diff --git a/src/gui/gui.cpp b/src/gui/gui.cpp
index 72246f107..2adbf89b1 100644
--- a/src/gui/gui.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/gui.cpp
@@ -1993,6 +1993,10 @@ void FurnaceGUI::showError(String what) {
   displayError=true;
 }
 
+String FurnaceGUI::getLastError() {
+  return lastError;
+}
+
 // what monster did I just create here?
 #define B30(tt) (macroDragBit30?((((tt)&0xc0000000)==0x40000000 || ((tt)&0xc0000000)==0x80000000)?0x40000000:0):0)
 
@@ -5017,7 +5021,7 @@ bool FurnaceGUI::init() {
 
   sdlWin=SDL_CreateWindow("Furnace",scrX,scrY,scrW*dpiScale,scrH*dpiScale,SDL_WINDOW_RESIZABLE|SDL_WINDOW_ALLOW_HIGHDPI|(scrMax?SDL_WINDOW_MAXIMIZED:0)|(fullScreen?SDL_WINDOW_FULLSCREEN_DESKTOP:0));
   if (sdlWin==NULL) {
-    logE("could not open window! %s",SDL_GetError());
+    lastError=fmt::sprintf("could not open window! %s",SDL_GetError());
     return false;
   }
 
@@ -5072,7 +5076,7 @@ bool FurnaceGUI::init() {
   sdlRend=SDL_CreateRenderer(sdlWin,-1,SDL_RENDERER_ACCELERATED|SDL_RENDERER_PRESENTVSYNC|SDL_RENDERER_TARGETTEXTURE);
 
   if (sdlRend==NULL) {
-    logE("could not init renderer! %s",SDL_GetError());
+    lastError=fmt::sprintf("could not init renderer! %s",SDL_GetError());
     return false;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/gui/gui.h b/src/gui/gui.h
index 31f09890c..203fd20e8 100644
--- a/src/gui/gui.h
+++ b/src/gui/gui.h
@@ -1802,6 +1802,7 @@ class FurnaceGUI {
   public:
     void showWarning(String what, FurnaceGUIWarnings type);
     void showError(String what);
+    String getLastError();
     const char* noteNameNormal(short note, short octave);
     const char* noteName(short note, short octave);
     bool decodeNote(const char* what, short& note, short& octave);
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 79229621a..e59d6e037 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -549,7 +549,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
 #ifdef HAVE_GUI
   g.bindEngine(&e);
   if (!g.init()) {
-    reportError("error while starting GUI!");
+    reportError(g.getLastError());
     return 1;
   }