diff --git a/src/gui/core/canvas.cpp b/src/gui/core/canvas.cpp
index f841ad449e506..33771253b4c5a 100644
--- a/src/gui/core/canvas.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/core/canvas.cpp
@@ -1068,7 +1068,8 @@ void image_shape::draw(
 		return;
 	}
 
-	image_ = image::get_texture(name);
+	// NOTE: if we need a key to specify NN scaling it can be added later.
+	image_ = image::get_texture(name, image::LINEAR);
 
 	if(!image_) {
 		ERR_GUI_D << "Image: '" << name << "' not found and won't be drawn." << std::endl;
diff --git a/src/image.cpp b/src/image.cpp
index d692a171723d1..b38670df8e1fb 100644
--- a/src/image.cpp
+++ b/src/image.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #include "preferences/general.hpp"
 #include "serialization/string_utils.hpp"
 #include "sdl/rect.hpp"
+#include "sdl/render_utils.hpp"
 #include "sdl/texture.hpp"
 #include "utils/general.hpp"
 
@@ -180,7 +181,9 @@ image::image_cache
  * Texture caches.
  * Note that the latter two are temporary and should be removed once we have OGL and shader support.
  */
-image::texture_cache
+using texture_cache_map = std::map<image::SCALE_QUALITY, image::texture_cache>;
+
+texture_cache_map
 	textures_,
 	textures_hexed_,
 	texture_tod_colored_;
@@ -1271,6 +1274,15 @@ bool update_from_preferences()
  * are so different. Might move this to a file of its own in the future.
  */
 
+/** Sets the texture scale quality hint. Must be called *before* creating textures! */
+static void set_scale_quality_pre_texture_creation(SCALE_QUALITY quality)
+{
+	static const std::string n_scale_str = "nearest";
+	static const std::string l_scale_str = "linear";
+
+	set_texture_scale_quality(quality == NEAREST ? n_scale_str : l_scale_str);
+}
+
 /** Loads a new texture directly from disk. */
 static texture create_texture_from_file(const image::locator& loc)
 {
@@ -1416,8 +1428,13 @@ static texture create_texture_post_surface_op(const image::locator& i_locator, T
 	return texture(surf);
 }
 
-/** Returns a texture for the corresponding image. */
 texture get_texture(const image::locator& i_locator, TYPE type)
+{
+	return get_texture(i_locator, NEAREST, type);
+}
+
+/** Returns a texture for the corresponding image. */
+texture get_texture(const image::locator& i_locator, SCALE_QUALITY quality, TYPE type)
 {
 	texture res;
 
@@ -1436,13 +1453,13 @@ texture get_texture(const image::locator& i_locator, TYPE type)
 
 	switch(type) {
 	case HEXED:
-		cache = &textures_hexed_;
+		cache = &textures_hexed_[quality];
 		break;
 	case TOD_COLORED:
-		cache = &texture_tod_colored_;
+		cache = &texture_tod_colored_[quality];
 		break;
 	default:
-		cache = &textures_;
+		cache = &textures_[quality];
 	}
 
 	//
@@ -1464,10 +1481,12 @@ texture get_texture(const image::locator& i_locator, TYPE type)
 	}
 
 	//
-	// No texture was cached. In that case, create a new one. The explicit cases require special 
+	// No texture was cached. In that case, create a new one. The explicit cases require special
 	// handling with surfaces in order to generate the desired effect. This shouldn't be the case
 	// once we get OGL and shader support.
 	//
+	set_scale_quality_pre_texture_creation(quality);
+
 	switch(type) {
 	case TOD_COLORED:
 	case HEXED:
diff --git a/src/image.hpp b/src/image.hpp
index 3fae4c7dbd87f..70e0fbece5276 100644
--- a/src/image.hpp
+++ b/src/image.hpp
@@ -190,10 +190,13 @@ namespace image {
 	/// BRIGHTENED  : same as TOD_COLORED but also brightened
 	enum TYPE { UNSCALED, SCALED_TO_ZOOM, HEXED, SCALED_TO_HEX, TOD_COLORED, BRIGHTENED};
 
+	enum SCALE_QUALITY { NEAREST, LINEAR };
+
 	///function to get the surface corresponding to an image.
 	surface get_image(const locator& i_locator, TYPE type=UNSCALED);
 
 	texture get_texture(const image::locator& i_locator, TYPE type = UNSCALED);
+	texture get_texture(const image::locator& i_locator, SCALE_QUALITY quality, TYPE type = UNSCALED);
 
 	///function to get the surface corresponding to an image.
 	///after applying the lightmap encoded in ls
diff --git a/src/sdl/render_utils.hpp b/src/sdl/render_utils.hpp
index 454d6c05707d1..6ef4bf00a169a 100644
--- a/src/sdl/render_utils.hpp
+++ b/src/sdl/render_utils.hpp
@@ -127,3 +127,14 @@ inline void set_texture_blend_mode(texture& t, SDL_BlendMode mode)
 {
 	SDL_SetTextureBlendMode(t, mode);
 }
+
+/**
+ * Sets the texture scale quality. Note this should be called *before* a texture
+ * is created, since the hint has no effect on existing textures or render ops.
+ *
+ * @param value               The scaling mode. Use either 'linear' or 'nearest'.
+ */
+inline void set_texture_scale_quality(const std::string& value)
+{
+	SDL_SetHintWithPriority(SDL_HINT_RENDER_SCALE_QUALITY, value.c_str(), SDL_HINT_OVERRIDE);
+}
diff --git a/src/sdl/window.cpp b/src/sdl/window.cpp
index c9e546208a490..896490cd67913 100644
--- a/src/sdl/window.cpp
+++ b/src/sdl/window.cpp
@@ -53,9 +53,6 @@ window::window(const std::string& title,
 	// Set default blend mode to blend.
 	SDL_SetRenderDrawBlendMode(*this, SDL_BLENDMODE_BLEND);
 
-	// Use linear scaling when rendering, if applicable.
-	SDL_SetHint(SDL_HINT_RENDER_SCALE_QUALITY, "linear");
-
 	fill(0,0,0);
 
 	render();