diff --git a/quakespasm/Quake/gl_vidnt.c b/quakespasm/Quake/gl_vidnt.c
index 77321a31..63bcbc32 100644
--- a/quakespasm/Quake/gl_vidnt.c
+++ b/quakespasm/Quake/gl_vidnt.c
@@ -576,6 +576,11 @@ int VID_SetMode (int modenum)
 		Sys_Error ("VID_SetMode: Bad mode type in modelist");
 	}
 
+	if (!stat)
+	{
+		Sys_Error ("Couldn't set video mode");
+	}
+
 	//johnfitz -- re-initialize dinput becuase it's tied to the "mainwindow" object
 	if (COM_CheckParm ("-dinput"))
 		IN_InitDInput ();
@@ -588,11 +593,6 @@ int VID_SetMode (int modenum)
 	CDAudio_Resume ();
 	scr_disabled_for_loading = temp;
 
-	if (!stat)
-	{
-		Sys_Error ("Couldn't set video mode");
-	}
-
 // now we try to make sure we get the focus on the mode switch, because
 // sometimes in some systems we don't.  We grab the foreground, then
 // finish setting up, pump all our messages, and sleep for a little while
diff --git a/quakespasm/Quake/gl_vidsdl.c b/quakespasm/Quake/gl_vidsdl.c
index de67fe11..cdb59425 100644
--- a/quakespasm/Quake/gl_vidsdl.c
+++ b/quakespasm/Quake/gl_vidsdl.c
@@ -308,6 +308,11 @@ int VID_SetMode (int modenum)
 		Sys_Error ("VID_SetMode: Bad mode type in modelist");
 	}
 
+	if (!stat)
+	{
+		Sys_Error ("Couldn't set video mode");
+	}
+
 	//kristian -- set window caption
 	sprintf(caption, "QuakeSpasm %1.2f.%d", (float)FITZQUAKE_VERSION, QUAKESPASM_VER_PATCH);
 	SDL_WM_SetCaption((const char* )&caption, (const char*)&caption);
@@ -324,11 +329,6 @@ int VID_SetMode (int modenum)
 	CDAudio_Resume ();
 	scr_disabled_for_loading = temp;
 
-	if (!stat)
-	{
-		Sys_Error ("Couldn't set video mode");
-	}
-
 	vid_modenum = modenum;
 
 // fix the leftover Alt from any Alt-Tab or the like that switched us away