diff --git a/aurora-main/include/aurora/aurora.h b/aurora-main/include/aurora/aurora.h
index ff9120f..237bfbf 100644
--- a/aurora-main/include/aurora/aurora.h
+++ b/aurora-main/include/aurora/aurora.h
@@ -295,12 +295,20 @@ typedef struct {
   bool xrHeadsetOnly;
 } AuroraConfig;
 
+typedef enum {
+  AURORA_INITIALIZATION_SUCCESS = 0,
+  AURORA_INITIALIZATION_GRAPHICS_UNAVAILABLE = 1,
+} AuroraInitializationStatus;
+
 typedef struct {
   AuroraBackend backend;
   const char* userPath;
   const char* cachePath;
   SDL_Window* window;
   AuroraWindowSize windowSize;
+  AuroraInitializationStatus initializationStatus;
+  // On failure, owned by SDL on the calling thread. Copy before another SDL call.
+  const char* initializationError;
 } AuroraInfo;
 
 AuroraInfo aurora_initialize(int argc, char* argv[], const AuroraConfig* config);
diff --git a/aurora-main/lib/aurora.cpp b/aurora-main/lib/aurora.cpp
index 5a12c9f..52c5a34 100644
--- a/aurora-main/lib/aurora.cpp
+++ b/aurora-main/lib/aurora.cpp
@@ -1229,15 +1229,23 @@ AuroraInfo initialize(int argc, char* argv[], const AuroraConfig& config) noexce
   const AuroraBackend requestedBackend = config.desiredBackend;
   AuroraBackend selectedBackend = requestedBackend;
   bool windowCreated = false;
+  std::string firstGraphicsError;
+  const auto rememberGraphicsError = [&] {
+    if (firstGraphicsError.empty() && SDL_GetError()[0] != '\0') {
+      firstGraphicsError = SDL_GetError();
+    }
+  };
   if (selectedBackend != BACKEND_AUTO) {
     Log.info("Requested graphics backend: {}", backend_name(selectedBackend));
     if (window::create_window(selectedBackend)) {
       if (webgpu::initialize(selectedBackend)) {
         windowCreated = true;
       } else {
+        rememberGraphicsError();
         window::destroy_window();
       }
     } else {
+      rememberGraphicsError();
       Log.error("Failed to create a window for backend {}: {}", backend_name(selectedBackend), SDL_GetError());
     }
     if (!windowCreated) {
@@ -1254,18 +1262,28 @@ AuroraInfo initialize(int argc, char* argv[], const AuroraConfig& config) noexce
     for (const auto backendType : PreferredBackendOrder) {
       selectedBackend = backendType;
       if (!window::create_window(selectedBackend)) {
+        rememberGraphicsError();
         continue;
       }
       if (webgpu::initialize(selectedBackend)) {
         windowCreated = true;
         break;
       } else {
+        rememberGraphicsError();
         window::destroy_window();
       }
     }
   }
 
-  ASSERT(windowCreated, "Error creating window: {}", SDL_GetError());
+  if (!windowCreated) {
+    if (firstGraphicsError.empty()) firstGraphicsError = "No supported graphics backend is available";
+    SDL_SetError("%s", firstGraphicsError.c_str());
+    Log.error("Graphics initialization failed: {}", firstGraphicsError);
+    return {
+        .initializationStatus = AURORA_INITIALIZATION_GRAPHICS_UNAVAILABLE,
+        .initializationError = SDL_GetError(),
+    };
+  }
   if (requestedBackend != BACKEND_AUTO && selectedBackend != requestedBackend) {
     Log.error(
         "Graphics backend fallback in effect: video.graphics_api requested {}, "
diff --git a/aurora-main/lib/imgui.cpp b/aurora-main/lib/imgui.cpp
index f3854d4..0cdd07b 100644
--- a/aurora-main/lib/imgui.cpp
+++ b/aurora-main/lib/imgui.cpp
@@ -85,18 +85,30 @@ void initialize() noexcept {
 
 void shutdown() noexcept {
   ZoneScoped;
-  if (g_useSdlRenderer) {
-    ImGui_ImplSDLRenderer3_Shutdown();
-  } else {
-    ImGui_ImplWGPU_Shutdown();
+  // Startup can fail before either backend initializes. A context alone does
+  // not mean its renderer/platform backend owns resources to release.
+  if (ImGui::GetCurrentContext() != nullptr) {
+    ImGuiIO& io = ImGui::GetIO();
+    if (io.BackendRendererUserData != nullptr) {
+      if (g_useSdlRenderer) {
+        ImGui_ImplSDLRenderer3_Shutdown();
+      } else {
+        ImGui_ImplWGPU_Shutdown();
+      }
+    }
+    if (io.BackendPlatformUserData != nullptr) {
+      ImGui_ImplSDL3_Shutdown();
+    }
+    ImGui::DestroyContext();
   }
-  ImGui_ImplSDL3_Shutdown();
-  ImGui::DestroyContext();
   for (const auto& texture : g_sdlTextures) {
     SDL_DestroyTexture(texture);
   }
   g_sdlTextures.clear();
   g_wgpuTextures.clear();
+  g_useSdlRenderer = false;
+  g_scale = 0.f;
+  g_frameDataBuilt = true;
 }
 
 void process_event(const SDL_Event& event) noexcept {
diff --git a/aurora-main/lib/webgpu/gpu.cpp b/aurora-main/lib/webgpu/gpu.cpp
index 0876bb6..6b015aa 100644
--- a/aurora-main/lib/webgpu/gpu.cpp
+++ b/aurora-main/lib/webgpu/gpu.cpp
@@ -627,12 +627,16 @@ bool initialize(AuroraBackend auroraBackend) {
             g_adapter = std::move(adapter);
           } else {
             Log.warn("Adapter request failed: {}", message);
+            const std::string_view reason{message};
+            SDL_SetError("Graphics adapter unavailable: %.*s",
+                         static_cast<int>(std::min<size_t>(reason.size(), 512)), reason.data());
           }
         });
     const auto status = g_instance.WaitAny(future, 5000000000);
     if (status != wgpu::WaitStatus::Success) {
       Log.error("Failed to create {} adapter: {}", magic_enum::enum_name(backend),
                 magic_enum::enum_name(status));
+      SDL_SetError("Graphics adapter request did not complete within its startup deadline");
       return false;
     }
     if (!g_adapter) {
@@ -845,11 +849,16 @@ bool initialize(AuroraBackend auroraBackend) {
                                     g_device = std::move(device);
                                   } else {
                                     Log.warn("Device request failed: {}", message);
+                                    const std::string_view reason{message};
+                                    SDL_SetError("Graphics device unavailable: %.*s",
+                                                 static_cast<int>(std::min<size_t>(reason.size(), 512)),
+                                                 reason.data());
                                   }
                                 });
     const auto status = g_instance.WaitAny(future, 5000000000);
     if (status != wgpu::WaitStatus::Success) {
       Log.error("Failed to create device: {}", magic_enum::enum_name(status));
+      SDL_SetError("Graphics device request did not complete within its startup deadline");
       return false;
     }
     if (!g_device) {
diff --git a/runtime/src/main.cpp b/runtime/src/main.cpp
index abc2e9b..539cd4a 100644
--- a/runtime/src/main.cpp
+++ b/runtime/src/main.cpp
@@ -1551,6 +1551,10 @@ int RuntimeMain(int argc, char** argv) {
         WiiRemoteInput::ConfigureSdlHints(RuntimeConfigFile::WiiRemotesEnabled(true));
 
         const AuroraInfo auroraInfo = aurora_initialize(0, nullptr, &auroraConfig);
+        if (auroraInfo.initializationStatus != AURORA_INITIALIZATION_SUCCESS) {
+            throw std::runtime_error(auroraInfo.initializationError != nullptr
+                ? auroraInfo.initializationError : "No supported graphics backend is available");
+        }
         if (requestedBackend != BACKEND_AUTO && auroraInfo.backend != requestedBackend) {
             RT_LOG(RT_TAG_RUNTIME) << "graphics_api=\"" << backend
                       << "\" is not available on this system; aurora fell back to \""