diff --git a/hw/xwin/glx/indirect.c b/hw/xwin/glx/indirect.c
index 32322998c..ea4f97bf7 100644
--- a/hw/xwin/glx/indirect.c
+++ b/hw/xwin/glx/indirect.c
@@ -987,7 +987,7 @@ int glxWinReleaseTexImage(__GLXcontext  *baseContext,
  * lists with the old one...
  */
 
-static void
+static Bool
 glxWinSetPixelFormat(__GLXWinContext *gc, HDC hdc, int bppOverride, int drawableTypeOverride)
 {
   __GLXscreen *screen = gc->base.pGlxScreen;
@@ -1009,10 +1009,10 @@ glxWinSetPixelFormat(__GLXWinContext *gc, HDC hdc, int bppOverride, int drawable
       if (!SetPixelFormat(hdc, winConfig->pixelFormatIndex, NULL))
         {
           ErrorF("SetPixelFormat error: %s\n", glxWinErrorMessage());
-          return;
+          return FALSE;
         }
 
-      return;
+      return TRUE;
     }
 
   /*
@@ -1044,7 +1044,7 @@ glxWinSetPixelFormat(__GLXWinContext *gc, HDC hdc, int bppOverride, int drawable
       if (fbConfigToPixelFormat(gc->base.config, &pfd, drawableTypeOverride))
         {
           ErrorF("glxWinSetPixelFormat: fbConfigToPixelFormat failed\n");
-          return;
+          return FALSE;
         }
 
       if (glxWinDebugSettings.dumpPFD)
@@ -1060,7 +1060,7 @@ glxWinSetPixelFormat(__GLXWinContext *gc, HDC hdc, int bppOverride, int drawable
       if (pixelFormat == 0)
         {
           ErrorF("ChoosePixelFormat error: %s\n", glxWinErrorMessage());
-          return;
+          return FALSE;
         }
 
       GLWIN_DEBUG_MSG("ChoosePixelFormat: chose pixelFormatIndex %d", pixelFormat);
@@ -1069,7 +1069,7 @@ glxWinSetPixelFormat(__GLXWinContext *gc, HDC hdc, int bppOverride, int drawable
       if (!SetPixelFormat(hdc, pixelFormat, &pfd))
         {
           ErrorF("SetPixelFormat error: %s\n", glxWinErrorMessage());
-          return;
+          return FALSE;
         }
     }
   else
@@ -1078,7 +1078,7 @@ glxWinSetPixelFormat(__GLXWinContext *gc, HDC hdc, int bppOverride, int drawable
       if (pixelFormat == 0)
         {
           ErrorF("wglChoosePixelFormat error: %s\n", glxWinErrorMessage());
-          return;
+          return FALSE;
         }
 
       GLWIN_DEBUG_MSG("wglChoosePixelFormat: chose pixelFormatIndex %d", pixelFormat);
@@ -1087,9 +1087,11 @@ glxWinSetPixelFormat(__GLXWinContext *gc, HDC hdc, int bppOverride, int drawable
       if (!SetPixelFormat(hdc, pixelFormat, NULL))
         {
           ErrorF("SetPixelFormat error: %s\n", glxWinErrorMessage());
-          return;
+          return FALSE;
         }
     }
+
+  return TRUE;
 }
 
 static HDC
@@ -1140,7 +1142,13 @@ glxWinMakeDC(__GLXWinContext *gc, __GLXWinDrawable *draw, HDC *hdc, HWND *hwnd)
           gc->hwnd = *hwnd;
 
           /* We must select a pixelformat, but SetPixelFormat can only be called once for a window... */
-          glxWinSetPixelFormat(gc, *hdc, 0, GLX_WINDOW_BIT);
+          if (!glxWinSetPixelFormat(gc, *hdc, 0, GLX_WINDOW_BIT))
+            {
+              ErrorF("glxWinSetPixelFormat error: %s\n", glxWinErrorMessage());
+              ReleaseDC(*hwnd, *hdc);
+              *hdc = NULL;
+              return NULL;
+            }
         }
     }
     break;