diff --git a/libs/video/renderer/vid_render_gl.c b/libs/video/renderer/vid_render_gl.c
index 29f3eec9e..c74010b99 100644
--- a/libs/video/renderer/vid_render_gl.c
+++ b/libs/video/renderer/vid_render_gl.c
@@ -143,6 +143,9 @@ gl_vid_render_create_context (void)
 static void
 gl_vid_render_init (void)
 {
+	if (!vr_data.vid->vid_internal->sw_context) {
+		Sys_Error ("Sorry, OpenGL not supported by this program.");
+	}
 	gl_ctx = vr_data.vid->vid_internal->gl_context ();
 	gl_ctx->init_gl = GL_Init_Common;
 	gl_ctx->load_gl ();
diff --git a/libs/video/renderer/vid_render_glsl.c b/libs/video/renderer/vid_render_glsl.c
index 60ab6068a..b1e828f11 100644
--- a/libs/video/renderer/vid_render_glsl.c
+++ b/libs/video/renderer/vid_render_glsl.c
@@ -143,6 +143,9 @@ glsl_vid_render_create_context (void)
 static void
 glsl_vid_render_init (void)
 {
+	if (!vr_data.vid->vid_internal->sw_context) {
+		Sys_Error ("Sorry, OpenGL (GLSL) not supported by this program.");
+	}
 	glsl_ctx = vr_data.vid->vid_internal->gl_context ();
 	glsl_ctx->init_gl = GLSL_Init_Common;
 	glsl_ctx->load_gl ();
diff --git a/libs/video/renderer/vid_render_sw.c b/libs/video/renderer/vid_render_sw.c
index 470cd4733..27f9ae6b9 100644
--- a/libs/video/renderer/vid_render_sw.c
+++ b/libs/video/renderer/vid_render_sw.c
@@ -136,6 +136,9 @@ sw_vid_render_create_context (void)
 static void
 sw_vid_render_init (void)
 {
+	if (!vr_data.vid->vid_internal->sw_context) {
+		Sys_Error ("Sorry, software rendering not supported by this program.");
+	}
 	sw_ctx = vr_data.vid->vid_internal->sw_context ();
 
 	vr_data.vid->vid_internal->set_palette = sw_ctx->set_palette;
diff --git a/libs/video/renderer/vid_render_sw32.c b/libs/video/renderer/vid_render_sw32.c
index d70521f79..c63a92d88 100644
--- a/libs/video/renderer/vid_render_sw32.c
+++ b/libs/video/renderer/vid_render_sw32.c
@@ -141,6 +141,9 @@ sw32_vid_render_create_context (void)
 static void
 sw32_vid_render_init (void)
 {
+	if (!vr_data.vid->vid_internal->sw_context) {
+		Sys_Error ("Sorry, software rendering not supported by this program.");
+	}
 	sw32_ctx = vr_data.vid->vid_internal->sw_context ();
 
 	vr_data.vid->vid_internal->set_palette = sw32_ctx->set_palette;
diff --git a/libs/video/renderer/vid_render_vulkan.c b/libs/video/renderer/vid_render_vulkan.c
index 5abf26d61..78b9fbe7b 100644
--- a/libs/video/renderer/vid_render_vulkan.c
+++ b/libs/video/renderer/vid_render_vulkan.c
@@ -636,6 +636,9 @@ vulkan_vid_render_create_context (void)
 static void
 vulkan_vid_render_init (void)
 {
+	if (!vr_data.vid->vid_internal->vulkan_context) {
+		Sys_Error ("Sorry, Vulkan not supported by this program.");
+	}
 	vulkan_ctx = vr_data.vid->vid_internal->vulkan_context ();
 	vulkan_ctx->load_vulkan (vulkan_ctx);