diff --git a/engine/platform/platform.h b/engine/platform/platform.h
index d08d7a38..0f6fadaf 100644
--- a/engine/platform/platform.h
+++ b/engine/platform/platform.h
@@ -254,8 +254,8 @@ void Platform_SetCursorType( VGUI_DefaultCursor type );
 int Platform_GetClipboardText( char *buffer, size_t size );
 void Platform_SetClipboardText( const char *buffer );
 
-#if XASH_SDL == 12
-#define SDL_SetWindowGrab( wnd, state ) SDL_WM_GrabInput( (state) )
+#if XASH_SDL == 1
+#define SDL_SetWindowGrab( wnd, state ) SDL_WM_GrabInput( (state) ? SDL_GRAB_ON : SDL_GRAB_OFF )
 #define SDL_MinimizeWindow( wnd ) SDL_WM_IconifyWindow()
 #define SDL_IsTextInputActive() host.textmode
 #endif
diff --git a/engine/platform/sdl/events.c b/engine/platform/sdl2/host_sdl2.c
similarity index 99%
rename from engine/platform/sdl/events.c
rename to engine/platform/sdl2/host_sdl2.c
index ab9a8712..8ec11c7f 100644
--- a/engine/platform/sdl/events.c
+++ b/engine/platform/sdl2/host_sdl2.c
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /*
-events.c - SDL event system handlers
-Copyright (C) 2015-2017 a1batross
+host_sdl2.c - SDL event system handlers
+Copyright (C) 2015-2025 a1batross
 
 This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
 it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ GNU General Public License for more details.
 #include "input.h"
 #include "client.h"
 #include "vgui_draw.h"
-#include "events.h"
+#include "platform_sdl2.h"
 #include "sound.h"
 #include "vid_common.h"
 
diff --git a/engine/platform/sdl/in_sdl.c b/engine/platform/sdl2/in_sdl2.c
similarity index 99%
rename from engine/platform/sdl/in_sdl.c
rename to engine/platform/sdl2/in_sdl2.c
index 1e94b582..e2e9564f 100644
--- a/engine/platform/sdl/in_sdl.c
+++ b/engine/platform/sdl2/in_sdl2.c
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ GNU General Public License for more details.
 #include "input.h"
 #include "client.h"
 #include "vgui_draw.h"
-#include "events.h"
+#include "platform_sdl2.h"
 #include "sound.h"
 #include "vid_common.h"
 
diff --git a/engine/platform/sdl/joy_sdl.c b/engine/platform/sdl2/joy_sdl2.c
similarity index 99%
rename from engine/platform/sdl/joy_sdl.c
rename to engine/platform/sdl2/joy_sdl2.c
index a986a9e1..3bd63a46 100644
--- a/engine/platform/sdl/joy_sdl.c
+++ b/engine/platform/sdl2/joy_sdl2.c
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ GNU General Public License for more details.
 #include "keydefs.h"
 #include "input.h"
 #include "client.h"
-#include "events.h"
+#include "platform_sdl2.h"
 
 static const int g_button_mapping[] =
 {
diff --git a/engine/platform/sdl/events.h b/engine/platform/sdl2/platform_sdl2.h
similarity index 94%
rename from engine/platform/sdl/events.h
rename to engine/platform/sdl2/platform_sdl2.h
index 7a9dff06..bf32d4d0 100644
--- a/engine/platform/sdl/events.h
+++ b/engine/platform/sdl2/platform_sdl2.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
-events.h - SDL backend internal header
+platform_sdl2.h - SDL backend internal header
 Copyright (C) 2015-2018 a1batross
 
 This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ GNU General Public License for more details.
 #define KEYWRAPPER_H
 #ifdef  XASH_SDL
 
-#include "platform/platform.h"
+#include "platform.h"
 
 // window management
 void VID_RestoreScreenResolution( void );
diff --git a/engine/platform/sdl/s_sdl.c b/engine/platform/sdl2/s_sdl2.c
similarity index 99%
rename from engine/platform/sdl/s_sdl.c
rename to engine/platform/sdl2/s_sdl2.c
index e763863b..f47e0eed 100644
--- a/engine/platform/sdl/s_sdl.c
+++ b/engine/platform/sdl2/s_sdl2.c
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ GNU General Public License for more details.
 */
 
 #include "common.h"
-#include "platform/platform.h"
+#include "platform.h"
 #if XASH_SOUND == SOUND_SDL
 
 #include "sound.h"
diff --git a/engine/platform/sdl/sys_sdl.c b/engine/platform/sdl2/sys_sdl2.c
similarity index 98%
rename from engine/platform/sdl/sys_sdl.c
rename to engine/platform/sdl2/sys_sdl2.c
index 432d6973..235b2d8e 100644
--- a/engine/platform/sdl/sys_sdl.c
+++ b/engine/platform/sdl2/sys_sdl2.c
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@ GNU General Public License for more details.
 */
 
 #include <SDL.h>
-#include "platform/platform.h"
-#include "events.h"
+#include "platform.h"
+#include "platform_sdl2.h"
 
 #if XASH_TIMER == TIMER_SDL
 double Platform_DoubleTime( void )
diff --git a/engine/platform/sdl/vid_sdl.c b/engine/platform/sdl2/vid_sdl2.c
similarity index 99%
rename from engine/platform/sdl/vid_sdl.c
rename to engine/platform/sdl2/vid_sdl2.c
index 695f4619..4b3ae841 100644
--- a/engine/platform/sdl/vid_sdl.c
+++ b/engine/platform/sdl2/vid_sdl2.c
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ GNU General Public License for more details.
 #include "common.h"
 #include "client.h"
 #include "vid_common.h"
-#include "platform/sdl/events.h"
+#include "platform_sdl2.h"
 
 static vidmode_t *vidmodes = NULL;
 static int num_vidmodes = 0;
diff --git a/engine/wscript b/engine/wscript
index f2b079b4..613e5477 100644
--- a/engine/wscript
+++ b/engine/wscript
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@ def options(opt):
 	grp.add_option('--enable-custom-swap', action = 'store_true', dest = 'CUSTOM_SWAP', default = False,
 		help = 'enable custom swap allocator. For devices with no swap support')
 
-	grp.add_option('--enable-legacy-sdl', action = 'store_true', dest = 'SDL12', default = False,
-		help = 'enable using SDL1.2 instead of SDL2(not recommended) [default: %(default)s]')
+	grp.add_option('--use-sdl1', action = 'store_true', dest = 'SDL12', default = False,
+		help = 'enable using SDL1.2 instead of SDL2 (not supported or recommended) [default: %(default)s]')
 
 	grp.add_option('--enable-static-binary', action = 'store_true', dest = 'STATIC', default = False,
 		help = 'build static binary(not recommended, --single-binary required) [default: %(default)s]')
@@ -103,9 +103,9 @@ def configure(conf):
 		elif conf.env.DEST_OS == 'linux' and conf.options.FBDEV_SW:
 			conf.check_cc(lib='asound')
 		elif conf.options.SDL12: # TODO: move to sdl2.py
-			conf.check_cfg(package='sdl', args='--cflags --libs', uselib_store='SDL2')
-			conf.env.XASH_SDL = 12
-			conf.env.HAVE_SDL2 = True
+			conf.check_cfg(package='sdl', args='--cflags --libs', uselib_store='SDL1')
+			conf.env.XASH_SDL = 1
+			conf.env.HAVE_SDL1 = True
 		else:
 			find_sdl(conf)
 
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ def build(bld):
 	bld(name = 'engine_includes', export_includes = '. common common/imagelib', use = 'filesystem_includes')
 
 	libs = ['engine_includes', 'public', 'dllemu', 'werror', 'backtrace']
-	includes = ['server', 'client', 'client/vgui', 'common/soundlib']
+	includes = ['server', 'client', 'client/vgui', 'common/soundlib', 'platform']
 
 	# basic build: dedicated only
 	source = bld.path.ant_glob(['common/*.c', 'common/imagelib/*.c', 'common/soundlib/*.c', 'server/*.c'])
@@ -196,8 +196,8 @@ def build(bld):
 	if bld.env.CLIENT:
 		defines = []
 		if bld.env.XASH_SDL:
-			libs += ['SDL3' if bld.env.HAVE_SDL3 else 'SDL2']
-			source += bld.path.ant_glob(['platform/sdl/*.c'])
+			libs += ['SDL%d' % bld.env.XASH_SDL]
+			source += bld.path.ant_glob(['platform/sdl%d/*.c' % bld.env.XASH_SDL])
 			defines += ['XASH_SDL=%d' % bld.env.XASH_SDL]
 
 		# add client files