diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 0dfb408df..cf89e7ca1 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1838,8 +1838,6 @@ elseif(APPLE)
     # !!! FIXME: modern CMake doesn't need "LANGUAGE C" for Objective-C.
     set_source_files_properties(${EXTRA_SOURCES} PROPERTIES LANGUAGE C)
     set(HAVE_SDL_FILE TRUE)
-  else()
-    message_error("SDL_FILE must be enabled to build on MacOS X")
   endif()
 
   if(IOS OR TVOS)
diff --git a/src/file/SDL_rwops.c b/src/file/SDL_rwops.c
index 5187fae04..670d4dd9a 100644
--- a/src/file/SDL_rwops.c
+++ b/src/file/SDL_rwops.c
@@ -833,7 +833,7 @@ SDL_RWFromFile(const char *file, const char *mode)
     rwops->type = SDL_RWOPS_VITAFILE;
 #elif HAVE_STDIO_H
     {
-        #ifdef __APPLE__
+        #if __APPLE__ && !SDL_FILE_DISABLED // TODO: add dummy?
         FILE *fp = SDL_OpenFPFromBundleOrFallback(file, mode);
         #elif __WINRT__
         FILE *fp = NULL;