diff --git a/src/SDL_net.c b/src/SDL_net.c
index 1b55ff1..60ce59c 100644
--- a/src/SDL_net.c
+++ b/src/SDL_net.c
@@ -492,6 +492,13 @@ static void RefreshInterfaces(void)  // WINDOWS VERSION
 // AF_NETLINK covers Linux (and by extension Android). PF_ROUTE covers the BSDs (and by extension Apple platforms).
 // This doesn't cover all Unix platforms that ever existed, but this hits just about everything that is still being maintained seriously.
 
+#if defined(USE_NETLINK) || defined(PF_ROUTE)
+#define USE_NETWORK_MONITOR 1
+#else
+#warning unknown network monitoring system for this platform - will not report network changes
+#endif
+
+#ifdef USE_NETWORK_MONITOR
 static SDL_Thread *interface_change_notifications_thread = NULL;
 static SDL_AtomicInt interface_change_notifications_flag;  // !!! FIXME
 
@@ -559,21 +566,28 @@ static int SDLCALL LinuxInterfaceChangeNotificationThread(void *data)
 
     return 0;
 }
+#endif
 
 static bool InitInterfaceChangeNotifications(void)  // LINUX/BSD VERSION
 {
+#ifdef USE_NETWORK_MONITOR
     interface_change_notifications_thread = SDL_CreateThread(LinuxInterfaceChangeNotificationThread, "SDLNetIfaceEnum", NULL);
     return (interface_change_notifications_thread != NULL);
+#else
+    return true;
+#endif
 }
 
 static void QuitInterfaceChangeNotifications(void)  // LINUX/BSD VERSION
 {
+#ifdef USE_NETWORK_MONITOR
     if (interface_change_notifications_thread) {
         SDL_SetAtomicInt(&interface_change_notifications_flag, 1);
         SDL_WaitThread(interface_change_notifications_thread, NULL);
         SDL_SetAtomicInt(&interface_change_notifications_flag, 0);
     }
     interface_change_notifications_thread = NULL;
+#endif
 }
 
 static void RefreshInterfaces(void)  // LINUX/BSD VERSION