diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 7b467d6..5dd636d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
 
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
       - name: clang-format
         uses: jidicula/clang-format-action@v4.11.0
@@ -101,9 +101,31 @@ jobs:
           cmake -B ${{github.workspace}}/build
           -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=${{env.BUILD_TYPE}}
           -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER=clang++
+          -DENABLE_GRAPHICS=ON
           -DENABLE_SPIR=ON -DENABLE_CUDA=OFF -DENABLE_HIP=OFF
           -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS='-Wall -Wextra -Wpedantic -Werror'
           -G Ninja
 
       - name: Build
         run: cmake --build ${{github.workspace}}/build -- -k 0
+
+  cmake-build-nographics:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    container:
+      image: intel/oneapi-basekit:latest
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Configure CMake (no graphics)
+        run: >
+          cmake -B ${{github.workspace}}/build
+          -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=${{env.BUILD_TYPE}}
+          -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER=icpx
+          -DENABLE_GRAPHICS=OFF
+          -DENABLE_SPIR=ON -DENABLE_CUDA=OFF -DENABLE_HIP=OFF
+          -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS='-Wall -Wextra -Wpedantic -Werror'
+
+      - name: Build (no graphics)
+        run: cmake --build ${{github.workspace}}/build -- -k -j
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 165711d..5b00c6f 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -9,29 +9,18 @@ project(SYCL-samples)
 set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 17)
 
 # Configure Magnum
-list(APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH
-     "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/modules/magnum-bootstrap/modules"
-     "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/modules/magnum-integration/modules")
-set(MAGNUM_WITH_SDL2APPLICATION ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
-set(MAGNUM_WITH_ANYIMAGEIMPORTER ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
-set(MAGNUM_WITH_STBIMAGEIMPORTER ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
-set(IMGUI_DIR ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/modules/imgui)
-set(MAGNUM_WITH_IMGUI ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
-add_subdirectory(modules/corrade EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
-add_subdirectory(modules/magnum EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
-add_subdirectory(modules/magnum-plugins EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
-add_subdirectory(modules/magnum-integration EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
-find_package(Magnum REQUIRED GL Sdl2Application Shaders Primitives Trade)
-find_package(MagnumIntegration REQUIRED ImGui)
+include(cmake/ConfigureMagnum.cmake)
 
 # Configure SYCL
 include(cmake/ConfigureSYCL.cmake)
 
 # Configure the demo projects
 set(CMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR} CACHE PATH "" FORCE)
-add_subdirectory(src/fluid)
-add_subdirectory(src/game_of_life)
-add_subdirectory(src/mandelbrot)
-add_subdirectory(src/nbody)
 add_subdirectory(src/matrix_multiply_omp_compare)
 add_subdirectory(src/scan_parallel_inclusive)
+if(ENABLE_GRAPHICS)
+     add_subdirectory(src/fluid)
+     add_subdirectory(src/game_of_life)
+     add_subdirectory(src/mandelbrot)
+     add_subdirectory(src/nbody)
+endif()
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 3c5566c..9e73d66 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ Drag the mouse around the screen to create fluid particles with velocities in
 direction of the mouse travel. The fluid fades slowly over time so as not to fill
 the container.
 
+## Non-graphical Demos
 ### MPI for CUDA Backend 
 MPI, the Message Passing Interface, is a standard API for communicating data via 
 messages between distributed processes that is commonly used in HPC to build 
@@ -76,7 +77,9 @@ include them in the checkout via
 `git clone --recurse-submodules <this repo's URL>`. SDL2 needs to be supplied by
 the user and can be installed with common package managers on most systems, or
 built from source. If you install SDL2 from source in a non-default location,
-pass it into the CMake configuration with `-DSDL2_ROOT=<path>`.
+pass it into the CMake configuration with `-DSDL2_ROOT=<path>`. It is possible
+to build the project without the graphical demos using `-DENABLE_GRAPHICS=OFF`
+if SDL2 cannot be provided - see the Building section below.
 
 Although the code should compile with any SYCL implementation, the CMake
 configuration assumes the DPC++ compiler driver CLI for compilation flags setup.
@@ -89,7 +92,8 @@ The project uses a standard CMake build configuration system. Ensure the SYCL
 compiler is used by the configuration either by setting the
 environment variable `CXX=<compiler>` or passing the configuration flag
 `-DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER=<compiler>` where `<compiler>` is your SYCL compiler's
-executable (for example Intel `icpx` or LLVM `clang++`). \
+executable (for example Intel `icpx` or LLVM `clang++`).
+
 To check out the repository and build the examples, use simply:
 ```
 git clone --recurse-submodules <this repo's URL>
@@ -110,3 +114,10 @@ be overridden with `-D<OPTION>=<VALUE>` with the following options:
 | `ENABLE_HIP` | `ON` or `OFF` |
 | `CUDA_COMPUTE_CAPABILITY` | Integer, e.g. `70` meaning capability 7.0 (arch `sm_70`) |
 | `HIP_GFX_ARCH` | String, e.g. `gfx1030` |
+
+### Building without graphics
+It is possible to build only the non-graphical demos by adding the option
+`-DENABLE_GRAPHICS=OFF` to the CMake configuration command. In this case
+building of the Magnum library will be skipped and the SDL2 library is not
+required as dependency. The option `--recurse-submodules` can also be skipped
+during the checkout when building only the non-graphical demos.
diff --git a/cmake/ConfigureMagnum.cmake b/cmake/ConfigureMagnum.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6d059da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/ConfigureMagnum.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+############################################################################
+#
+#  Copyright (C) Codeplay Software Limited
+#  Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+#  you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+#  You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+#  Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+#  distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+#  WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+#  See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+#  limitations under the License.
+#
+#  Description:
+#    CMake helper script configuring the graphics wrapper library Magnum
+#
+############################################################################
+
+# Auto-configure ENABLE_GRAPHICS if not set on command line
+find_package(SDL2 QUIET)
+if (NOT DEFINED ENABLE_GRAPHICS)
+    if(SDL2_FOUND)
+        set(ENABLE_GRAPHICS ON CACHE BOOL "Build graphical demos")
+        message(STATUS "Auto-configured ENABLE_GRAPHICS=ON")
+    else()
+        message(WARNING "SDL2 not found, disabling all graphical demos. If you "
+                "are building the project intentionally without graphical "
+                "demos, add -DENABLE_GRAPHICS=OFF to your cmake configuration "
+                "command.")
+        set(ENABLE_GRAPHICS OFF CACHE BOOL "Build graphical demos")
+    endif()
+elseif(ENABLE_GRAPHICS AND NOT SDL2_FOUND)
+    message(FATAL_ERROR "ENABLE_GRAPHICS was set to ON, but SDL was not found. "
+            "Cannot build the graphical demos.  Set ENABLE_GRAPHICS=OFF to "
+            "build the project without them.")
+endif()
+
+# Configure Magnum
+if (ENABLE_GRAPHICS)
+    list(APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH
+         "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/modules/magnum-bootstrap/modules"
+         "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/modules/magnum-integration/modules")
+    set(MAGNUM_WITH_SDL2APPLICATION ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+    set(MAGNUM_WITH_ANYIMAGEIMPORTER ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+    set(MAGNUM_WITH_STBIMAGEIMPORTER ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+    set(IMGUI_DIR ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/modules/imgui)
+    set(MAGNUM_WITH_IMGUI ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+    add_subdirectory(modules/corrade EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
+    add_subdirectory(modules/magnum EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
+    add_subdirectory(modules/magnum-plugins EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
+    add_subdirectory(modules/magnum-integration EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
+    find_package(Magnum REQUIRED GL Sdl2Application Shaders Primitives Trade)
+    find_package(MagnumIntegration REQUIRED ImGui)
+endif()