diff --git a/WhatsNew.txt b/WhatsNew.txt
index e93ddca741..a5636ed83a 100644
--- a/WhatsNew.txt
+++ b/WhatsNew.txt
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ This is a list of major changes in SDL's version history.
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 General:
+* Added SDL_HasWindowSurface() and SDL_DestroyWindowSurface() to switch between the window surface and rendering APIs
 * Added a display event SDL_DISPLAYEVENT_MOVED which is sent when the primary monitor changes or displays change position relative to each other
 * Added the hint SDL_HINT_ENABLE_SCREEN_KEYBOARD to control whether the on-screen keyboard should be shown when text input is active
 
diff --git a/include/SDL_video.h b/include/SDL_video.h
index 599b563f78..99637f7f59 100644
--- a/include/SDL_video.h
+++ b/include/SDL_video.h
@@ -1275,6 +1275,17 @@ extern DECLSPEC void SDLCALL SDL_RestoreWindow(SDL_Window * window);
 extern DECLSPEC int SDLCALL SDL_SetWindowFullscreen(SDL_Window * window,
                                                     Uint32 flags);
 
+/**
+ * Return whether the window has a surface associated with it.
+ *
+ * \returns SDL_TRUE if there is a surface associated with the window, or SDL_FALSE otherwise.
+ *
+ * \since This function is available since SDL 2.28.0.
+ *
+ * \sa SDL_GetWindowSurface
+ */
+extern DECLSPEC SDL_bool SDLCALL SDL_HasWindowSurface(SDL_Window *window);
+
 /**
  * Get the SDL surface associated with the window.
  *
@@ -1295,6 +1306,8 @@ extern DECLSPEC int SDLCALL SDL_SetWindowFullscreen(SDL_Window * window,
  *
  * \since This function is available since SDL 2.0.0.
  *
+ * \sa SDL_DestroyWindowSurface
+ * \sa SDL_HasWindowSurface
  * \sa SDL_UpdateWindowSurface
  * \sa SDL_UpdateWindowSurfaceRects
  */
@@ -1343,6 +1356,20 @@ extern DECLSPEC int SDLCALL SDL_UpdateWindowSurfaceRects(SDL_Window * window,
                                                          const SDL_Rect * rects,
                                                          int numrects);
 
+/**
+ * Destroy the surface associated with the window.
+ *
+ * \param window the window to update
+ * \returns 0 on success or a negative error code on failure; call
+ *          SDL_GetError() for more information.
+ *
+ * \since This function is available since SDL 2.28.0.
+ *
+ * \sa SDL_GetWindowSurface
+ * \sa SDL_HasWindowSurface
+ */
+extern DECLSPEC int SDLCALL SDL_DestroyWindowSurface(SDL_Window *window);
+
 /**
  * Set a window's input grab mode.
  *
diff --git a/src/dynapi/SDL2.exports b/src/dynapi/SDL2.exports
index 0a509838cb..696e2be9d5 100644
--- a/src/dynapi/SDL2.exports
+++ b/src/dynapi/SDL2.exports
@@ -868,3 +868,5 @@
 ++'_SDL_ResetHints'.'SDL2.dll'.'SDL_ResetHints'
 ++'_SDL_strcasestr'.'SDL2.dll'.'SDL_strcasestr'
 # ++'_SDL_GDKSuspendComplete'.'SDL2.dll'.'SDL_GDKSuspendComplete'
+++'_SDL_HasWindowSurface'.'SDL2.dll'.'SDL_HasWindowSurface'
+++'_SDL_DestroyWindowSurface'.'SDL2.dll'.'SDL_DestroyWindowSurface'
diff --git a/src/dynapi/SDL_dynapi_overrides.h b/src/dynapi/SDL_dynapi_overrides.h
index 0ee320b5c6..0b59a21749 100644
--- a/src/dynapi/SDL_dynapi_overrides.h
+++ b/src/dynapi/SDL_dynapi_overrides.h
@@ -894,3 +894,5 @@
 #define SDL_ResetHints SDL_ResetHints_REAL
 #define SDL_strcasestr SDL_strcasestr_REAL
 #define SDL_GDKSuspendComplete SDL_GDKSuspendComplete_REAL
+#define SDL_HasWindowSurface SDL_HasWindowSurface_REAL
+#define SDL_DestroyWindowSurface SDL_DestroyWindowSurface_REAL
diff --git a/src/dynapi/SDL_dynapi_procs.h b/src/dynapi/SDL_dynapi_procs.h
index ebc9fc39b9..8e1d36d063 100644
--- a/src/dynapi/SDL_dynapi_procs.h
+++ b/src/dynapi/SDL_dynapi_procs.h
@@ -979,3 +979,5 @@ SDL_DYNAPI_PROC(char*,SDL_strcasestr,(const char *a, const char *b),(a,b),return
 #if defined(__GDK__)
 SDL_DYNAPI_PROC(void,SDL_GDKSuspendComplete,(void),(),)
 #endif
+SDL_DYNAPI_PROC(SDL_bool,SDL_HasWindowSurface,(SDL_Window *a),(a),return)
+SDL_DYNAPI_PROC(int,SDL_DestroyWindowSurface,(SDL_Window *a),(a),return)
diff --git a/src/render/SDL_render.c b/src/render/SDL_render.c
index 5831b1014d..21d6324cb1 100644
--- a/src/render/SDL_render.c
+++ b/src/render/SDL_render.c
@@ -950,6 +950,11 @@ SDL_Renderer *SDL_CreateRenderer(SDL_Window *window, int index, Uint32 flags)
         goto error;
     }
 
+    if (SDL_HasWindowSurface(window)) {
+        SDL_SetError("Surface already associated with window");
+        goto error;
+    }
+
     if (SDL_GetRenderer(window)) {
         SDL_SetError("Renderer already associated with window");
         goto error;
diff --git a/src/video/SDL_video.c b/src/video/SDL_video.c
index 73a4d2c0d7..00de5463ac 100644
--- a/src/video/SDL_video.c
+++ b/src/video/SDL_video.c
@@ -1884,12 +1884,7 @@ int SDL_RecreateWindow(SDL_Window *window, Uint32 flags)
     }
 
     /* Tear down the old native window */
-    if (window->surface) {
-        window->surface->flags &= ~SDL_DONTFREE;
-        SDL_FreeSurface(window->surface);
-        window->surface = NULL;
-        window->surface_valid = SDL_FALSE;
-    }
+    SDL_DestroyWindowSurface(window);
 
     if (_this->checked_texture_framebuffer) { /* never checked? No framebuffer to destroy. Don't risk calling the wrong implementation. */
         if (_this->DestroyWindowFramebuffer) {
@@ -2670,16 +2665,19 @@ static SDL_Surface *SDL_CreateWindowFramebuffer(SDL_Window *window)
     return SDL_CreateRGBSurfaceFrom(pixels, window->w, window->h, bpp, pitch, Rmask, Gmask, Bmask, Amask);
 }
 
+SDL_bool SDL_HasWindowSurface(SDL_Window *window)
+{
+    CHECK_WINDOW_MAGIC(window, SDL_FALSE);
+
+    return window->surface ? SDL_TRUE : SDL_FALSE;
+}
+
 SDL_Surface *SDL_GetWindowSurface(SDL_Window *window)
 {
     CHECK_WINDOW_MAGIC(window, NULL);
 
     if (!window->surface_valid) {
-        if (window->surface) {
-            window->surface->flags &= ~SDL_DONTFREE;
-            SDL_FreeSurface(window->surface);
-            window->surface = NULL;
-        }
+        SDL_DestroyWindowSurface(window);
         window->surface = SDL_CreateWindowFramebuffer(window);
         if (window->surface) {
             window->surface_valid = SDL_TRUE;
@@ -2761,6 +2759,19 @@ int SDL_SetWindowOpacity(SDL_Window * window, float opacity)
     return retval;
 }
 
+int SDL_DestroyWindowSurface(SDL_Window *window)
+{
+    CHECK_WINDOW_MAGIC(window, -1);
+
+    if (window->surface) {
+        window->surface->flags &= ~SDL_DONTFREE;
+        SDL_DestroySurface(window->surface);
+        window->surface = NULL;
+        window->surface_valid = SDL_FALSE;
+    }
+    return 0;
+}
+
 int SDL_GetWindowOpacity(SDL_Window *window, float *out_opacity)
 {
     CHECK_WINDOW_MAGIC(window, -1);
@@ -3206,12 +3217,7 @@ void SDL_DestroyWindow(SDL_Window *window)
         }
     }
 
-    if (window->surface) {
-        window->surface->flags &= ~SDL_DONTFREE;
-        SDL_FreeSurface(window->surface);
-        window->surface = NULL;
-        window->surface_valid = SDL_FALSE;
-    }
+    SDL_DestroyWindowSurface(window);
     if (_this->checked_texture_framebuffer) { /* never checked? No framebuffer to destroy. Don't risk calling the wrong implementation. */
         if (_this->DestroyWindowFramebuffer) {
             _this->DestroyWindowFramebuffer(_this, window);