diff --git a/core/app/sdl2_app_main.cpp b/core/app/sdl2_app_main.cpp
index e9cb0a8..7e1b50a 100644
--- a/core/app/sdl2_app_main.cpp
+++ b/core/app/sdl2_app_main.cpp
@@ -121,7 +121,13 @@ float dpiScale(SDL_Window* window) {
         }
     }
 #endif
-    return pointerScale(window);
+    const float drawableRatio = pointerScale(window);
+    if (drawableRatio > 1.0f) {
+        return drawableRatio;
+    }
+    // On Linux the drawable-to-window ratio does not reflect desktop scaling,
+    // so fall back to the display DPI reported by SDL.
+    return core::window::displayScaleEstimate(SDL_GetWindowDisplayIndex(window));
 }
 
 void attachNativeChildWindow(SDL_Window* parentWindow, SDL_Window* childWindow) {
diff --git a/core/window/window_backend.cpp b/core/window/window_backend.cpp
index c40c461..93d6bd9 100644
--- a/core/window/window_backend.cpp
+++ b/core/window/window_backend.cpp
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include "core/platform/native_bridge.h"
 
 #include <algorithm>
+#include <cmath>
 
 #if defined(EUI_WINDOW_BACKEND_SDL2)
 
@@ -201,14 +202,43 @@ void uninstallSdlImeFilter(SDL_Window* window) {
 
 } // namespace
 
+float displayScaleEstimate(int displayIndex) {
+#if defined(_WIN32) || defined(__APPLE__)
+    (void)displayIndex;
+    return 1.0f;
+#else
+    if (displayIndex < 0) {
+        displayIndex = 0;
+    }
+    float diagonalDpi = 0.0f;
+    if (SDL_GetDisplayDPI(displayIndex, &diagonalDpi, nullptr, nullptr) != 0 ||
+        diagonalDpi < 120.0f) {
+        return 1.0f;
+    }
+    return std::round((diagonalDpi / 96.0f) * 4.0f) / 4.0f;
+#endif
+}
+
 Handle createWindow(const WindowCreateRequest& request) {
     if (request.renderApi == RenderApi::OpenGL) {
         configureOpenGLWindowAttributes();
     }
 
     Uint32 flags = 0;
+    int width = request.width;
+    int height = request.height;
     if (request.highDpi) {
         flags |= SDL_WINDOW_ALLOW_HIGHDPI;
+#if !defined(_WIN32) && !defined(__APPLE__)
+        // On Linux the SDL drawable size never reflects desktop scaling, so
+        // the drawable-to-window ratio stays 1.0 and the UI would render at a
+        // physically smaller size than on other backends. Enlarge the window
+        // by the desktop scale so its buffer covers the same physical area;
+        // dpiScale() derives the matching scale from the display DPI.
+        const float displayScale = displayScaleEstimate(0);
+        width = static_cast<int>(std::lround(width * displayScale));
+        height = static_cast<int>(std::lround(height * displayScale));
+#endif
     }
     if (request.resizable) {
         flags |= SDL_WINDOW_RESIZABLE;
@@ -219,8 +249,8 @@ Handle createWindow(const WindowCreateRequest& request) {
         request.title != nullptr ? request.title : "",
         SDL_WINDOWPOS_CENTERED,
         SDL_WINDOWPOS_CENTERED,
-        request.width,
-        request.height,
+        width,
+        height,
         flags);
 #if defined(_WIN32)
     installSdlImeFilter(window);
diff --git a/core/window/window_backend.h b/core/window/window_backend.h
index a39ca0f..9e2f19e 100644
--- a/core/window/window_backend.h
+++ b/core/window/window_backend.h
@@ -10,6 +10,12 @@ Handle createWindow(const WindowCreateRequest& request);
 void destroyWindow(Handle window);
 NativeWindowInfo nativeWindowInfo(Handle window);
 
+// SDL2 only: estimates the desktop scaling factor for a display via
+// SDL_GetDisplayDPI, quantized to 0.25 steps. Returns 1.0f when the scale
+// cannot be determined or is below 1.25x, and on platforms where SDL already
+// reports high-density drawable sizes (Windows, macOS).
+float displayScaleEstimate(int displayIndex);
+
 ContextKey currentContextKey();
 double timeSeconds();
 void postEmptyEvent();