diff --git a/core/rend/vulkan/vulkan_context.cpp b/core/rend/vulkan/vulkan_context.cpp
index ef1c978d0..65ccce0a7 100644
--- a/core/rend/vulkan/vulkan_context.cpp
+++ b/core/rend/vulkan/vulkan_context.cpp
@@ -691,7 +691,8 @@ bool VulkanContext::Init()
 	std::vector<const char *> extensions;
 	extensions.push_back(VK_KHR_SURFACE_EXTENSION_NAME);
 #if defined(USE_SDL)
-	sdl_recreate_window(SDL_WINDOW_VULKAN);
+	if (!sdl_recreate_window(SDL_WINDOW_VULKAN))
+		return false;
     uint32_t extensionsCount = 0;
     SDL_Vulkan_GetInstanceExtensions((SDL_Window *)window, &extensionsCount, NULL);
     extensions.resize(extensionsCount + 1);
diff --git a/core/sdl/sdl.cpp b/core/sdl/sdl.cpp
index 1b0cc0e89..e2ad7dbb5 100644
--- a/core/sdl/sdl.cpp
+++ b/core/sdl/sdl.cpp
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ static void get_window_state()
 		SDL_GetWindowSize(window, &window_width, &window_height);
 }
 
-void sdl_recreate_window(u32 flags)
+bool sdl_recreate_window(u32 flags)
 {
 	int x = SDL_WINDOWPOS_UNDEFINED;
 	int y = SDL_WINDOWPOS_UNDEFINED;
@@ -295,8 +295,11 @@ void sdl_recreate_window(u32 flags)
 		flags |= SDL_WINDOW_MAXIMIZED;
 #endif
 	window = SDL_CreateWindow("Flycast", x, y, window_width, window_height, flags);
-	if (!window)
-		die("error creating SDL window");
+	if (window == nullptr)
+	{
+		ERROR_LOG(COMMON, "Window creation failed: %s", SDL_GetError());
+		return false;
+	}
 
 #ifndef _WIN32
 	// Set the window icon
@@ -305,7 +308,7 @@ void sdl_recreate_window(u32 flags)
 		pixels[i] = reicast_icon[i + 2];
 	SDL_Surface *surface = SDL_CreateRGBSurfaceFrom(pixels, 48, 48, 32, 4 * 48, 0x00ff0000, 0x0000ff00, 0x000000ff, 0xff000000);
 	if (surface == NULL)
-	  INFO_LOG(COMMON, "Creating surface failed: %s", SDL_GetError());
+	  INFO_LOG(COMMON, "Creating icon surface failed: %s", SDL_GetError());
 	else
 	{
 		SDL_SetWindowIcon(window, surface);
@@ -317,6 +320,8 @@ void sdl_recreate_window(u32 flags)
 	theVulkanContext.SetWindow(window, nullptr);
 #endif
 	theGLContext.SetWindow(window);
+
+	return true;
 }
 
 void sdl_window_create()
diff --git a/core/sdl/sdl.h b/core/sdl/sdl.h
index 27dd3bb53..2601ddd2c 100644
--- a/core/sdl/sdl.h
+++ b/core/sdl/sdl.h
@@ -2,12 +2,12 @@
 #include <SDL2/SDL.h>
 #include "types.h"
 
-extern void input_sdl_init();
-extern void input_sdl_handle();
-extern void sdl_window_create();
-extern void sdl_window_set_text(const char* text);
-extern void sdl_window_destroy();
-extern void sdl_recreate_window(u32 flags);
+void input_sdl_init();
+void input_sdl_handle();
+void sdl_window_create();
+void sdl_window_set_text(const char* text);
+void sdl_window_destroy();
+bool sdl_recreate_window(u32 flags);
 
 #ifdef _WIN32
 #include <windows.h>
diff --git a/core/wsi/sdl.cpp b/core/wsi/sdl.cpp
index 21ae11580..4bc58c620 100644
--- a/core/wsi/sdl.cpp
+++ b/core/wsi/sdl.cpp
@@ -47,7 +47,8 @@ bool SDLGLGraphicsContext::Init()
 	SDL_GL_SetAttribute(SDL_GL_STENCIL_SIZE, 8);
 	SDL_GL_SetAttribute(SDL_GL_DOUBLEBUFFER, 1);
 
-	sdl_recreate_window(SDL_WINDOW_OPENGL);
+	if (!sdl_recreate_window(SDL_WINDOW_OPENGL))
+		return false;
 
 	glcontext = SDL_GL_CreateContext(window);
 	if (!glcontext)