diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Game.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Game.cs
index 406c755a2e..e31eb60907 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Game.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Game.cs
@@ -285,6 +285,7 @@ namespace OpenRA
 			Log.AddChannel("sync", "syncreport.log");
 			Log.AddChannel("server", "server.log");
 			Log.AddChannel("sound", "sound.log");
+			Log.AddChannel("graphics", "graphics.log");
 
 			if (Settings.Server.DiscoverNatDevices)
 				UPnP.TryNatDiscovery();
@@ -295,14 +296,34 @@ namespace OpenRA
 			}
 
 			FileSystem.Mount("."); // Needed to access shaders
-			Renderer.Initialize( Game.Settings.Graphics.Mode );
+			try
+			{
+				Renderer.Initialize(Game.Settings.Graphics.Mode);
+			}
+			catch (Exception e)
+			{
+				Log.Write("graphics", "{0}", e);
+				Console.WriteLine("Renderer initialization failed. Fallback in place. Check graphics.log for details.");
+				Settings.Graphics.Renderer = new GraphicSettings().Renderer;
+				Renderer.Initialize(Settings.Graphics.Mode);
+			}
 			Renderer = new Renderer();
 
+			try
+			{
+				Sound.Create(Settings.Sound.Engine);
+			}
+			catch (Exception e)
+			{
+				Log.Write("sound", "{0}", e);
+				Console.WriteLine("Creating the sound engine failed. Fallback in place. Check sound.log for details.");
+				Settings.Sound.Engine = "Null";
+				Sound.Create(Settings.Sound.Engine);
+			}
+
 			Console.WriteLine("Available mods:");
 			foreach(var mod in Mod.AllMods)
 				Console.WriteLine("\t{0}: {1} ({2})", mod.Key, mod.Value.Title, mod.Value.Version);
-
-			Sound.Create(Settings.Sound.Engine);
 			InitializeWithMods(Settings.Game.Mods);
 
 			if (Settings.Server.DiscoverNatDevices)
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Graphics/Renderer.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Graphics/Renderer.cs
index f75316a2d9..417d616481 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Graphics/Renderer.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Graphics/Renderer.cs
@@ -137,10 +137,10 @@ namespace OpenRA.Graphics
 				FixOSX();
 
 			var resolution = GetResolution(windowMode);
-			
-			string renderer = Game.Settings.Server.Dedicated ? "Null" : Game.Settings.Graphics.Renderer;
+
+			var renderer = Game.Settings.Server.Dedicated ? "Null" : Game.Settings.Graphics.Renderer;
 			var rendererPath = Path.GetFullPath("OpenRA.Renderer.{0}.dll".F(renderer));
-			
+
 			device = CreateDevice(Assembly.LoadFile(rendererPath), resolution.Width, resolution.Height, windowMode);
 		}
 
diff --git a/OpenRA.Renderer.SdlCommon/ErrorHandler.cs b/OpenRA.Renderer.SdlCommon/ErrorHandler.cs
index 912b96e891..2e140f2f53 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Renderer.SdlCommon/ErrorHandler.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Renderer.SdlCommon/ErrorHandler.cs
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@ namespace OpenRA.Renderer.SdlCommon
 
 		public static void WriteGraphicsLog(string message)
 		{
-			Log.AddChannel("graphics", "graphics.log");
 			Log.Write("graphics", message);
 			Log.Write("graphics", "");
 			Log.Write("graphics", "OpenGL Information:");