diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index f5916d698c..7d882abf65 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -84,6 +84,10 @@ sdl_mixer = '@0@_mixer'.format(sdl)
 sdl_ttf = '@0@_ttf'.format(sdl)
 sdl_image = '@0@_image'.format(sdl)
 
+if sdl_ver == 3
+    add_global_arguments('-DPG_SDL3=1', language: 'c')
+endif
+
 pg_inc_dirs = []
 pg_lib_dirs = []
 if plat == 'win' and host_machine.cpu_family().startswith('x86')
diff --git a/src_c/SDL_gfx/SDL_gfxPrimitives.h b/src_c/SDL_gfx/SDL_gfxPrimitives.h
index ec5dc17c3b..4f75913023 100644
--- a/src_c/SDL_gfx/SDL_gfxPrimitives.h
+++ b/src_c/SDL_gfx/SDL_gfxPrimitives.h
@@ -14,7 +14,11 @@ LGPL (c) A. Schiffler
 #define M_PI 3.1415926535897932384626433832795
 #endif
 
-#include "SDL.h"
+#ifdef PG_SDL3
+#include <SDL3/SDL.h>
+#else
+#include <SDL.h>
+#endif
 
 /* Set up for C function definitions, even when using C++ */
 #ifdef __cplusplus
diff --git a/src_c/_pygame.h b/src_c/_pygame.h
index e87986d776..d330a08290 100644
--- a/src_c/_pygame.h
+++ b/src_c/_pygame.h
@@ -41,7 +41,11 @@
 #undef PYPY_VERSION
 #endif
 
+#ifdef PG_SDL3
+#include <SDL3/SDL.h>
+#else
 #include <SDL.h>
+#endif
 
 #if SDL_VERSION_ATLEAST(3, 0, 0)
 #define PG_ShowCursor SDL_ShowCursor
diff --git a/src_c/palette.h b/src_c/palette.h
index 702840a624..699a40edb4 100644
--- a/src_c/palette.h
+++ b/src_c/palette.h
@@ -23,7 +23,11 @@
 #ifndef PALETTE_H
 #define PALETTE_H
 
+#ifdef PG_SDL3
+#include <SDL3/SDL.h>
+#else
 #include <SDL.h>
+#endif
 
 /* SDL 2 does not assign a default palette color scheme to a new 8 bit
  * surface. Instead, the palette is set all white. This defines the SDL 1.2
diff --git a/src_c/pgcompat.c b/src_c/pgcompat.c
index 5d64d2e6fd..178102e186 100644
--- a/src_c/pgcompat.c
+++ b/src_c/pgcompat.c
@@ -1 +1,5 @@
+#ifdef PG_SDL3
+#include <SDL3/SDL.h>
+#else
 #include <SDL.h>
+#endif
diff --git a/src_c/pgcompat_rect.h b/src_c/pgcompat_rect.h
index 643059dfcb..5bba69dd21 100644
--- a/src_c/pgcompat_rect.h
+++ b/src_c/pgcompat_rect.h
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
 #ifndef PGCOMPAT_RECT_H
 #define PGCOMPAT_RECT_H
 
+#ifdef PG_SDL3
+#include <SDL3/SDL.h>
+#else
 #include <SDL.h>
+#endif
 
 /* SDL 2.0.22 provides some utility functions for FRects */
 #if !(SDL_VERSION_ATLEAST(2, 0, 22))
diff --git a/src_c/scale2x.c b/src_c/scale2x.c
index 61a9beffa5..9249a05a78 100644
--- a/src_c/scale2x.c
+++ b/src_c/scale2x.c
@@ -30,7 +30,12 @@
    surprised with this code!
 */
 
+#ifdef PG_SDL3
+#include <SDL3/SDL.h>
+#else
 #include <SDL.h>
+#endif
+
 #define MAX(a, b) (((a) > (b)) ? (a) : (b))
 #define MIN(a, b) (((a) < (b)) ? (a) : (b))
 
diff --git a/src_c/scrap.c b/src_c/scrap.c
index b34cb6b06e..ef580e7a99 100644
--- a/src_c/scrap.c
+++ b/src_c/scrap.c
@@ -23,7 +23,11 @@
 #include <limits.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 
-#include "SDL.h"
+#ifdef PG_SDL3
+#include <SDL3/SDL.h>
+#else
+#include <SDL.h>
+#endif
 
 #include "SDL_syswm.h"
 
diff --git a/src_c/scrap_sdl2.c b/src_c/scrap_sdl2.c
index 9c2121c105..5de1f4cdbc 100644
--- a/src_c/scrap_sdl2.c
+++ b/src_c/scrap_sdl2.c
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
-#include "SDL.h"
-#include "SDL_clipboard.h"
+#ifdef PG_SDL3
+#include <SDL3/SDL.h>
+#include <SDL3/SDL_clipboard.h>
+#else
+#include <SDL.h>
+#include <SDL_clipboard.h>
+#endif
 
 #define PYGAME_SCRAP_FREE_STRING 1
 
diff --git a/src_c/surface.h b/src_c/surface.h
index 3ae05eb408..4009579d1d 100644
--- a/src_c/surface.h
+++ b/src_c/surface.h
@@ -29,7 +29,12 @@
 #undef _POSIX_C_SOURCE
 #endif
 
+#ifdef PG_SDL3
+#include <SDL3/SDL.h>
+#else
 #include <SDL.h>
+#endif
+
 #include "pygame.h"
 
 /* Blend modes */