diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
index a65f69a..6928d61 100755
--- a/build.sh
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ clang-format -i uxn.c
 clang-format -i emulator.c
 rm -f ./bin/emulator
 cc -std=c89 -DDEBUG -Wall -Wno-unknown-pragmas -Wpedantic -Wshadow -Wextra -Werror=implicit-int -Werror=incompatible-pointer-types -Werror=int-conversion -Wvla -g -Og -fsanitize=address -fsanitize=undefined uxn.c emulator.c -L/usr/local/lib -lSDL2 -o bin/emulator
+cc -std=c89 -DNO_SDL -DDEBUG -Wall -Wno-unknown-pragmas -Wpedantic -Wshadow -Wextra -Werror=implicit-int -Werror=incompatible-pointer-types -Werror=int-conversion -Wvla -g -Og -fsanitize=address -fsanitize=undefined uxn.c emulator.c -L/usr/local/lib -lSDL2 -o bin/emulator-nosdl
 # cc uxn.c emulator.c -std=c89 -Os -DNDEBUG -g0 -s -Wall -Wno-unknown-pragmas -L/usr/local/lib -lSDL2 -o bin/emulator
 
 # run
diff --git a/emulator.c b/emulator.c
index 74833ac..c6b7dbe 100644
--- a/emulator.c
+++ b/emulator.c
@@ -238,6 +238,7 @@ quit(void)
 int
 init(void)
 {
+#ifndef NO_SDL
 	if(SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_VIDEO) < 0)
 		return error("Init", SDL_GetError());
 	gWindow = SDL_CreateWindow("Uxn", SDL_WINDOWPOS_UNDEFINED, SDL_WINDOWPOS_UNDEFINED, WIDTH * ZOOM, HEIGHT * ZOOM, SDL_WINDOW_SHOWN);
@@ -254,6 +255,7 @@ init(void)
 	clear(pixels);
 	SDL_StartTextInput();
 	SDL_ShowCursor(SDL_DISABLE);
+#endif
 	screen.bounds.x1 = PAD * 8;
 	screen.bounds.x2 = WIDTH - PAD * 8 - 1;
 	screen.bounds.y1 = PAD * 8;
@@ -429,12 +431,17 @@ ppnil(Uint8 *m, Uint16 ptr, Uint8 b0, Uint8 b1)
 int
 start(Uxn *u)
 {
+#ifndef NO_SDL
 	int ticknext = 0;
+#endif
 	evaluxn(u, u->vreset);
 	loadtheme(u->ram.dat + PAGE_DEVICE + 0x00f8);
+#ifndef NO_SDL
 	if(screen.reqdraw)
 		redraw(pixels, u);
+#endif
 	while(1) {
+#ifndef NO_SDL
 		int tick = SDL_GetTicks();
 		SDL_Event event;
 		if(tick < ticknext)
@@ -455,9 +462,12 @@ start(Uxn *u)
 				break;
 			}
 		}
+#endif
 		evaluxn(u, u->vframe);
+#ifndef NO_SDL
 		if(screen.reqdraw)
 			redraw(pixels, u);
+#endif
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/run.sh b/run.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..b977995
--- /dev/null
+++ b/run.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -e
+EMULATOR=./bin/emulator
+if [ "${1}" = '--no-sdl' ]; then
+    EMULATOR=./bin/emulator-nosdl
+    shift
+fi
+if [ -z "${1}" ]; then
+    printf 'usage: %s [--no-sdl] USM_FILE\n' "${0}" >&2
+    exit 2
+fi
+./bin/assembler "${1}" bin/boot.rom
+"${EMULATOR}" bin/boot.rom