diff --git a/src/video/SDL_surface.c b/src/video/SDL_surface.c
index 592441f396..9a9e7b56e0 100644
--- a/src/video/SDL_surface.c
+++ b/src/video/SDL_surface.c
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include "SDL_stb_c.h"
 #include "SDL_yuv_c.h"
 #include "../render/SDL_sysrender.h"
+#include "../SDL_hints_c.h"
 
 #include "SDL_surface_c.h"
 
@@ -41,8 +42,34 @@ SDL_COMPILE_TIME_ASSERT(can_indicate_overflow, SDL_SIZE_MAX > SDL_MAX_SINT32);
 // Magic!
 static char SDL_surface_magic;
 
+
+// Some hint callbacks.
+
+static SDL_InitState create_surface_hints_init;
+static bool create_surface_clear_hint = true;  // tracks SDL_HINT_CREATE_SURFACE_CLEAR state.
+static bool create_surface_malloc_hint = false;  // tracks "SDL_SURFACE_MALLOC" state.
+
+static void SDLCALL SDL_SurfaceClearHintWatcher(void *userdata, const char *name, const char *oldValue, const char *newValue)
+{
+    create_surface_clear_hint = SDL_GetStringBoolean(newValue, true);
+}
+
+static void SDLCALL SDL_SurfaceMallocHintWatcher(void *userdata, const char *name, const char *oldValue, const char *newValue)
+{
+    create_surface_malloc_hint = SDL_GetStringBoolean(newValue, false);
+}
+
 // Public routines
 
+void SDL_QuitSurfaceHints(void)
+{
+    if (SDL_ShouldQuit(&create_surface_hints_init)) {
+        SDL_RemoveHintCallback(SDL_HINT_CREATE_SURFACE_CLEAR, SDL_SurfaceClearHintWatcher, NULL);
+        SDL_RemoveHintCallback("SDL_SURFACE_MALLOC", SDL_SurfaceMallocHintWatcher, NULL);
+        SDL_SetInitialized(&create_surface_hints_init, false);
+    }
+}
+
 bool SDL_SurfaceValid(SDL_Surface *surface)
 {
     return (surface && surface->reserved == &SDL_surface_magic);
@@ -228,9 +255,15 @@ SDL_Surface *SDL_CreateSurface(int width, int height, SDL_PixelFormat format)
     }
 
     if (surface->w && surface->h && format != SDL_PIXELFORMAT_MJPG) {
-        bool must_clear = SDL_GetHintBoolean(SDL_HINT_CREATE_SURFACE_CLEAR, true);
+        if (SDL_ShouldInit(&create_surface_hints_init)) {
+            SDL_AddHintCallback(SDL_HINT_CREATE_SURFACE_CLEAR, SDL_SurfaceClearHintWatcher, NULL);
+            SDL_AddHintCallback("SDL_SURFACE_MALLOC", SDL_SurfaceMallocHintWatcher, NULL);
+            SDL_SetInitialized(&create_surface_hints_init, true);
+        }
+
+        bool must_clear = create_surface_clear_hint;  // SDL_HINT_CREATE_SURFACE_CLEAR, tracked by callback.
         surface->flags &= ~SDL_SURFACE_PREALLOCATED;
-        if (SDL_GetHintBoolean("SDL_SURFACE_MALLOC", false)) {
+        if (create_surface_malloc_hint) {  // "SDL_SURFACE_MALLOC" hint, tracked by callback.
             if (must_clear) {
                 surface->pixels = SDL_calloc(1, size);
                 must_clear = false;  // SDL_calloc already did it, don't memset again, below.
diff --git a/src/video/SDL_surface_c.h b/src/video/SDL_surface_c.h
index 231cc7430b..6f7c8ba06f 100644
--- a/src/video/SDL_surface_c.h
+++ b/src/video/SDL_surface_c.h
@@ -96,5 +96,6 @@ extern SDL_Surface *SDL_ConvertSurfaceRect(SDL_Surface *surface, const SDL_Rect
 extern bool SDL_IsBMP(SDL_IOStream *src);
 extern bool SDL_IsJPG(SDL_IOStream *src);
 extern bool SDL_IsPNG(SDL_IOStream *src);
+extern void SDL_QuitSurfaceHints(void);
 
 #endif // SDL_surface_c_h_
diff --git a/src/video/SDL_video.c b/src/video/SDL_video.c
index 98fd06d2b3..1fd00eded3 100644
--- a/src/video/SDL_video.c
+++ b/src/video/SDL_video.c
@@ -4674,6 +4674,7 @@ void SDL_VideoQuit(void)
     SDL_QuitMouse();
     SDL_QuitKeyboard();
     SDL_QuitSubSystem(SDL_INIT_EVENTS);
+    SDL_QuitSurfaceHints();
 
     SDL_EnableScreenSaver();