diff --git a/include/SDL_config_amiga.h b/include/SDL_config_amiga.h
index 8e8530105d115d31719cdd79f20fac1c32b04097..3343d95364172465ea495641cc58966d35f608a9 100644
--- a/include/SDL_config_amiga.h
+++ b/include/SDL_config_amiga.h
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@
 
 #ifndef _SDL_config_amiga_h
 #define _SDL_config_amiga_h
+#ifndef _SDL_config_h
+#error This file should be included from SDL_config.h - Copy SDL_config.h.default to SDL_config.h?
+#endif
 
 /* This is a set of defines to configure the SDL features */
 
diff --git a/include/SDL_config_dreamcast.h b/include/SDL_config_dreamcast.h
index 77044f62be2e3e9f2d4daee65b65c074d652099f..7d53d43345d6f4ed9da23700d6299f4bd79997de 100644
--- a/include/SDL_config_dreamcast.h
+++ b/include/SDL_config_dreamcast.h
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@
 
 #ifndef _SDL_config_dreamcast_h
 #define _SDL_config_dreamcast_h
+#ifndef _SDL_config_h
+#error This file should be included from SDL_config.h - Copy SDL_config.h.default to SDL_config.h?
+#endif
 
 /* This is a set of defines to configure the SDL features */
 
diff --git a/include/SDL_config_macos.h b/include/SDL_config_macos.h
index 1b98a13a2a81234939bb5d736f2e81381c585110..8f5f77a5a8598d2eaa8ec01f0801f69857ab15c4 100644
--- a/include/SDL_config_macos.h
+++ b/include/SDL_config_macos.h
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@
 
 #ifndef _SDL_config_macos_h
 #define _SDL_config_macos_h
+#ifndef _SDL_config_h
+#error This file should be included from SDL_config.h - Copy SDL_config.h.default to SDL_config.h?
+#endif
 
 /* This is a set of defines to configure the SDL features */
 
diff --git a/include/SDL_config_macosx.h b/include/SDL_config_macosx.h
index 460cc3075c3e36469ab3762ec612272b2bf8e7b7..ab9f848eb04ecb0a594adf6b90a07e271318b319 100644
--- a/include/SDL_config_macosx.h
+++ b/include/SDL_config_macosx.h
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@
 
 #ifndef _SDL_config_macosx_h
 #define _SDL_config_macosx_h
+#ifndef _SDL_config_h
+#error This file should be included from SDL_config.h - Copy SDL_config.h.default to SDL_config.h?
+#endif
 
 /* This is a set of defines to configure the SDL features */
 
diff --git a/include/SDL_config_minimal.h b/include/SDL_config_minimal.h
index 2570031a71a1615275ec1454794e0d967bf8d135..8d707cff9137b0577cdd2eb30f6973035484ee75 100644
--- a/include/SDL_config_minimal.h
+++ b/include/SDL_config_minimal.h
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@
 
 #ifndef _SDL_config_minimal_h
 #define _SDL_config_minimal_h
+#ifndef _SDL_config_h
+#error This file should be included from SDL_config.h - Copy SDL_config.h.default to SDL_config.h?
+#endif
 
 /* This is the minimal configuration that can be used to build SDL */
 
diff --git a/include/SDL_config_os2.h b/include/SDL_config_os2.h
index 8e0609244612f09280bf87e1e0843706ab78eada..1c2067331db3f9c2a4209f43befb52b9d125844e 100644
--- a/include/SDL_config_os2.h
+++ b/include/SDL_config_os2.h
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@
 
 #ifndef _SDL_config_os2_h
 #define _SDL_config_os2_h
+#ifndef _SDL_config_h
+#error This file should be included from SDL_config.h - Copy SDL_config.h.default to SDL_config.h?
+#endif
 
 /* This is a set of defines to configure the SDL features */
 
diff --git a/include/SDL_config_win32.h b/include/SDL_config_win32.h
index 23a7a6c8e79ab9eea732e5950b641f6c1e595f08..89107c86c80557e08f6069da7c2fb949ebff6fcc 100644
--- a/include/SDL_config_win32.h
+++ b/include/SDL_config_win32.h
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@
 
 #ifndef _SDL_config_win32_h
 #define _SDL_config_win32_h
+#ifndef _SDL_config_h
+#error This file should be included from SDL_config.h - Copy SDL_config.h.default to SDL_config.h?
+#endif
 
 /* This is a set of defines to configure the SDL features */