diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 381ac9926..40ddc0d03 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -386,6 +386,7 @@ foreach(_SUB ${SDL_X11_OPTIONS})
 endforeach()
 set_option(VIDEO_COCOA         "Use Cocoa video driver" ${APPLE})
 set_option(DIRECTX             "Use DirectX for Windows audio/video" ${WINDOWS})
+set_option(XINPUT              "Use Xinput for Windows" ${WINDOWS})
 set_option(WASAPI              "Use the Windows WASAPI audio driver" ${WINDOWS})
 set_option(RENDER_D3D          "Enable the Direct3D render driver" ${WINDOWS})
 set_option(RENDER_METAL        "Enable the Metal render driver" ${APPLE})
@@ -1453,7 +1454,7 @@ elseif(WINDOWS)
     set(CMAKE_REQUIRED_FLAGS ${ORIG_CMAKE_REQUIRED_FLAGS})
   endif()
 
-  if(HAVE_WIN32_CC)
+  if(XINPUT)
     # xinput.h may need windows.h, but does not include it itself.
     check_c_source_compiles("
       #include <windows.h>
@@ -1469,8 +1470,6 @@ elseif(WINDOWS)
       #include <xinput.h>
       XINPUT_STATE_EX s1;
       int main(int argc, char **argv) { }" HAVE_XINPUT_STATE_EX)
-  else()
-    check_include_file(xinput.h HAVE_XINPUT_H)
   endif()
 
   # headers needed elsewhere
diff --git a/cmake/sdlchecks.cmake b/cmake/sdlchecks.cmake
index 74f0b198f..da4ada380 100644
--- a/cmake/sdlchecks.cmake
+++ b/cmake/sdlchecks.cmake
@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@ macro(CheckX11)
 
     check_include_file(X11/Xcursor/Xcursor.h HAVE_XCURSOR_H)
     check_include_file(X11/extensions/Xinerama.h HAVE_XINERAMA_H)
-    check_include_file(X11/extensions/XInput2.h HAVE_XINPUT_H)
+    check_include_file(X11/extensions/XInput2.h HAVE_XINPUT2_H)
     check_include_file(X11/extensions/Xrandr.h HAVE_XRANDR_H)
     check_include_file(X11/extensions/Xrender.h HAVE_XRENDER_H)
     check_include_file(X11/extensions/scrnsaver.h HAVE_XSS_H)
@@ -498,7 +498,7 @@ macro(CheckX11)
         set(SDL_VIDEO_DRIVER_X11_XINERAMA 1)
       endif()
 
-      if(VIDEO_X11_XINPUT AND HAVE_XINPUT_H)
+      if(VIDEO_X11_XINPUT AND HAVE_XINPUT2_H)
         set(HAVE_VIDEO_X11_XINPUT TRUE)
         if(HAVE_X11_SHARED AND XI_LIB)
           set(SDL_VIDEO_DRIVER_X11_DYNAMIC_XINPUT2 "\"${XI_LIB_SONAME}\"")
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 5b477e02c..4f5f6ca59 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -892,6 +892,7 @@ enable_joystick_mfi
 enable_pthreads
 enable_pthread_sem
 enable_directx
+enable_xinput
 enable_wasapi
 enable_sdl_dlopen
 enable_hidapi
@@ -1677,6 +1678,7 @@ Optional Features:
                           [[default=yes]]
   --enable-pthread-sem    use pthread semaphores [[default=yes]]
   --enable-directx        use DirectX for Windows audio/video [[default=yes]]
+  --enable-xinput         use Xinput for Windows [[default=yes]]
   --enable-wasapi         use the Windows WASAPI audio driver [[default=yes]]
   --enable-sdl-dlopen     use dlopen for shared object loading [[default=yes]]
   --enable-hidapi         use HIDAPI for low level joystick drivers
@@ -23896,13 +23898,25 @@ $as_echo "#define HAVE_DXGI_H 1" >>confdefs.h
         esac
     fi
 
+    # Check whether --enable-xinput was given.
+if test "${enable_xinput+set}" = set; then :
+  enableval=$enable_xinput;
+else
+  enable_xinput=yes
+fi
+
+    if test x$enable_xinput = xyes; then
+        have_xinput_gamepadex=no
+        have_xinput_stateex=no
         ac_fn_c_check_header_mongrel "$LINENO" "xinput.h" "ac_cv_header_xinput_h" "$ac_includes_default"
 if test "x$ac_cv_header_xinput_h" = xyes; then :
   have_xinput=yes
 fi
 
 
-    cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
+        { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for struct XINPUT_GAMEPAD_EX" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for struct XINPUT_GAMEPAD_EX... " >&6; }
+        cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
 /* end confdefs.h.  */
 
 #include <windows.h>
@@ -23921,7 +23935,11 @@ if ac_fn_c_try_compile "$LINENO"; then :
   have_xinput_gamepadex=yes
 fi
 rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext conftest.$ac_ext
-    cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
+        { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $have_xinput_gamepadex" >&5
+$as_echo "$have_xinput_gamepadex" >&6; }
+        { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for struct XINPUT_STATE_EX" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for struct XINPUT_STATE_EX... " >&6; }
+        cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
 /* end confdefs.h.  */
 
 #include <windows.h>
@@ -23940,21 +23958,24 @@ if ac_fn_c_try_compile "$LINENO"; then :
   have_xinput_stateex=yes
 fi
 rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext conftest.$ac_ext
+        { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $have_xinput_stateex" >&5
+$as_echo "$have_xinput_stateex" >&6; }
 
-    if test x$have_xinput = xyes; then
+        if test x$have_xinput = xyes; then
 
 $as_echo "#define HAVE_XINPUT_H 1" >>confdefs.h
 
-    fi
-    if test x$have_xinput_gamepadex = xyes; then
+        fi
+        if test x$have_xinput_gamepadex = xyes; then
 
 $as_echo "#define HAVE_XINPUT_GAMEPAD_EX 1" >>confdefs.h
 
-    fi
-    if test x$have_xinput_stateex = xyes; then
+        fi
+        if test x$have_xinput_stateex = xyes; then
 
 $as_echo "#define HAVE_XINPUT_STATE_EX 1" >>confdefs.h
 
+        fi
     fi
 
     ac_fn_c_check_header_mongrel "$LINENO" "mmdeviceapi.h" "ac_cv_header_mmdeviceapi_h" "$ac_includes_default"
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 976314aa7..ed1645ade 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -3146,7 +3146,7 @@ CheckDIRECTX()
 {
     AC_ARG_ENABLE(directx,
 AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-directx], [use DirectX for Windows audio/video [[default=yes]]]),
-                  , enable_directx=yes)
+                                 , enable_directx=yes)
     if test x$enable_directx = xyes; then
         AC_CHECK_HEADER(d3d9.h, have_d3d=yes)
         AC_CHECK_HEADER(d3d11_1.h, have_d3d11=yes)
@@ -3177,27 +3177,37 @@ AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-directx], [use DirectX for Windows audio/video [[defaul
         esac
     fi
 
-    dnl The following are independent of --enable-directx
-    AC_CHECK_HEADER(xinput.h, have_xinput=yes)
-    AC_TRY_COMPILE([
+    AC_ARG_ENABLE(xinput,
+AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-xinput], [use Xinput for Windows [[default=yes]]]),
+                                , enable_xinput=yes)
+    if test x$enable_xinput = xyes; then
+        have_xinput_gamepadex=no
+        have_xinput_stateex=no
+        AC_CHECK_HEADER(xinput.h, have_xinput=yes)
+        AC_MSG_CHECKING(for struct XINPUT_GAMEPAD_EX)
+        AC_TRY_COMPILE([
 #include <windows.h>
 #include <xinput.h>
 XINPUT_GAMEPAD_EX x1;
-        ],[],[have_xinput_gamepadex=yes])
-    AC_TRY_COMPILE([
+            ],[],[have_xinput_gamepadex=yes])
+        AC_MSG_RESULT($have_xinput_gamepadex)
+        AC_MSG_CHECKING(for struct XINPUT_STATE_EX)
+        AC_TRY_COMPILE([
 #include <windows.h>
 #include <xinput.h>
 XINPUT_STATE_EX s1;
-        ],[],[have_xinput_stateex=yes])
+            ],[],[have_xinput_stateex=yes])
+        AC_MSG_RESULT($have_xinput_stateex)
 
-    if test x$have_xinput = xyes; then
-        AC_DEFINE(HAVE_XINPUT_H, 1, [ ])
-    fi
-    if test x$have_xinput_gamepadex = xyes; then
-        AC_DEFINE(HAVE_XINPUT_GAMEPAD_EX, 1, [ ])
-    fi
-    if test x$have_xinput_stateex = xyes; then
-        AC_DEFINE(HAVE_XINPUT_STATE_EX, 1, [ ])
+        if test x$have_xinput = xyes; then
+            AC_DEFINE(HAVE_XINPUT_H, 1, [ ])
+        fi
+        if test x$have_xinput_gamepadex = xyes; then
+            AC_DEFINE(HAVE_XINPUT_GAMEPAD_EX, 1, [ ])
+        fi
+        if test x$have_xinput_stateex = xyes; then
+            AC_DEFINE(HAVE_XINPUT_STATE_EX, 1, [ ])
+        fi
     fi
 
     AC_CHECK_HEADER(mmdeviceapi.h, have_wasapi=yes)