diff --git a/gelatin-sdl2.cabal b/gelatin-sdl2.cabal
--- a/gelatin-sdl2.cabal
+++ b/gelatin-sdl2.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                gelatin-sdl2
-version:             0.1.0.0
+version:             0.1.1.0
 synopsis:            An SDL2 backend for the gelatin renderer.
 description:         Using SDL2 this package provides a backend to
                      gelatin, an EDSL rendering pictures.
diff --git a/src/Gelatin/SDL2.hs b/src/Gelatin/SDL2.hs
--- a/src/Gelatin/SDL2.hs
+++ b/src/Gelatin/SDL2.hs
@@ -7,9 +7,12 @@
 module Gelatin.SDL2
   ( -- * Backend definitions
     SDL2Backends(..)
-    -- * Obtaining the backends
-  , startupSDL2Backends
+    -- * Getting a window and the backends
+  , initSDL2Window
+  , startupSDL2BackendsWithWindow
+    -- * Obtaining the backends without a window
   , startupSDL2BackendsWithConfig
+  , startupSDL2Backends
     -- * Re-exports
   , module Gelatin.GL
   ) where
@@ -29,40 +32,60 @@
   }
 
 
--- | Start up and return the sdl2 backends according to the given
--- sdl2 'WindowConfig'.
-startupSDL2BackendsWithConfig
-  :: (MonadIO m, MonadError String m)
+-- | Creates and returns an SDL2 window.
+initSDL2Window
+  :: MonadIO m
   => WindowConfig
-  -- ^ The configuration used to set up the window.
+  -- ^ The window configuration
   -> String
-  -- ^ The window title
+  -- ^ The window title.
+  -> m Window
+initSDL2Window cfg title = liftIO $ do
+  initializeAll
+  w     <- createWindow (fromString title) cfg
+  _     <- glCreateContext w
+  return w
+
+-- | Start up and return the sdl2 backends using the given window.
+startupSDL2BackendsWithWindow
+  :: (MonadIO m, MonadError String m)
+  => Window
+  -- ^ The 'Window' to use render into.
   -> m SDL2Backends
-startupSDL2BackendsWithConfig cfg str = do
-  w <- liftIO $ do
-    initializeAll
-    w     <- createWindow (fromString str) cfg
-    _     <- glCreateContext w
-    return w
+startupSDL2BackendsWithWindow window = do
   sh <- loadSimple2DShader
 
   liftIO $ do
     glEnable GL_BLEND
     glBlendFunc GL_SRC_ALPHA GL_ONE_MINUS_SRC_ALPHA
 
-  let wsize =  do V2 x y <- get $ windowSize w
+  let wsize =  do V2 x y <- get $ windowSize window
                   return (fromIntegral x, fromIntegral y)
-      fsize = do V2 x y <- glGetDrawableSize w
+      fsize = do V2 x y <- glGetDrawableSize window
                  return (fromIntegral x, fromIntegral y)
 
       ctx = Context { ctxFramebufferSize = fsize
                     , ctxWindowSize = wsize
                     }
       rz   = Rez sh ctx
-      ops  = glOps rz (updateWindowSDL2 w) pollEvents
+      ops  = glOps rz (updateWindowSDL2 window) pollEvents
       v2v4 = Backend ops $ glV2V4Compiler rz
       v2v2 = Backend ops $ glV2V2Compiler rz
   return $ SDL2Backends v2v4 v2v2
+
+
+-- | Start up and return the sdl2 backends according to the given
+-- sdl2 'WindowConfig'.
+startupSDL2BackendsWithConfig
+  :: (MonadIO m, MonadError String m)
+  => WindowConfig
+  -- ^ The configuration used to set up the window.
+  -> String
+  -- ^ The window title
+  -> m SDL2Backends
+startupSDL2BackendsWithConfig cfg str = do
+  w <- initSDL2Window cfg str
+  startupSDL2BackendsWithWindow w
 
 
 -- | Start up and return the default backends.