diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/sd/sdl2-compat/find-headers.patch b/pkgs/by-name/sd/sdl2-compat/find-headers.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..4b6687cc4078
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/sd/sdl2-compat/find-headers.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+diff --git a/SDL2Config.cmake.in b/SDL2Config.cmake.in
+index 80c1b99..54f50e6 100644
+--- a/SDL2Config.cmake.in
++++ b/SDL2Config.cmake.in
+@@ -45,7 +45,8 @@ endif()
+ set(SDL2_PREFIX "@PACKAGE_CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@")
+ set(SDL2_EXEC_PREFIX "@PACKAGE_CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@")
+ set(SDL2_INCLUDE_DIR "@PACKAGE_CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_INCLUDEDIR@/SDL2")
+-set(SDL2_INCLUDE_DIRS "@PACKAGE_CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_INCLUDEDIR@;@PACKAGE_CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_INCLUDEDIR@/SDL2")
++set(SDL2_INCLUDE_DIRS "@PACKAGE_CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_INCLUDEDIR@;@PACKAGE_CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_INCLUDEDIR@/SDL2" $ENV{SDL2_PATH})
++separate_arguments(SDL2_INCLUDE_DIRS)
+ set(SDL2_BINDIR "@PACKAGE_CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_BINDIR@")
+ set(SDL2_LIBDIR "@PACKAGE_CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_LIBDIR@")
+ set(SDL2_LIBRARIES SDL2::SDL2)
+diff --git a/sdl2-config.in b/sdl2-config.in
+index d21b1b2..bb0d624 100644
+--- a/sdl2-config.in
++++ b/sdl2-config.in
+@@ -50,7 +50,11 @@ while test $# -gt 0; do
+       echo @PROJECT_VERSION@
+       ;;
+     --cflags)
+-      echo -I${includedir}/SDL2 @SDL_CFLAGS@
++      SDL_CFLAGS=""
++      for i in @includedir@/SDL2 $SDL2_PATH; do
++        SDL_CFLAGS="$SDL_CFLAGS -I$i"
++      done
++      echo $SDL_CFLAGS @SDL_CFLAGS@
+       ;;
+ @ENABLE_SHARED_TRUE@    --libs)
+ @ENABLE_SHARED_TRUE@      echo -L${libdir} @SDL_RLD_FLAGS@ @SDL_LIBS@
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/sd/sdl2-compat/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/sd/sdl2-compat/package.nix
index 6d4507dc41ae..392641b68f36 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/sd/sdl2-compat/package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/sd/sdl2-compat/package.nix
@@ -44,21 +44,21 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
 
   outputBin = "dev";
 
+  # SDL3 is dlopened at runtime, leave it in runpath
+  dontPatchELF = true;
+
   cmakeFlags = [
     (lib.cmakeBool "SDL2COMPAT_TESTS" finalAttrs.finalPackage.doCheck)
+    (lib.cmakeFeature "CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH" (lib.makeLibraryPath [ sdl3 ]))
   ];
 
+  # skip timing-based tests as those are flaky
+  env.SDL_TESTS_QUICK = 1;
+
   doCheck = testSupport && stdenv.buildPlatform.canExecute stdenv.hostPlatform;
 
-  postFixup =
-    if stdenv.hostPlatform.isDarwin then
-      ''
-        install_name_tool -add_rpath ${lib.makeLibraryPath [ sdl3 ]} $out/lib/libSDL2.dylib
-      ''
-    else
-      ''
-        patchelf --add-rpath ${lib.makeLibraryPath [ sdl3 ]} $out/lib/libSDL2.so
-      '';
+  patches = [ ./find-headers.patch ];
+  setupHook = ./setup-hook.sh;
 
   passthru = {
     tests =
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
     changelog = "https://github.com/libsdl-org/sdl2-compat/releases/tag/${finalAttrs.src.tag}";
     license = lib.licenses.zlib;
     maintainers = with lib.maintainers; [ nadiaholmquist ];
-    platforms = lib.platforms.unix;
+    platforms = lib.platforms.all;
     pkgConfigModules = [ "sdl2_compat" ];
   };
 })
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/sd/sdl2-compat/setup-hook.sh b/pkgs/by-name/sd/sdl2-compat/setup-hook.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..0119926491af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/sd/sdl2-compat/setup-hook.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+addSDL2Path () {
+  if [ -e "$1/include/SDL2" ]; then
+    export SDL2_PATH="${SDL2_PATH-}${SDL2_PATH:+ }$1/include/SDL2"
+  fi
+}
+
+addEnvHooks "$hostOffset" addSDL2Path