diff -r 1c4a634f364e include/SDL_video.h
--- a/include/SDL_video.h	Thu Apr 17 22:23:32 2014 -0700
+++ b/include/SDL_video.h	Fri Apr 18 04:09:28 2014 -0500
@@ -108,7 +108,8 @@
     SDL_WINDOW_MOUSE_FOCUS = 0x00000400,        /**< window has mouse focus */
     SDL_WINDOW_FULLSCREEN_DESKTOP = ( SDL_WINDOW_FULLSCREEN | 0x00001000 ),
     SDL_WINDOW_FOREIGN = 0x00000800,            /**< window not created by SDL */
-    SDL_WINDOW_ALLOW_HIGHDPI = 0x00002000       /**< window should be created in high-DPI mode if supported */
+    SDL_WINDOW_ALLOW_HIGHDPI = 0x00002000,      /**< window should be created in high-DPI mode if supported */
+    SDL_WINDOW_CHILD = 0x00004000               /**< window is not toplevel and cannot be hidden */
 } SDL_WindowFlags;
 
 /**
diff -r 1c4a634f364e src/video/SDL_video.c
--- a/src/video/SDL_video.c	Thu Apr 17 22:23:32 2014 -0700
+++ b/src/video/SDL_video.c	Fri Apr 18 04:09:28 2014 -0500
@@ -1359,6 +1359,12 @@
         flags &= ~SDL_WINDOW_FOREIGN;
     }
 
+    if (window->flags & SDL_WINDOW_CHILD) {
+        flags |= SDL_WINDOW_CHILD;
+    } else {
+        flags &= ~SDL_WINDOW_CHILD;
+    }
+
     /* Restore video mode, etc. */
     SDL_HideWindow(window);
 
@@ -1401,6 +1407,9 @@
     if (flags & SDL_WINDOW_FOREIGN) {
         window->flags |= SDL_WINDOW_FOREIGN;
     }
+    if (flags & SDL_WINDOW_CHILD) {
+        window->flags |= SDL_WINDOW_CHILD;
+    }
 
     if (title) {
         SDL_SetWindowTitle(window, title);
@@ -1802,7 +1811,7 @@
 {
     CHECK_WINDOW_MAGIC(window, );
 
-    if (!(window->flags & SDL_WINDOW_SHOWN)) {
+    if (!(window->flags & SDL_WINDOW_SHOWN) || (window->flags & SDL_WINDOW_CHILD)) {
         return;
     }
 
diff -r 1c4a634f364e src/video/x11/SDL_x11sym.h
--- a/src/video/x11/SDL_x11sym.h	Thu Apr 17 22:23:32 2014 -0700
+++ b/src/video/x11/SDL_x11sym.h	Fri Apr 18 04:09:28 2014 -0500
@@ -141,6 +141,7 @@
 SDL_X11_SYM(Bool,XQueryExtension,(Display* a,_Xconst char* b,int* c,int* d,int* e),(a,b,c,d,e),return)
 SDL_X11_SYM(char *,XDisplayString,(Display* a),(a),return)
 SDL_X11_SYM(int,XGetErrorText,(Display* a,int b,char* c,int d),(a,b,c,d),return)
+SDL_X11_SYM(Status,XQueryTree,(Display *a,Window b,Window *c,Window *d,Window **e,unsigned int *f),(a,b,c,d,e,f),return)
 SDL_X11_SYM(void,_XEatData,(Display* a,unsigned long b),(a,b),)
 SDL_X11_SYM(void,_XFlush,(Display* a),(a),)
 SDL_X11_SYM(void,_XFlushGCCache,(Display* a,GC b),(a,b),)
diff -r 1c4a634f364e src/video/x11/SDL_x11video.c
--- a/src/video/x11/SDL_x11video.c	Thu Apr 17 22:23:32 2014 -0700
+++ b/src/video/x11/SDL_x11video.c	Fri Apr 18 04:09:28 2014 -0500
@@ -607,6 +607,7 @@
     GET_ATOM(_NET_WM_ICON);
     GET_ATOM(_NET_WM_PING);
     GET_ATOM(_NET_ACTIVE_WINDOW);
+    GET_ATOM(_NET_CLIENT_LIST);
     GET_ATOM(UTF8_STRING);
     GET_ATOM(PRIMARY);
     GET_ATOM(XdndEnter);
diff -r 1c4a634f364e src/video/x11/SDL_x11video.h
--- a/src/video/x11/SDL_x11video.h	Thu Apr 17 22:23:32 2014 -0700
+++ b/src/video/x11/SDL_x11video.h	Fri Apr 18 04:09:28 2014 -0500
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@
     Atom _NET_WM_ICON;
     Atom _NET_WM_PING;
     Atom _NET_ACTIVE_WINDOW;
+    Atom _NET_CLIENT_LIST;
     Atom UTF8_STRING;
     Atom PRIMARY;
     Atom XdndEnter;
diff -r 1c4a634f364e src/video/x11/SDL_x11window.c
--- a/src/video/x11/SDL_x11window.c	Thu Apr 17 22:23:32 2014 -0700
+++ b/src/video/x11/SDL_x11window.c	Fri Apr 18 04:09:28 2014 -0500
@@ -607,6 +607,44 @@
     return 0;
 }
 
+SDL_bool
+X11_WindowIsChild(_THIS, Window w)
+{
+    SDL_bool ischild = SDL_FALSE;
+    SDL_VideoData *videodata = (SDL_VideoData *) _this->driverdata;
+    Display *display = videodata->display;
+    Window root, parent, *children;
+    unsigned int nchildren;
+    Atom clientlist = videodata->_NET_CLIENT_LIST;
+    Atom actualtype;
+    int format;
+    unsigned long numitems, bytesafter;
+    Uint32 *toplevels;
+    int status;
+
+    X11_XQueryTree(display, w, &root, &parent, &children, &nchildren);
+    status = X11_XGetWindowProperty(display, root, clientlist, 0L, (~0L),
+				        False, AnyPropertyType, &actualtype, &format,
+				        &numitems, &bytesafter, (unsigned char**) &toplevels);
+
+    if (status >= Success && numitems > 0)
+    {
+        int i;
+        for (i = numitems - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
+            if (toplevels[i] == w) {
+                ischild = SDL_FALSE;
+                break;
+            } else if (toplevels[i] == parent) {
+                ischild = SDL_TRUE;
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+        X11_XFree(toplevels);
+    }
+
+    return ischild;
+}
+
 int
 X11_CreateWindowFrom(_THIS, SDL_Window * window, const void *data)
 {
@@ -617,6 +655,9 @@
     if (SetupWindowData(_this, window, w, SDL_FALSE) < 0) {
         return -1;
     }
+    if (X11_WindowIsChild(_this, w)) {
+        window->flags |= SDL_WINDOW_CHILD;
+    }
     return 0;
 }