diff --git a/src/nvctrl.cpp b/src/nvctrl.cpp
index 3123a689..a16fda29 100644
--- a/src/nvctrl.cpp
+++ b/src/nvctrl.cpp
@@ -16,15 +16,17 @@ bool nvctrlSuccess = false;
 
 bool checkXNVCtrl()
 {
-    if (init_x11() && nvctrl.IsLoaded()) {
-        nvctrlSuccess = nvctrl.XNVCTRLIsNvScreen(get_xdisplay(), 0);
-        if (!nvctrlSuccess)
-            std::cerr << "MANGOHUD: XNVCtrl didn't find the correct display" << std::endl;
-        return nvctrlSuccess;
+    if (init_x11()) {
+        if (nvctrl.IsLoaded()) {
+            nvctrlSuccess = nvctrl.XNVCTRLIsNvScreen(get_xdisplay(), 0);
+            if (!nvctrlSuccess)
+                std::cerr << "MANGOHUD: XNVCtrl didn't find the correct display" << std::endl;
+            return nvctrlSuccess;
+        } else {
+            std::cerr << "MANGOHUD: XNVCtrl failed to load\n";
+        }
     }
 
-    std::cerr << "MANGOHUD: XNVCtrl failed to load\n";
-
     return false;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/shared_x11.cpp b/src/shared_x11.cpp
index eec9275d..88eb1bf4 100644
--- a/src/shared_x11.cpp
+++ b/src/shared_x11.cpp
@@ -9,23 +9,34 @@ static std::unique_ptr<Display, std::function<void(Display*)>> display;
 
 bool init_x11() {
     static bool failed = false;
-    if (failed || !g_x11->IsLoaded())
+    if (failed)
         return false;
 
     if (display)
         return true;
 
+    if (!g_x11->IsLoaded()) {
+        std::cerr << "MANGOHUD: X11 loader failed to load\n";
+        failed = true;
+        return false;
+    }
+
     const char *displayid = getenv("DISPLAY");
-    auto local_x11 = g_x11;
-    display = { g_x11->XOpenDisplay(displayid),
-        [local_x11](Display* dpy) {
-            if (dpy)
-                local_x11->XCloseDisplay(dpy);
-        }
-    };
+    if (displayid) {
+        auto local_x11 = g_x11;
+        display = { g_x11->XOpenDisplay(displayid),
+            [local_x11](Display* dpy) {
+                if (dpy)
+                    local_x11->XCloseDisplay(dpy);
+            }
+        };
+    }
 
     failed = !display;
-    return failed;
+    if (failed)
+        std::cerr << "MANGOHUD: XOpenDisplay failed to open display '" << displayid << "'\n";
+
+    return !!display;
 }
 
 Display* get_xdisplay()