diff --git a/src/render/SDL_render.c b/src/render/SDL_render.c
index 643fdd59af..5afb5562c7 100644
--- a/src/render/SDL_render.c
+++ b/src/render/SDL_render.c
@@ -47,12 +47,19 @@ this should probably be removed at some point in the future.  --ryan. */
 
 #define SDL_WINDOWRENDERDATA "_SDL_WindowRenderData"
 
-#define CHECK_RENDERER_MAGIC(renderer, retval)             \
+#define CHECK_RENDERER_MAGIC_BUT_NOT_DESTROYED_FLAG(renderer, retval)             \
     if (!renderer || renderer->magic != &renderer_magic) { \
         SDL_InvalidParamError("renderer");                 \
         return retval;                                     \
     }
 
+#define CHECK_RENDERER_MAGIC(renderer, retval)             \
+    CHECK_RENDERER_MAGIC_BUT_NOT_DESTROYED_FLAG(renderer, retval); \
+    if (renderer->destroyed) { \
+        SDL_SetError("Renderer's window has been destroyed, can't use further"); \
+        return retval;                                          \
+    }
+
 #define CHECK_TEXTURE_MAGIC(texture, retval)            \
     if (!texture || texture->magic != &texture_magic) { \
         SDL_InvalidParamError("texture");               \
@@ -4345,11 +4352,14 @@ void SDL_DestroyTexture(SDL_Texture *texture)
     SDL_free(texture);
 }
 
-void SDL_DestroyRenderer(SDL_Renderer *renderer)
+void SDL_DestroyRendererWithoutFreeing(SDL_Renderer *renderer)
 {
     SDL_RenderCommand *cmd;
 
-    CHECK_RENDERER_MAGIC(renderer, );
+    SDL_assert(renderer != NULL);
+    SDL_assert(!renderer->destroyed);
+
+    renderer->destroyed = SDL_TRUE;
 
     SDL_DelEventWatch(SDL_RendererEventWatch, renderer);
 
@@ -4382,20 +4392,33 @@ void SDL_DestroyRenderer(SDL_Renderer *renderer)
 
     if (renderer->window) {
         SDL_SetWindowData(renderer->window, SDL_WINDOWRENDERDATA, NULL);
+        renderer->window = NULL;
     }
 
-    /* It's no longer magical... */
-    renderer->magic = NULL;
-
     /* Free the target mutex */
     SDL_DestroyMutex(renderer->target_mutex);
     renderer->target_mutex = NULL;
 
     /* Free the renderer instance */
     renderer->DestroyRenderer(renderer);
+}
+
+void SDL_DestroyRenderer(SDL_Renderer *renderer)
+{
+    CHECK_RENDERER_MAGIC_BUT_NOT_DESTROYED_FLAG(renderer,);
+
+    /* if we've already destroyed the renderer through SDL_DestroyWindow, we just need
+       to free the renderer pointer. This lets apps destroy the window and renderer
+       in either order. */
+    if (!renderer->destroyed) {
+        SDL_DestroyRendererWithoutFreeing(renderer);
+        renderer->magic = NULL;     // It's no longer magical...
+    }
+
     SDL_free(renderer);
 }
 
+
 int SDL_GL_BindTexture(SDL_Texture *texture, float *texw, float *texh)
 {
     SDL_Renderer *renderer;
diff --git a/src/render/SDL_sysrender.h b/src/render/SDL_sysrender.h
index e367b9cdb6..9fdc385f65 100644
--- a/src/render/SDL_sysrender.h
+++ b/src/render/SDL_sysrender.h
@@ -282,6 +282,8 @@ struct SDL_Renderer
     size_t vertex_data_used;
     size_t vertex_data_allocation;
 
+    SDL_bool destroyed;   /* already destroyed by SDL_DestroyWindow; just free this struct in SDL_DestroyRenderer. */
+
     void *driverdata;
 };
 
@@ -324,6 +326,9 @@ extern void *SDL_AllocateRenderVertices(SDL_Renderer *renderer, const size_t num
 extern int SDL_PrivateLowerBlitScaled(SDL_Surface *src, SDL_Rect *srcrect, SDL_Surface *dst, SDL_Rect *dstrect, SDL_ScaleMode scaleMode);
 extern int SDL_PrivateUpperBlitScaled(SDL_Surface *src, const SDL_Rect *srcrect, SDL_Surface *dst, SDL_Rect *dstrect, SDL_ScaleMode scaleMode);
 
+/* Let the video subsystem destroy a renderer without making its pointer invalid. */
+extern void SDL_DestroyRendererWithoutFreeing(SDL_Renderer *renderer);
+
 /* Ends C function definitions when using C++ */
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
diff --git a/src/video/SDL_video.c b/src/video/SDL_video.c
index 7f93beb8ea..cc0e473b68 100644
--- a/src/video/SDL_video.c
+++ b/src/video/SDL_video.c
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@
 
 #include "SDL_syswm.h"
 
+#include "../render/SDL_sysrender.h"
+
 #ifdef SDL_VIDEO_OPENGL
 #include "SDL_opengl.h"
 #endif /* SDL_VIDEO_OPENGL */
@@ -3303,6 +3305,7 @@ SDL_Window *SDL_GetFocusWindow(void)
 void SDL_DestroyWindow(SDL_Window *window)
 {
     SDL_VideoDisplay *display;
+    SDL_Renderer *renderer;
 
     CHECK_WINDOW_MAGIC(window, );
 
@@ -3321,6 +3324,11 @@ void SDL_DestroyWindow(SDL_Window *window)
         SDL_SetMouseFocus(NULL);
     }
 
+    renderer = SDL_GetRenderer(window);
+    if (renderer) {
+        SDL_DestroyRendererWithoutFreeing(renderer);
+    }
+
     SDL_DestroyWindowSurface(window);
 
     /* Make no context current if this is the current context window */