Index: /trunk/src/VBox/Frontends/VBoxSDL/Framebuffer.cpp
===================================================================
--- /trunk/src/VBox/Frontends/VBoxSDL/Framebuffer.cpp	(revision 8143)
+++ /trunk/src/VBox/Frontends/VBoxSDL/Framebuffer.cpp	(revision 8144)
@@ -58,4 +58,5 @@
 DECLSPEC TTF_Font* (SDLCALL *pTTF_OpenFont)(const char *file, int ptsize);
 DECLSPEC SDL_Surface* (SDLCALL *pTTF_RenderUTF8_Solid)(TTF_Font *font, const char *text, SDL_Color fg);
+DECLSPEC SDL_Surface* (SDLCALL *pTTF_RenderUTF8_Blended)(TTF_Font *font, const char *text, SDL_Color fg);
 DECLSPEC void (SDLCALL *pTTF_CloseFont)(TTF_Font *font);
 DECLSPEC void (SDLCALL *pTTF_Quit)(void);
@@ -1057,5 +1058,7 @@
                            (mSecureLabelColorFG & 0x0000FF00) >> 8,
                            mSecureLabelColorFG & 0x000000FF, 0};
-        SDL_Surface *sText = pTTF_RenderUTF8_Solid(mLabelFont, mSecureLabelText.raw(), clrFg);
+        SDL_Surface *sText = (pTTF_RenderUTF8_Blended != NULL)
+                                 ? pTTF_RenderUTF8_Blended(mLabelFont, mSecureLabelText.raw(), clrFg)
+                                 : pTTF_RenderUTF8_Solid(mLabelFont, mSecureLabelText.raw(), clrFg);
         rect.x = 10;
         SDL_BlitSurface(sText, NULL, mScreen, &rect);
Index: /trunk/src/VBox/Frontends/VBoxSDL/Framebuffer.h
===================================================================
--- /trunk/src/VBox/Frontends/VBoxSDL/Framebuffer.h	(revision 8143)
+++ /trunk/src/VBox/Frontends/VBoxSDL/Framebuffer.h	(revision 8144)
@@ -33,4 +33,6 @@
 extern DECLSPEC TTF_Font* (SDLCALL *pTTF_OpenFont)(const char *file, int ptsize);
 extern DECLSPEC SDL_Surface* (SDLCALL *pTTF_RenderUTF8_Solid)(TTF_Font *font, const char *text, SDL_Color fg);
+extern DECLSPEC SDL_Surface* (SDLCALL *pTTF_RenderUTF8_Shaded)(TTF_Font *font, const char *text, SDL_Color fg, SDL_Color bg);
+extern DECLSPEC SDL_Surface* (SDLCALL *pTTF_RenderUTF8_Blended)(TTF_Font *font, const char *text, SDL_Color fg);
 extern DECLSPEC void (SDLCALL *pTTF_CloseFont)(TTF_Font *font);
 extern DECLSPEC void (SDLCALL *pTTF_Quit)(void);
Index: /trunk/src/VBox/Frontends/VBoxSDL/VBoxSDL.cpp
===================================================================
--- /trunk/src/VBox/Frontends/VBoxSDL/VBoxSDL.cpp	(revision 8143)
+++ /trunk/src/VBox/Frontends/VBoxSDL/VBoxSDL.cpp	(revision 8144)
@@ -1867,4 +1867,12 @@
         if (VBOX_SUCCESS(rcVBox))
             rcVBox = RTLdrGetSymbol(gLibrarySDL_ttf, "TTF_RenderUTF8_Solid", (void**)&pTTF_RenderUTF8_Solid);
+        if (VBOX_SUCCESS(rcVBox))
+        {
+            /* silently ignore errors here */
+            rcVBox = RTLdrGetSymbol(gLibrarySDL_ttf, "TTF_RenderUTF8_Blended", (void**)&pTTF_RenderUTF8_Blended);
+            if (VBOX_FAILURE(rcVBox))
+                pTTF_RenderUTF8_Blended = NULL;
+            rcVBox = VINF_SUCCESS;
+        }
         if (VBOX_SUCCESS(rcVBox))
             rcVBox = RTLdrGetSymbol(gLibrarySDL_ttf, "TTF_CloseFont", (void**)&pTTF_CloseFont);