diff --git a/CMake/vtkOpenGLOptions.cmake b/CMake/vtkOpenGLOptions.cmake
index f419e08b4db96f6584ed25e4558e7eb1fbd30f85..a4b514b1e7f48ecae250ac4b660c22930a7d6174 100644
--- a/CMake/vtkOpenGLOptions.cmake
+++ b/CMake/vtkOpenGLOptions.cmake
@@ -24,12 +24,12 @@ cmake_dependent_option(VTK_USE_WIN32_OPENGL "Use Win32 APIs for VTK render windo
 mark_as_advanced(VTK_USE_WIN32_OPENGL)
 
 set(default_use_sdl2 OFF)
-if(CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME STREQUAL "Emscripten")
-  set(default_use_sdl2 ON)
-endif()
 # VTK_DEPRECATED_IN_9_4_0() Remove option when vtkSDL2OpenGLRenderWindow and vtkSDL2WebGPURenderWindow are removed.
-option(VTK_USE_SDL2 "Add SDL2 classes to VTK" "${default_use_sdl2}")
+option(VTK_USE_SDL2 "Add SDL2 classes to VTK. This option will soon be removed" "${default_use_sdl2}")
 mark_as_advanced(VTK_USE_SDL2)
+if (VTK_USE_SDL2)
+  message(WARNING "You are using a soon to be deprecated flag. The VTK_USE_SDL2 option is marked for deprecation in VTK 9.4!")
+endif ()
 
 # For optional APIs that could be available for the OpenGL implementation
 # being used, we define VTK_OPENGL_HAS_<feature> options. These are not to be
diff --git a/Documentation/docs/build_instructions/build_settings.md b/Documentation/docs/build_instructions/build_settings.md
index 905520ce521f6a827d3b98e47d11c866b1ce8b74..63bc281b9f7c4c404bcfdafd6f107804be828784 100644
--- a/Documentation/docs/build_instructions/build_settings.md
+++ b/Documentation/docs/build_instructions/build_settings.md
@@ -55,8 +55,7 @@ exist to make sure a broken build is not being made. Essentially:
     render windows.
   * `VTK_USE_X` (default `ON` for Unix-like platforms except macOS,
     iOS, and Emscripten, `OFF` otherwise): Use X for render windows.
-  * `VTK_USE_SDL2` (default `ON` for Emscripten, `OFF` otherwise): Use
-    SDL2 for render windows.
+  * `VTK_USE_SDL2` (default `OFF`): Use SDL2 for render windows.
   * `VTK_OPENGL_HAS_OSMESA` (default `OFF`): Use to indicate that the
     OpenGL library being used supports offscreen Mesa rendering
     (OSMesa).
diff --git a/Documentation/release/dev/disable-sdl2-by-default.md b/Documentation/release/dev/disable-sdl2-by-default.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..c54df090754e99a1f3cea62e1c6468a549693042
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Documentation/release/dev/disable-sdl2-by-default.md
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+## SDL2 usage is now disabled by default
+
+VTK has now deprecated the use of SDL2 in the render window and interactor classes. The cmake option `VTK_USE_SDL2` will soon be removed.
+If your application relies on object factory mechanism (most common usage), there is nothing you need to do besides removing `VTK_USE_SDL2`
+from your build settings.
+
+Otherwise, VTK recommends using these new webassembly classes instead.
+
+|New class| Old class|
+| :----------------: | :------: |
+| `vtkWebAssemblyOpenGLRenderWindow`|`vtkSDL2OpenGLRenderWindow`|
+| `vtkWebAssemblyWebGPURenderWindow`|`vtkSDL2WebGPURenderWindow`|
+| `vtkWebAssemblyRenderWindowInteractor`|`vtkSDL2RenderWindowInteractor`|