diff --git a/src/protocols/core/Compositor.cpp b/src/protocols/core/Compositor.cpp
index 4a5592ae..5cd6005a 100644
--- a/src/protocols/core/Compositor.cpp
+++ b/src/protocols/core/Compositor.cpp
@@ -445,7 +445,10 @@ void CWLSurfaceResource::commitPendingState() {
     if (previousBuffer && !previousBuffer->isSynchronous() && !bufferReleased) {
         if (previousBuffer->lockedByBackend) {
             previousBuffer->hlEvents.backendRelease = previousBuffer->events.backendRelease.registerListener([this, previousBuffer](std::any data) {
-                previousBuffer->sendReleaseWithSurface(self.lock());
+                if (!self.expired()) // could be dead in the dtor
+                    previousBuffer->sendReleaseWithSurface(self.lock());
+                else
+                    previousBuffer->sendRelease();
                 previousBuffer->hlEvents.backendRelease.reset();
                 bufferReleased = true;
             });
diff --git a/src/protocols/types/WLBuffer.cpp b/src/protocols/types/WLBuffer.cpp
index cc24546d..d34a867d 100644
--- a/src/protocols/types/WLBuffer.cpp
+++ b/src/protocols/types/WLBuffer.cpp
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ void CWLBufferResource::sendRelease() {
 void CWLBufferResource::sendReleaseWithSurface(SP<CWLSurfaceResource> surf) {
     sendRelease();
 
-    if (!surf->syncobj)
+    if (!surf || !surf->syncobj)
         return;
 
     if (drmSyncobjTimelineSignal(g_pCompositor->m_iDRMFD, &surf->syncobj->releaseTimeline->timeline->handle, &surf->syncobj->releasePoint, 1))
diff --git a/src/render/Renderer.cpp b/src/render/Renderer.cpp
index 2d461227..82dfc887 100644
--- a/src/render/Renderer.cpp
+++ b/src/render/Renderer.cpp
@@ -2622,6 +2622,11 @@ bool CHyprRenderer::beginRender(CMonitor* pMonitor, CRegion& damage, eRenderMode
         return false;
     }
 
+    if (!m_pCurrentRenderbuffer) {
+        Debug::log(ERR, "failed to start a render pass for output {}, no RBO could be obtained", pMonitor->szName);
+        return false;
+    }
+
     if (mode == RENDER_MODE_NORMAL) {
         damage = pMonitor->damage.getBufferDamage(HL_BUFFER_AGE);
         pMonitor->damage.rotate();