diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 18aeb6b50..96ce5bf93 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ Misc:
  - Qt: Add application icon and XDG desktop files
  - GBA Thread: Split GBASync into a separate file
  - SDL: Properly check for initialization
+ - SDL: Clean up initialization functions
 
 0.2.1: (2015-05-13)
 Bugfixes:
diff --git a/src/platform/sdl/sdl-audio.c b/src/platform/sdl/sdl-audio.c
index 7b4017d41..fea425f41 100644
--- a/src/platform/sdl/sdl-audio.c
+++ b/src/platform/sdl/sdl-audio.c
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ static void _GBASDLAudioCallback(void* context, Uint8* data, int len);
 
 bool GBASDLInitAudio(struct GBASDLAudio* context, struct GBAThread* threadContext) {
 	if (SDL_InitSubSystem(SDL_INIT_AUDIO) < 0) {
-		GBALog(0, GBA_LOG_ERROR, "Could not initialize SDL sound system");
+		GBALog(0, GBA_LOG_ERROR, "Could not initialize SDL sound system: %s", SDL_GetError());
 		return false;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/platform/sdl/sdl-events.c b/src/platform/sdl/sdl-events.c
index 9046b4463..e316a7f2f 100644
--- a/src/platform/sdl/sdl-events.c
+++ b/src/platform/sdl/sdl-events.c
@@ -33,19 +33,23 @@ static int32_t _GBASDLReadGyroZ(struct GBARotationSource* rumble);
 static void _GBASDLRotationSample(struct GBARotationSource* source);
 
 bool GBASDLInitEvents(struct GBASDLEvents* context) {
-	int subsystem = SDL_INIT_JOYSTICK;
-#if SDL_VERSION_ATLEAST(2, 0, 0)
-	subsystem |= SDL_INIT_HAPTIC | SDL_INIT_VIDEO;
-
-	SDL_SetHint(SDL_HINT_JOYSTICK_ALLOW_BACKGROUND_EVENTS, "1");
-#endif
 #if SDL_VERSION_ATLEAST(2, 0, 4)
 	SDL_SetHint(SDL_HINT_NO_SIGNAL_HANDLERS, "1");
 #endif
-	if (SDL_InitSubSystem(subsystem) < 0) {
-		return false;
+	if (SDL_InitSubSystem(SDL_INIT_JOYSTICK) < 0) {
+		GBALog(0, GBA_LOG_ERROR, "SDL joystick initialization failed: %s", SDL_GetError());
 	}
 
+#if SDL_VERSION_ATLEAST(2, 0, 0)
+	SDL_SetHint(SDL_HINT_JOYSTICK_ALLOW_BACKGROUND_EVENTS, "1");
+	if (SDL_InitSubSystem(SDL_INIT_HAPTIC) < 0) {
+		GBALog(0, GBA_LOG_ERROR, "SDL haptic initialization failed: %s", SDL_GetError());
+	}
+	if (SDL_InitSubSystem(SDL_INIT_VIDEO) < 0) {
+		GBALog(0, GBA_LOG_ERROR, "SDL video initialization failed: %s", SDL_GetError());
+	}
+#endif
+
 	SDL_JoystickEventState(SDL_ENABLE);
 	int nJoysticks = SDL_NumJoysticks();
 	if (nJoysticks > 0) {
@@ -158,6 +162,10 @@ bool GBASDLAttachPlayer(struct GBASDLEvents* events, struct GBASDLPlayer* player
 	player->joystick = 0;
 	player->joystickIndex = SIZE_MAX;
 
+	if (events->playersAttached >= MAX_PLAYERS) {
+		return false;
+	}
+
 #if SDL_VERSION_ATLEAST(2, 0, 0)
 	player->rumble.d.setRumble = _GBASDLSetRumble;
 	CircleBufferInit(&player->rumble.history, RUMBLE_PWM);
@@ -178,10 +186,6 @@ bool GBASDLAttachPlayer(struct GBASDLEvents* events, struct GBASDLPlayer* player
 	CircleBufferInit(&player->rotation.zHistory, sizeof(float) * GYRO_STEPS);
 	player->rotation.p = player;
 
-	if (events->playersAttached >= MAX_PLAYERS) {
-		return false;
-	}
-
 	player->playerId = events->playersAttached;
 	size_t firstUnclaimed = SIZE_MAX;