diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index ad2759ff8..9cc7fac6e 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -37,6 +37,10 @@
 #
 # Uncomment next line for Windows static cross-compile build (mxe)
 #WINDOWS_STATIC=1
+#
+# Uncomment the next line if you wish to use SFML to load images instead
+# of FFmpeg (has no effect if NO_MOVIE=1)
+#SFML_IMAGES=1
 ###############################
 
 #FE_DEBUG=1
@@ -158,6 +162,7 @@ ifeq ($(WINDOWS_STATIC),1)
  LIBS += $(shell $(PKG_CONFIG) --static --libs sfml)
  CFLAGS += -DSFML_STATIC $(shell $(PKG_CONFIG) --static --cflags sfml)
  FE_WINDOWS_COMPILE=1
+
 else
 
  ifeq ($(NO_NET),1)
@@ -170,12 +175,14 @@ else
 	-lsfml-window \
 	-lsfml-network \
 	-lsfml-system
-
-  _DEP += fe_net.hpp
-  _OBJ += fe_net.o
  endif
 endif
 
+ifneq ($(NO_NET),1)
+ _DEP += fe_net.hpp
+ _OBJ += fe_net.o
+endif
+
 ifeq ($(FE_WINDOWS_COMPILE),1)
  CFLAGS += -mconsole
  EXE_EXT = .exe
@@ -252,6 +259,10 @@ else
  _DEP += media.hpp
  _OBJ += media.o
 
+ ifeq ($(SFML_IMAGES),1)
+  FE_FLAGS += -DSFML_IMAGES
+ endif
+
  CFLAGS += -I$(EXTLIBS_DIR)/audio/include
  AUDIO = $(OBJ_DIR)/libaudio.a
 endif
diff --git a/src/fe_image.cpp b/src/fe_image.cpp
index 7862b8792..a5badec69 100644
--- a/src/fe_image.cpp
+++ b/src/fe_image.cpp
@@ -275,56 +275,60 @@ bool FeTextureContainer::common_load(
 	std::vector<std::string> &image_names )
 {
 	bool loaded=false;
+
 #ifndef NO_MOVIE
+	if ( m_video_flags & VF_DisableVideo )
+		non_image_names.clear();
+
+#ifndef SFML_IMAGES
+	while ( !image_names.empty() )
+	{
+		non_image_names.push_back( image_names.back() );
+		image_names.pop_back();
+	}
+#endif
 
 	ASSERT( !m_movie ); // m_movie should always be empty at this point...
 
-	if ( !(m_video_flags & VF_DisableVideo) )
+	std::string movie_file;
+	for ( std::vector<std::string>::iterator itr = non_image_names.begin();
+			itr != non_image_names.end(); ++itr  )
 	{
-		std::string movie_file;
-		for ( std::vector<std::string>::iterator itr = non_image_names.begin();
-				itr != non_image_names.end(); ++itr  )
+		if ( FeMedia::is_supported_media_file( *itr ) )
 		{
-			if ( FeMedia::is_supported_media_file( *itr ) )
-			{
-				movie_file = (*itr);
-				break;
-			}
+			movie_file = (*itr);
+			break;
 		}
+	}
 
-		if ( !movie_file.empty() )
- 		{
-			m_movie = new FeMedia( FeMedia::AudioVideo );
+	if ( !movie_file.empty() )
+	{
+		m_movie = new FeMedia( FeMedia::AudioVideo );
 
-			if (!m_movie->openFromFile( movie_file ))
-			{
-				std::cout << "ERROR loading video: "
-					<< movie_file << std::endl;
-			}
-			else
+		if (!m_movie->openFromFile( movie_file, &m_texture ))
+		{
+			std::cout << "ERROR loading video: "
+				<< movie_file << std::endl;
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			loaded = true;
+			m_file_name = movie_file;
+
+			if ( !m_movie->is_multiframe() )
 			{
-				sf::Texture *t = m_movie->get_texture();
-				ASSERT( t ); // openFromFile should create this!
-				if ( t ) t->setSmooth( m_texture.isSmooth() );
+				m_movie_status = -1; // don't play if there is only one frame
 
-				loaded = true;
-				m_file_name = movie_file;
-
-				if ( m_movie->number_of_frames() == 1 )
-				{
-					m_movie_status = -1; // don't play if there is only one frame
-
-					// if there is only one frame, then we can update the texture immediately
-					// (the frame will have been preloaded) and delete our movie object now
-					notify_texture_change();
-					delete m_movie;
-					m_movie = NULL;
-				}
-				else if (m_video_flags & VF_NoAutoStart)
-					m_movie_status = 0; // 0=loaded but not on track to play
-				else
-					m_movie_status = 1; // 1=on track to be played
+				// if there is only one frame, then we can update the texture immediately
+				// (the frame will have been preloaded) and delete our movie object now
+				notify_texture_change();
+				delete m_movie;
+				m_movie = NULL;
 			}
+			else if (m_video_flags & VF_NoAutoStart)
+				m_movie_status = 0; // 0=loaded but not on track to play
+			else
+				m_movie_status = 1; // 1=on track to be played
 		}
 	}
 #endif
@@ -351,14 +355,6 @@ bool FeTextureContainer::common_load(
 
 const sf::Texture &FeTextureContainer::get_texture()
 {
-#ifndef NO_MOVIE
-	if ( m_movie )
-	{
-		const sf::Texture *t = m_movie->get_texture();
-		if ( t ) return *t;
-	}
-#endif
-
 	return m_texture;
 }
 
@@ -689,14 +685,6 @@ void FeTextureContainer::clear()
 
 void FeTextureContainer::set_smooth( bool s )
 {
-#ifndef NO_MOVIE
-	if ( m_movie )
-	{
-		sf::Texture *t = m_movie->get_texture();
-		if ( t )
-			t->setSmooth( s );
-	}
-#endif
 	m_texture.setSmooth( s );
 }
 
diff --git a/src/media.cpp b/src/media.cpp
index 4dd19dbee..ca8a65f6d 100644
--- a/src/media.cpp
+++ b/src/media.cpp
@@ -157,8 +157,8 @@ class FeVideoImp : public FeBaseStream
 public:
 	bool run_video_thread;
 	sf::Time time_base;
-	sf::Texture display_texture;
 	sf::Clock video_timer;
+	sf::Texture *display_texture;
 	SwsContext *sws_ctx;
 	int sws_flags;
 
@@ -292,6 +292,7 @@ FeVideoImp::FeVideoImp( FeMedia *p )
 		m_video_thread( &FeVideoImp::video_thread, this ),
 		m_parent( p ),
 		run_video_thread( false ),
+		display_texture( NULL ),
 		sws_ctx( NULL ),
 		sws_flags( SWS_FAST_BILINEAR ),
 		display_frame( NULL )
@@ -420,7 +421,7 @@ void FeVideoImp::preload()
 							my_pict->linesize );
 
 				sf::Lock l( image_swap_mutex );
-				display_texture.update( my_pict->data[0] );
+				display_texture->update( my_pict->data[0] );
 
 				keep_going = false;
 
@@ -679,13 +680,6 @@ void FeMedia::init_av()
 	}
 }
 
-sf::Texture *FeMedia::get_texture()
-{
-	if ( m_video )
-		return &(m_video->display_texture);
-	return NULL;
-}
-
 sf::Time FeMedia::get_video_time()
 {
 	//
@@ -795,7 +789,7 @@ void FeMedia::setVolume(float volume)
 	sf::SoundStream::setVolume( volume );
 }
 
-bool FeMedia::openFromFile( const std::string &name )
+bool FeMedia::openFromFile( const std::string &name, sf::Texture *outt )
 {
 	close();
 	init_av();
@@ -878,6 +872,9 @@ bool FeMedia::openFromFile( const std::string &name )
 		{
 			m_format_ctx->streams[stream_id]->codec->workaround_bugs = FF_BUG_AUTODETECT;
 
+			// Note also: http://trac.ffmpeg.org/ticket/4404
+			m_format_ctx->streams[stream_id]->codec->thread_count=1;
+
 			if ( avcodec_open2( m_format_ctx->streams[stream_id]->codec,
 										dec, NULL ) < 0 )
 			{
@@ -893,10 +890,9 @@ bool FeMedia::openFromFile( const std::string &name )
 				m_video->time_base = sf::seconds(
 						av_q2d(m_format_ctx->streams[stream_id]->time_base) );
 
-				m_video->display_texture = sf::Texture();
-				m_video->display_texture.create( m_video->codec_ctx->width,
+				m_video->display_texture = outt;
+				m_video->display_texture->create( m_video->codec_ctx->width,
 											m_video->codec_ctx->height );
-				m_video->display_texture.setSmooth( true );
 				m_video->preload();
 			}
 		}
@@ -951,7 +947,7 @@ bool FeMedia::tick()
 		sf::Lock l( m_video->image_swap_mutex );
 		if ( m_video->display_frame )
 		{
-			m_video->display_texture.update( m_video->display_frame );
+			m_video->display_texture->update( m_video->display_frame );
 			m_video->display_frame = NULL;
 			return true;
 		}
@@ -1174,12 +1170,20 @@ bool FeMedia::is_supported_media_file( const std::string &filename )
 }
 
 
-int FeMedia::number_of_frames() const
+bool FeMedia::is_multiframe() const
 {
 	if ( m_video && m_format_ctx )
-		return m_format_ctx->streams[ m_video->stream_id ]->nb_frames;
+	{
+		if (( m_format_ctx->streams[ m_video->stream_id ]->nb_frames > 1 )
+#ifdef AV_CODEC_ID_APNG
+				|| ( m_format_ctx->streams[ m_video->stream_id ]->id == AV_CODEC_ID_APNG )
+#endif
+				|| ( m_format_ctx->streams[ m_video->stream_id ]->id == AV_CODEC_ID_GIF ))
+			return true;
 
-	return 0;
+	}
+
+	return false;
 }
 
 sf::Time FeMedia::get_duration() const
diff --git a/src/media.hpp b/src/media.hpp
index 28eff9e75..4c2672a49 100644
--- a/src/media.hpp
+++ b/src/media.hpp
@@ -47,8 +47,8 @@ friend class FeVideoImp;
 	FeMedia( Type t );
 	~FeMedia();
 
-	bool openFromFile( const std::string &name );
-	sf::Texture *get_texture();
+	bool openFromFile( const std::string &name,
+			sf::Texture *out_texture=NULL );
 
 	using sf::SoundStream::setPosition;
 	using sf::SoundStream::getPosition;
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ friend class FeVideoImp;
 	void setVolume(float volume);
 
 	bool is_playing();
-	int number_of_frames() const;
+	bool is_multiframe() const;
 
 	sf::Time get_video_time();
 	sf::Time get_duration() const;