diff --git a/platform/linux/surface.rs b/platform/linux/surface.rs
index 5ce3b7f..8881f88 100644
--- a/platform/linux/surface.rs
+++ b/platform/linux/surface.rs
@@ -42,7 +42,13 @@ impl NativePaintingGraphicsContext {
     #[fixed_stack_segment]
     pub fn from_metadata(metadata: &NativeGraphicsMetadata) -> NativePaintingGraphicsContext {
         unsafe {
-            let display = XOpenDisplay(metadata.display.to_c_str().with_ref(|c_str| c_str));
+            let display = do metadata.display.with_c_str |c_str| {
+                XOpenDisplay(c_str)
+            };
+
+            if display.is_null() {
+                fail!("XOpenDisplay() failed!");
+            }
 
             // FIXME(pcwalton): It would be more robust to actually have the compositor pass the
             // visual.