diff --git a/src/video/sdl_v.cpp b/src/video/sdl_v.cpp
--- a/src/video/sdl_v.cpp
+++ b/src/video/sdl_v.cpp
@@ -340,6 +340,7 @@ bool VideoDriver_SDL::CreateMainSurface(
 			SDL_CALL SDL_QuitSubSystem(SDL_INIT_VIDEO);
 			SDL_CALL SDL_InitSubSystem(SDL_INIT_VIDEO);
 			ClaimMousePointer();
+			SetupKeyboard();
 		}
 	}
 	/* Remember if we wanted a hwpalette. We can't reliably query
@@ -649,15 +650,19 @@ const char *VideoDriver_SDL::Start(const
 	DEBUG(driver, 1, "SDL: using driver '%s'", buf);
 
 	MarkWholeScreenDirty();
-
-	SDL_CALL SDL_EnableKeyRepeat(SDL_DEFAULT_REPEAT_DELAY, SDL_DEFAULT_REPEAT_INTERVAL);
-	SDL_CALL SDL_EnableUNICODE(1);
+	SetupKeyboard();
 
 	_draw_threaded = GetDriverParam(parm, "no_threads") == NULL && GetDriverParam(parm, "no_thread") == NULL;
 
 	return NULL;
 }
 
+void VideoDriver_SDL::SetupKeyboard()
+{
+	SDL_CALL SDL_EnableKeyRepeat(SDL_DEFAULT_REPEAT_DELAY, SDL_DEFAULT_REPEAT_INTERVAL);
+	SDL_CALL SDL_EnableUNICODE(1);
+}
+
 void VideoDriver_SDL::Stop()
 {
 	SdlClose(SDL_INIT_VIDEO);