diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 4547d69b00..f1bced051d 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -27,6 +27,11 @@ if( APPLE )
     option( OSX_COCOA_BACKEND "Use native Cocoa backend instead of SDL" ON )
 endif()
 
+option( ZDOOM_ENABLE_SWR "Enable software renderer" ON )
+if( NOT ZDOOM_ENABLE_SWR )
+	add_definitions( -DNO_SWRENDERER )
+endif()
+
 target_architecture(TARGET_ARCHITECTURE)
 message(STATUS "Architecture is ${TARGET_ARCHITECTURE}")
 
diff --git a/src/common/menu/menudef.cpp b/src/common/menu/menudef.cpp
index c93c76bd7d..0ef4e4fe17 100644
--- a/src/common/menu/menudef.cpp
+++ b/src/common/menu/menudef.cpp
@@ -250,6 +250,12 @@ static bool CheckSkipOptionBlock(FScanner &sc)
 				filter = true;
 			#endif
 		}
+		else if (sc.Compare("SWRender"))
+		{
+#ifndef NO_SWRENDERER
+			filter = true;
+#endif
+		}
 	}
 	while (sc.CheckString(","));
 	sc.MustGetStringName(")");
diff --git a/src/d_main.cpp b/src/d_main.cpp
index 8b3e5a728a..c43ba20396 100644
--- a/src/d_main.cpp
+++ b/src/d_main.cpp
@@ -231,6 +231,7 @@ CUSTOM_CVAR(Float, i_timescale, 1.0f, CVAR_NOINITCALL | CVAR_VIRTUAL)
 
 // PUBLIC DATA DEFINITIONS -------------------------------------------------
 
+#ifndef NO_SWRENDERER
 CUSTOM_CVAR(Int, vid_rendermode, 4, CVAR_ARCHIVE | CVAR_GLOBALCONFIG | CVAR_NOINITCALL)
 {
 	if (self < 0 || self > 4)
@@ -251,6 +252,7 @@ CUSTOM_CVAR(Int, vid_rendermode, 4, CVAR_ARCHIVE | CVAR_GLOBALCONFIG | CVAR_NOIN
 
 	// No further checks needed. All this changes now is which scene drawer the render backend calls.
 }
+#endif
 
 CUSTOM_CVAR (Int, fraglimit, 0, CVAR_SERVERINFO)
 {
diff --git a/src/d_main.h b/src/d_main.h
index 2698a738d6..a6f76a8d89 100644
--- a/src/d_main.h
+++ b/src/d_main.h
@@ -149,7 +149,11 @@ public:
 
 };
 
+#ifndef NO_SWRENDERER
 EXTERN_CVAR(Int, vid_rendermode)
+#else
+constexpr int vid_rendermode = 4;
+#endif
 
 inline bool V_IsHardwareRenderer()
 {
diff --git a/wadsrc/static/menudef.txt b/wadsrc/static/menudef.txt
index 0ee511e590..c300e9b788 100644
--- a/wadsrc/static/menudef.txt
+++ b/wadsrc/static/menudef.txt
@@ -2271,7 +2271,10 @@ OptionMenu VideoModeMenu protected
 
 	Option "$VIDMNU_PREFERBACKEND",		"vid_preferbackend", "PreferBackend"
 	StaticText " "
-	Option "$VIDMNU_RENDERMODE",		"vid_rendermode", "RenderMode"
+	IfOption(SWRender)
+	{
+		Option "$VIDMNU_RENDERMODE",		"vid_rendermode", "RenderMode"
+	}
 	Option "$VIDMNU_FULLSCREEN",		"vid_fullscreen", "YesNo"
 
 	IfOption(Mac)
diff --git a/wadsrc/static/menudef.zsimple b/wadsrc/static/menudef.zsimple
index e0f6fc0b7b..87cbb7ef4f 100644
--- a/wadsrc/static/menudef.zsimple
+++ b/wadsrc/static/menudef.zsimple
@@ -47,7 +47,10 @@ OptionMenu VideoOptionsSimple protected
 	Title "$DSPLYMNU_TITLE"
 
 	Option "$VIDMNU_PREFERBACKEND",		"vid_preferbackend", "PreferBackend"
-	Option "$VIDMNU_RENDERMODE",		"vid_rendermode", "RenderMode"
+	IfOption(SWRender)
+	{
+		Option "$VIDMNU_RENDERMODE",		"vid_rendermode", "RenderMode"
+	}
 	Option "$VIDMNU_FULLSCREEN",		"vid_fullscreen", "YesNo"
 	IfOption(Mac)
 	{