diff --git a/cogl/cogl-context.c b/cogl/cogl-context.c
index c15e2db17..94ce2f14c 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-context.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-context.c
@@ -188,7 +188,16 @@ cogl_context_new (CoglDisplay *display,
   memset (context->winsys_features, 0, sizeof (context->winsys_features));
 
   if (!display)
-    display = cogl_display_new (NULL, NULL);
+    {
+      CoglRenderer *renderer = cogl_renderer_new ();
+      if (!cogl_renderer_connect (renderer, error))
+        {
+          g_free (context);
+          return NULL;
+        }
+
+      display = cogl_display_new (renderer, NULL);
+    }
   else
     cogl_object_ref (display);
 
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-display.c b/cogl/cogl-display.c
index 4818bda6f..9ac1b6888 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-display.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-display.c
@@ -91,13 +91,7 @@ cogl_display_new (CoglRenderer *renderer,
     display->renderer = cogl_renderer_new ();
 
   if (!cogl_renderer_connect (display->renderer, &error))
-    {
-      g_warning ("Failed to connect renderer: %s\n", error->message);
-      g_error_free (error);
-      g_object_unref (display->renderer);
-      g_slice_free (CoglDisplay, display);
-      return NULL;
-    }
+    g_error ("Failed to connect to renderer: %s\n", error->message);
 
   display->onscreen_template = onscreen_template;
   if (onscreen_template)