEO_H
 
-#if !defined(HAVE_VIDEO_CONSOLE) || !defined(HAVE_FFMPEG) || !defined(HAVE_SDL)
+#if !defined(HAVE_VIDEO_CONSOLE) || !defined(HAVE_FFMPEG)
 #define CONSOLE_VIDEO_CMDS					\
 		"console {device}"
 #else
@@ -37,16 +37,6 @@
 #include <ffmpeg/swscale.h>     /* requires a recent ffmpeg */
 #endif
 
-#include <SDL/SDL.h>
-#ifdef HAVE_SDL_IMAGE
-#include <SDL/SDL_image.h>      /* for loading images */
-#endif
-#ifdef HAVE_SDL_TTF
-#include <SDL/SDL_ttf.h>        /* render text on sdl surfaces */
-#endif
-
-
-
 #define CONSOLE_VIDEO_CMDS                              \
         "console {videodevice|videocodec|sendvideo"     \
         "|video_size|bitrate|fps|qmin"                  \