diff --git a/src/conky.c b/src/conky.c
index d3638cbb..6ba467d2 100644
--- a/src/conky.c
+++ b/src/conky.c
@@ -1602,7 +1602,7 @@ static struct text_object *construct_text_object(const char *s,
 				&obj->e, &obj->char_a, &obj->char_b);
 
 		// default to DEFAULTNETDEV
-		buf = strndup(buf ? buf : "DEFAULTNETDEV", text_buffer_size);
+		buf = strndup(buf ? buf : DEFAULTNETDEV, text_buffer_size);
 		obj->data.net = get_net_stat(buf);
 		free(buf);
 #endif /* X11 */
@@ -2426,7 +2426,7 @@ static struct text_object *construct_text_object(const char *s,
 				&obj->e, &obj->char_a, &obj->char_b);
 
 		// default to DEFAULTNETDEV
-		buf = strndup(buf ? buf : "DEFAULTNETDEV", text_buffer_size);
+		buf = strndup(buf ? buf : DEFAULTNETDEV, text_buffer_size);
 		obj->data.net = get_net_stat(buf);
 		free(buf);
 #endif
@@ -3467,6 +3467,7 @@ static void generate_text_internal(char *p, int p_max_size,
 		struct text_object root, struct information *cur)
 {
 	struct text_object *obj;
+	int need_to_load_fonts = 0;
 
 	/* for the OBJ_top* handler */
 	struct process **needed = 0;
@@ -3902,6 +3903,7 @@ static void generate_text_internal(char *p, int p_max_size,
 #ifdef X11
 			OBJ(font) {
 				new_font(p, obj->data.s);
+				need_to_load_fonts = 1;
 			}
 #endif /* X11 */
 			/* TODO: move this correction from kB to kB/s elsewhere
@@ -5733,6 +5735,12 @@ static void generate_text_internal(char *p, int p_max_size,
 		}
 		obj = obj->next;
 	}
+#ifdef X11
+	/* load any new fonts we may have had */
+	if (need_to_load_fonts) {
+		load_fonts();
+	}
+#endif /* X11 */
 }
 
 double current_update_time, next_update_time, last_update_time;
@@ -6444,7 +6452,6 @@ static void draw_line(char *s)
 					} else {
 						cur_y += font_ascent();
 					}
-					set_font();
 					font_h = font_height();
 					break;
 				}
@@ -6875,7 +6882,6 @@ static void main_loop(void)
 									|| ev.xconfigure.y != 0)) {
 								fixed_pos = 1;
 							} */
-							set_font();
 						}
 						break;
 
@@ -7140,7 +7146,6 @@ static void reload_config(void)
 		}
 
 #ifdef X11
-		x_initialised = NO;
 		if (output_methods & TO_X) {
 			X11_initialisation();
 		}
@@ -7163,10 +7168,10 @@ static void reload_config(void)
 		}
 		text_buffer = malloc(max_user_text);
 		memset(text_buffer, 0, max_user_text);
-		update_text();
 #ifdef X11
 		X11_create_window();
 #endif /* X11 */
+		update_text();
 	}
 }
 
@@ -7444,6 +7449,36 @@ static _Bool append_works(const char *path)
 }
 
 #ifdef X11
+#ifdef DEBUG
+/* WARNING, this type not in Xlib spec */
+int x11_error_handler(Display *d, XErrorEvent *err)
+	__attribute__((noreturn));
+int x11_error_handler(Display *d, XErrorEvent *err)
+{
+	ERR("X Error: type %i Display %lx XID %li serial %lu error_code %i request_code %i minor_code %i other Display: %lx\n",
+			err->type,
+			(long unsigned)err->display,
+			(long)err->resourceid,
+			err->serial,
+			err->error_code,
+			err->request_code,
+			err->minor_code,
+			(long unsigned)d
+			);
+	abort();
+}
+
+int x11_ioerror_handler(Display *d)
+	__attribute__((noreturn));
+int x11_ioerror_handler(Display *d)
+{
+	ERR("X Error: Display %lx\n",
+			(long unsigned)d
+			);
+	abort();
+}
+#endif /* DEBUG */
+
 static void X11_initialisation(void)
 {
 	if (x_initialised == YES) return;
@@ -7451,6 +7486,12 @@ static void X11_initialisation(void)
 	init_X11(disp);
 	set_default_configurations_for_x();
 	x_initialised = YES;
+#ifdef DEBUG
+	_Xdebug = 1;
+	/* WARNING, this type not in Xlib spec */
+	XSetErrorHandler(&x11_error_handler);
+	XSetIOErrorHandler(&x11_ioerror_handler);
+#endif /* DEBUG */
 }
 
 static void X11_destroy_window(void)
@@ -7468,6 +7509,7 @@ static void X11_destroy_window(void)
 #endif /* HAVE_XDAMAGE */
 		destroy_window();
 	}
+	x_initialised = NO;
 }
 
 static char **xargv = 0;
@@ -7486,7 +7528,7 @@ static void X11_create_window(void)
 				xargv, xargc);
 #endif /* OWN_WINDOW */
 
-		selected_font = 0;
+		setup_fonts();
 		load_fonts();
 		update_text_area();	/* to position text/window on screen */
 
@@ -7501,7 +7543,6 @@ static void X11_create_window(void)
 
 		create_gc();
 
-		set_font();
 		draw_stuff();
 
 		x11_stuff.region = XCreateRegion();
@@ -7926,7 +7967,7 @@ static void load_config_file(const char *f)
 #else
 		CONF("use_xft") {
 			if (string_to_bool(value)) {
-				ERR("Xft not enabled");
+				ERR("Xft not enabled at compile time");
 			}
 		}
 		CONF("xftfont") {
diff --git a/src/fonts.c b/src/fonts.c
index 940277c6..62624029 100644
--- a/src/fonts.c
+++ b/src/fonts.c
@@ -32,26 +32,20 @@ int selected_font = 0;
 int font_count = -1;
 struct font_list *fonts = NULL;
 
-void set_font(void)
+void setup_fonts(void)
 {
 	if ((output_methods & TO_X) == 0) {
 		return;
 	}
 #ifdef XFT
-	if (use_xft) {
-		if (window.xftdraw != NULL) {
-			XftDrawDestroy(window.xftdraw);
-		}
+	if (use_xft && !window.xftdraw) {
 		window.xftdraw = XftDrawCreate(display, window.drawable,
-			DefaultVisual(display, screen), DefaultColormap(display, screen));
-	} else
-#endif
-	{
-		XSetFont(display, window.gc, fonts[selected_font].font->fid);
+				DefaultVisual(display, screen), DefaultColormap(display, screen));
 	}
+#endif
 }
 
-int addfont(const char *data_in)
+int add_font(const char *data_in)
 {
 	if ((output_methods & TO_X) == 0) {
 		return 0;
@@ -73,7 +67,7 @@ int addfont(const char *data_in)
 	fonts = realloc(fonts, (sizeof(struct font_list) * (font_count + 1)));
 	memset(&fonts[font_count], 0, sizeof(struct font_list));
 	if (fonts == NULL) {
-		CRIT_ERR("realloc in addfont");
+		CRIT_ERR("realloc in add_font");
 	}
 	// must account for null terminator
 	if (strlen(data_in) < DEFAULT_TEXT_BUFFER_SIZE) {
@@ -82,7 +76,7 @@ int addfont(const char *data_in)
 		fonts[font_count].font_alpha = 0xffff;
 #endif
 	} else {
-		CRIT_ERR("Oops...looks like something overflowed in addfont().");
+		CRIT_ERR("Oops...looks like something overflowed in add_font().");
 	}
 	return font_count;
 }
@@ -121,7 +115,7 @@ void free_fonts(void)
 			XftFontClose(display, fonts[i].xftfont);
 			fonts[i].xftfont = 0;
 		} else
-#endif
+#endif /* XFT */
 		{
 			XFreeFont(display, fonts[i].font);
 			fonts[i].font = 0;
@@ -131,6 +125,12 @@ void free_fonts(void)
 	fonts = 0;
 	font_count = -1;
 	selected_font = 0;
+#ifdef XFT
+	if (window.xftdraw) {
+		XftDrawDestroy(window.xftdraw);
+		window.xftdraw = 0;
+	}
+#endif /* XFT */
 }
 
 void load_fonts(void)
@@ -145,12 +145,9 @@ void load_fonts(void)
 		if (use_xft && fonts[i].xftfont) {
 			continue;
 		} else if (use_xft) {
-			/* if (fonts[i].xftfont != NULL && selected_font == 0) {
-				XftFontClose(display, fonts[i].xftfont);
-			} */
 			fonts[i].xftfont = XftFontOpenName(display, screen,
 					fonts[i].name);
-			if (fonts[i].xftfont != NULL) {
+			if (fonts[i].xftfont) {
 				continue;
 			}
 
@@ -171,10 +168,6 @@ void load_fonts(void)
 		}
 #endif
 		/* load normal font */
-		/* if (fonts[i].font != NULL) {
-			XFreeFont(display, fonts[i].font);
-		} */
-
 		if (fonts[i].font || (fonts[i].font = XLoadQueryFont(display, fonts[i].name)) == NULL) {
 			ERR("can't load font '%s'", fonts[i].name);
 			if ((fonts[i].font = XLoadQueryFont(display, "fixed")) == NULL) {
diff --git a/src/fonts.h b/src/fonts.h
index be937715..5ff3d460 100644
--- a/src/fonts.h
+++ b/src/fonts.h
@@ -70,8 +70,8 @@ extern struct font_list *fonts;
 extern int selected_font;
 extern int font_count;
 
-void set_font(void);
-int addfont(const char *);
+void setup_fonts(void);
+int add_font(const char *);
 void set_first_font(const char *);
 void free_fonts(void);
 void load_fonts(void);
diff --git a/src/specials.c b/src/specials.c
index d6b8b270..6c51381f 100644
--- a/src/specials.c
+++ b/src/specials.c
@@ -254,8 +254,7 @@ void new_font(char *buf, char *args)
 		if (s->font_added > font_count || !s->font_added || (strncmp(args, fonts[s->font_added].name, DEFAULT_TEXT_BUFFER_SIZE) != EQUAL) ) {
 			int tmp = selected_font;
 
-			selected_font = s->font_added = addfont(args);
-			load_fonts();
+			selected_font = s->font_added = add_font(args);
 			selected_font = tmp;
 		}
 	} else {
diff --git a/src/x11.c b/src/x11.c
index 6bef11e3..bd9b32bc 100644
--- a/src/x11.c
+++ b/src/x11.c
@@ -70,11 +70,10 @@ static Window find_subwindow(Window win, int w, int h);
 /* X11 initializer */
 void init_X11(const char *disp)
 {
-	if (display) {
-		XCloseDisplay(display);
-	}
-	if ((display = XOpenDisplay(disp)) == NULL) {
-		CRIT_ERR("can't open display: %s", XDisplayName(0));
+	if (!display) {
+		if ((display = XOpenDisplay(disp)) == NULL) {
+			CRIT_ERR("can't open display: %s", XDisplayName(0));
+		}
 	}
 
 	screen = DefaultScreen(display);