diff --git a/OpenRA.Platforms.Default/Sdl2GraphicsContext.cs b/OpenRA.Platforms.Default/Sdl2GraphicsContext.cs
index 81152c302f..b6fdc82fa8 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Platforms.Default/Sdl2GraphicsContext.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Platforms.Default/Sdl2GraphicsContext.cs
@@ -25,15 +25,20 @@ namespace OpenRA.Platforms.Default
 		public Sdl2GraphicsContext(Sdl2PlatformWindow window)
 		{
 			this.window = window;
+
+			// SDL requires us to create the GL context on the main thread to avoid various platform-specific issues.
+			// We must then release it from the main thread before we rebind it to the render thread (in InitializeOpenGL below).
+			context = SDL.SDL_GL_CreateContext(window.Window);
+			if (context == IntPtr.Zero || SDL.SDL_GL_MakeCurrent(window.Window, IntPtr.Zero) < 0)
+				throw new InvalidOperationException($"Can not create OpenGL context. (Error: {SDL.SDL_GetError()})");
 		}
 
 		internal void InitializeOpenGL()
 		{
 			SetThreadAffinity();
 
-			context = SDL.SDL_GL_CreateContext(window.Window);
-			if (context == IntPtr.Zero || SDL.SDL_GL_MakeCurrent(window.Window, context) < 0)
-				throw new InvalidOperationException($"Can not create OpenGL context. (Error: {SDL.SDL_GetError()})");
+			if (SDL.SDL_GL_MakeCurrent(window.Window, context) < 0)
+				throw new InvalidOperationException($"Can not bind OpenGL context. (Error: {SDL.SDL_GetError()})");
 
 			OpenGL.Initialize(window.GLProfile == GLProfile.Legacy);
 			OpenGL.CheckGLError();