diff --git a/Source/Plugins/Plugin_VideoOGL/Src/GLUtil.cpp b/Source/Plugins/Plugin_VideoOGL/Src/GLUtil.cpp
index 5110023ee3..574ca33a05 100644
--- a/Source/Plugins/Plugin_VideoOGL/Src/GLUtil.cpp
+++ b/Source/Plugins/Plugin_VideoOGL/Src/GLUtil.cpp
@@ -629,6 +629,70 @@ void OpenGL_Shutdown()
 #endif
 }
 
+GLuint OpenGL_CompileProgram ( const char* vertexShader, const char* fragmentShader )
+{
+	// generate objects
+	GLuint vertexShaderID = glCreateShader(GL_VERTEX_SHADER);
+	GLuint fragmentShaderID = glCreateShader(GL_FRAGMENT_SHADER);
+	GLuint programID = glCreateProgram();
+	GLint Result = GL_FALSE;
+	char stringBuffer[1024];
+	GLsizei stringBufferUsage = 0;
+	
+	// compile vertex shader
+	glShaderSource(vertexShaderID, 1, &vertexShader, NULL);
+	glCompileShader(vertexShaderID);
+#if defined(_DEBUG) || defined(DEBUGFAST) || defined(DEBUG_GLSL)
+	glGetShaderiv(vertexShaderID, GL_COMPILE_STATUS, &Result);
+	glGetShaderInfoLog(vertexShaderID, 1024, &stringBufferUsage, stringBuffer);
+	if(Result && stringBufferUsage) {
+		ERROR_LOG(VIDEO, "GLSL vertex shader warnings:\n%s%s", stringBuffer, vertexShader);
+	} else if(!Result) {
+		ERROR_LOG(VIDEO, "GLSL vertex shader error:\n%s%s", stringBuffer, vertexShader);
+	} else {
+		DEBUG_LOG(VIDEO, "GLSL vertex shader compiled:\n%s", vertexShader);
+	}
+	bool shader_errors = !Result;
+#endif
+	
+	// compile fragment shader
+	glShaderSource(fragmentShaderID, 1, &fragmentShader, NULL);
+	glCompileShader(fragmentShaderID);
+#if defined(_DEBUG) || defined(DEBUGFAST) || defined(DEBUG_GLSL)
+	glGetShaderiv(fragmentShaderID, GL_COMPILE_STATUS, &Result);
+	glGetShaderInfoLog(fragmentShaderID, 1024, &stringBufferUsage, stringBuffer);
+	if(Result && stringBufferUsage) {
+		ERROR_LOG(VIDEO, "GLSL fragment shader warnings:\n%s%s", stringBuffer, fragmentShader);
+	} else if(!Result) {
+		ERROR_LOG(VIDEO, "GLSL fragment shader error:\n%s%s", stringBuffer, fragmentShader);
+	} else {
+		DEBUG_LOG(VIDEO, "GLSL fragment shader compiled:\n%s", fragmentShader);
+	}
+	shader_errors |= !Result;
+#endif
+	
+	// link them
+	glAttachShader(programID, vertexShaderID);
+	glAttachShader(programID, fragmentShaderID);
+	glLinkProgram(programID);
+#if defined(_DEBUG) || defined(DEBUGFAST) || defined(DEBUG_GLSL)
+	glGetProgramiv(programID, GL_LINK_STATUS, &Result);
+	glGetProgramInfoLog(programID, 1024, &stringBufferUsage, stringBuffer);
+	if(Result && stringBufferUsage) {
+		ERROR_LOG(VIDEO, "GLSL linker warnings:\n%s%s%s", stringBuffer, vertexShader, fragmentShader);
+	} else if(!Result && !shader_errors) {
+		ERROR_LOG(VIDEO, "GLSL linker error:\n%s%s%s", stringBuffer, vertexShader, fragmentShader);
+	}
+#endif
+	
+	// cleanup
+	glDeleteShader(vertexShaderID);
+	glDeleteShader(fragmentShaderID);
+	
+	return programID;
+}
+
+
 GLuint OpenGL_ReportGLError(const char *function, const char *file, int line)
 {
 	GLint err = glGetError();
diff --git a/Source/Plugins/Plugin_VideoOGL/Src/GLUtil.h b/Source/Plugins/Plugin_VideoOGL/Src/GLUtil.h
index 23c31a1bb7..61f3ef6085 100644
--- a/Source/Plugins/Plugin_VideoOGL/Src/GLUtil.h
+++ b/Source/Plugins/Plugin_VideoOGL/Src/GLUtil.h
@@ -96,6 +96,9 @@ u32 OpenGL_GetBackbufferHeight();
 // Set things
 void OpenGL_SetWindowText(const char *text);
 
+// Helpers
+GLuint OpenGL_CompileProgram(const char *vertexShader, const char *fragmentShader);
+
 // Error reporting - use the convenient macros.
 void OpenGL_ReportARBProgramError();
 GLuint OpenGL_ReportGLError(const char *function, const char *file, int line);
@@ -126,4 +129,7 @@ extern CGprofile g_cgvProf, g_cgfProf;
 // use GLSL shaders across the whole pipeline. Yikes!
 //#define USE_DUAL_SOURCE_BLEND
 
+// TODO: should be removed if we use glsl a lot
+#define DEBUG_GLSL
+
 #endif  // _GLINIT_H_
diff --git a/Source/Plugins/Plugin_VideoOGL/Src/RasterFont.cpp b/Source/Plugins/Plugin_VideoOGL/Src/RasterFont.cpp
index 6c98824341..29166e4bc0 100644
--- a/Source/Plugins/Plugin_VideoOGL/Src/RasterFont.cpp
+++ b/Source/Plugins/Plugin_VideoOGL/Src/RasterFont.cpp
@@ -176,19 +176,7 @@ RasterFont::RasterFont()
 	glVertexAttribPointer(1, 2, GL_FLOAT, 0, sizeof(GLfloat)*4, (GLfloat*)NULL+2);
 	
 	// generate shader
-	GLuint vertex_shader = glCreateShader(GL_VERTEX_SHADER);
-	GLuint fragment_shader = glCreateShader(GL_FRAGMENT_SHADER);
-	shader_program = glCreateProgram();
-	
-	glShaderSource(vertex_shader, 1, &s_vertex_shader, NULL);
-	glCompileShader(vertex_shader);
-	glShaderSource(fragment_shader, 1, &s_fragment_shader, NULL);
-	glCompileShader(fragment_shader);
-	glAttachShader(shader_program, vertex_shader);
-	glAttachShader(shader_program, fragment_shader);
-	glLinkProgram(shader_program);
-	glDeleteShader(vertex_shader);
-	glDeleteShader(fragment_shader);
+	shader_program = OpenGL_CompileProgram(s_vertex_shader, s_fragment_shader);
 	
 	// bound uniforms
 	glUseProgram(shader_program);