diff --git a/rootston/keyboard.c b/rootston/keyboard.c
index 4aaf2d48..758a49fb 100644
--- a/rootston/keyboard.c
+++ b/rootston/keyboard.c
@@ -354,8 +354,16 @@ struct roots_keyboard *roots_keyboard_create(struct wlr_input_device *device,
 		wlr_log(L_ERROR, "Cannot create XKB context");
 		return NULL;
 	}
-	wlr_keyboard_set_keymap(device->keyboard, xkb_map_new_from_names(context,
-		&rules, XKB_KEYMAP_COMPILE_NO_FLAGS));
+
+	struct xkb_keymap *keymap = xkb_map_new_from_names(context, &rules,
+		XKB_KEYMAP_COMPILE_NO_FLAGS);
+	if (keymap == NULL) {
+		xkb_context_unref(context);
+		wlr_log(L_ERROR, "Cannot create XKB keymap");
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	wlr_keyboard_set_keymap(device->keyboard, keymap);
 	xkb_context_unref(context);
 
 	int repeat_rate = (config->repeat_rate > 0) ? config->repeat_rate : 25;
diff --git a/rootston/main.c b/rootston/main.c
index d17079d3..27ff6b41 100644
--- a/rootston/main.c
+++ b/rootston/main.c
@@ -30,11 +30,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 	assert(server.wl_display = wl_display_create());
 	assert(server.wl_event_loop = wl_display_get_event_loop(server.wl_display));
 
-	//assert(server.backend = wlr_backend_autocreate(server.wl_display));
-	assert(server.backend = wlr_headless_backend_create(server.wl_display));
-	wlr_headless_add_output(server.backend, 1280, 720);
-	wlr_headless_add_input_device(server.backend, WLR_INPUT_DEVICE_KEYBOARD);
-	wlr_headless_add_input_device(server.backend, WLR_INPUT_DEVICE_POINTER);
+	assert(server.backend = wlr_backend_autocreate(server.wl_display));
 
 	assert(server.renderer = wlr_gles2_renderer_create(server.backend));
 	server.data_device_manager =
diff --git a/types/wlr_keyboard.c b/types/wlr_keyboard.c
index 5da290f5..1c35825e 100644
--- a/types/wlr_keyboard.c
+++ b/types/wlr_keyboard.c
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-#include <assert.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <sys/mman.h>
@@ -132,13 +131,16 @@ void wlr_keyboard_led_update(struct wlr_keyboard *kb, uint32_t leds) {
 
 void wlr_keyboard_set_keymap(struct wlr_keyboard *kb,
 		struct xkb_keymap *keymap) {
-	wlr_log(L_DEBUG, "Keymap set");
 	if (kb->keymap) {
 		xkb_keymap_unref(kb->keymap);
 	}
-	kb->keymap = keymap;
 	xkb_keymap_ref(keymap);
-	assert(kb->xkb_state = xkb_state_new(kb->keymap));
+	kb->keymap = keymap;
+	kb->xkb_state = xkb_state_new(kb->keymap);
+	if (kb->xkb_state == NULL) {
+		wlr_log(L_ERROR, "Failed to create XKB state");
+		return;
+	}
 
 	const char *led_names[WLR_LED_COUNT] = {
 		XKB_LED_NAME_NUM,