compiling mplayer with default ./configure results in dock icon for every execution

compiling with:
./configure
results in an mplayer binary which registers a dock icon in mac os x with every execution, even just audio files or some background video output to a file. it comes to the foreground and is annoying for a regularly scheduled job.

using:
./configure --disable-sdl
results in a binary that doesn't create a dock icon for playing audio files or saving video to a file, etc.

-- linux_macosx_hints_etc page