diff --git a/makefile b/makefile
index 7e6467cfb47..e05674ae7ab 100644
--- a/makefile
+++ b/makefile
@@ -330,6 +330,10 @@ ifdef SDL_LIBVER
 PARAMS += --SDL_LIBVER='$(SDL_LIBVER)'
 endif
 
+ifdef SDL2_MULTIAPI
+PARAMS += --SDL2_MULTIAPI='$(SDL2_MULTIAPI)'
+endif
+
 ifdef SDL_INSTALL_ROOT
 PARAMS += --SDL_INSTALL_ROOT='$(SDL_INSTALL_ROOT)'
 endif
diff --git a/scripts/src/osd/sdl.lua b/scripts/src/osd/sdl.lua
index f905b9bb8a0..1c8935c8fec 100644
--- a/scripts/src/osd/sdl.lua
+++ b/scripts/src/osd/sdl.lua
@@ -224,6 +224,19 @@ if not _OPTIONS["SDL_LIBVER"] then
 	end
 end
 
+newoption {
+	trigger = "SDL2_MULTIAPI",
+	description = "Use couriersud's multi-keyboard patch for SDL 2.1? (this API was removed prior to the 2.0 release)",
+	allowed = {
+		{ "0",  "Use single-keyboard API"  },
+		{ "1",  "Use multi-keyboard API"   },
+	},
+}
+
+if not _OPTIONS["SDL2_MULTIAPI"] then
+	_OPTIONS["SDL2_MULTIAPI"] = "0"
+end
+
 newoption {
 	trigger = "SDL_INSTALL_ROOT",
 	description = "Equivalent to the ./configure --prefix=<path>",
diff --git a/scripts/src/osd/sdl_cfg.lua b/scripts/src/osd/sdl_cfg.lua
index 7f383f58f7a..f07f437a34d 100644
--- a/scripts/src/osd/sdl_cfg.lua
+++ b/scripts/src/osd/sdl_cfg.lua
@@ -62,6 +62,11 @@ if _OPTIONS["SDL_LIBVER"]=="sdl2" then
 	defines {
 		"SDLMAME_SDL2=1",
 	}
+	if _OPTIONS["SDL2_MULTIAPI"]=="1" then
+		defines {
+			"SDL2_MULTIAPI",
+		}
+	end
 else
 	defines {
 		"SDLMAME_SDL2=0",