diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index ee7ec853..6db083e7 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -228,11 +228,6 @@ if(BUILD_PORT_MONITORS)
   set(optional_sources ${optional_sources} ${port_monitors})
 endif(BUILD_PORT_MONITORS)
 
-if(BUILD_GUI)
-  set(gui fonts.cc fonts.h gui.cc gui.h)
-  set(optional_sources ${optional_sources} ${gui})
-endif(BUILD_GUI)
-
 if(BUILD_X11)
   set(x11 x11.cc x11.h)
   set(optional_sources ${optional_sources} ${x11})
@@ -243,6 +238,11 @@ if(BUILD_X11)
   endif(BUILD_XINERAMA)
 endif(BUILD_X11)
 
+if(BUILD_GUI)
+  set(gui fonts.cc fonts.h gui.cc gui.h)
+  set(optional_sources ${optional_sources} ${gui})
+endif(BUILD_GUI)
+
 if(BUILD_WAYLAND)
   set(wl_srcs wl.cc wl.h xdg-shell-protocol.c wlr-layer-shell-protocol.c x11-color.cc x11-color.h)
   set(optional_sources ${optional_sources} ${wl_srcs})
diff --git a/src/conky.cc b/src/conky.cc
index 6d90eeeb..11e97a49 100644
--- a/src/conky.cc
+++ b/src/conky.cc
@@ -62,7 +62,6 @@
 #pragma GCC diagnostic ignored "-Wvariadic-macros"
 #include <X11/Xutil.h>
 #pragma GCC diagnostic pop
-#include "x11.h"
 #ifdef BUILD_XDAMAGE
 #include <X11/extensions/Xdamage.h>
 #endif
@@ -94,7 +93,7 @@
 #ifdef BUILD_GUI
 #include "fonts.h"
 #include "gui.h"
-#endif
+#endif /* BUILD_GUI */
 #include "fs.h"
 #ifdef BUILD_ICONV
 #include "iconv_tools.h"
diff --git a/src/fonts.cc b/src/fonts.cc
index 4703dfb5..7d5d27f6 100644
--- a/src/fonts.cc
+++ b/src/fonts.cc
@@ -86,16 +86,16 @@ void load_fonts(bool utf8) {
 }
 
 int font_height() {
-  // assert(selected_font < fonts.size());
+  assert(selected_font < fonts.size());
   return display_output()->font_height(selected_font);
 }
 
 int font_ascent() {
-  // assert(selected_font < fonts.size());
+  assert(selected_font < fonts.size());
   return display_output()->font_ascent(selected_font);
 }
 
 int font_descent() {
-  // assert(selected_font < fonts.size());
+  assert(selected_font < fonts.size());
   return display_output()->font_descent(selected_font);
 }
diff --git a/src/gui.cc b/src/gui.cc
index 1d71f736..4b6bf562 100644
--- a/src/gui.cc
+++ b/src/gui.cc
@@ -191,17 +191,16 @@ std::string gethostnamecxx() {
  * The order of these settings cannot be completely arbitrary. Some of them
  * depend on others, and the setters are called in the order in which they are
  * defined. The order should be: x11_display_name -> out_to_x -> everything
- * colour related
- *                          -> border_*, own_window_*, etc -> own_window ->
- * double_buffer ->  imlib_cache_size
+ * colour related -> border_*, own_window_*, etc -> own_window -> double_buffer
+ * ->  imlib_cache_size.
+ *
+ * The settings order can be modified with the settings_ordering vector in
+ * setting.cc.
  */
 
 conky::simple_config_setting<alignment> text_alignment("alignment", BOTTOM_LEFT,
                                                        false);
 
-conky::simple_config_setting<std::string> display_name("display", std::string(),
-                                                       false);
-
 priv::colour_setting color[10] = {{"color0", 0xffffff}, {"color1", 0xffffff},
                                   {"color2", 0xffffff}, {"color3", 0xffffff},
                                   {"color4", 0xffffff}, {"color5", 0xffffff},
diff --git a/src/gui.h b/src/gui.h
index 59e3563d..3dc11432 100644
--- a/src/gui.h
+++ b/src/gui.h
@@ -124,7 +124,6 @@ class colour_setting
 };
 }  // namespace priv
 
-extern conky::simple_config_setting<std::string> display_name;
 extern conky::simple_config_setting<int> head_index;
 extern priv::colour_setting color[10];
 extern priv::colour_setting default_color;
diff --git a/src/setting.cc b/src/setting.cc
index fdfe54ff..8eae956b 100644
--- a/src/setting.cc
+++ b/src/setting.cc
@@ -66,13 +66,73 @@ priv::config_setting_base *get_setting(lua::state &l, int index) {
   return iter->second;
 }
 
+const std::vector<std::string> settings_ordering{
+    "display",
+    "out_to_x",
+    "use_xft",
+    "font",
+    "font0",
+    "font1",
+    "font2",
+    "font3",
+    "font4",
+    "font5",
+    "font6",
+    "font7",
+    "font8",
+    "font9",
+    "color0",
+    "color1",
+    "color2",
+    "color3",
+    "color4",
+    "color5",
+    "color6",
+    "color7",
+    "color8",
+    "color9",
+    "default_color",
+    "default_shade_color",
+    "default_outline_color",
+    "border_inner_margin",
+    "border_outer_margin",
+    "border_width",
+    "alignment",
+    "own_window_transparent",
+    "own_window_class",
+    "own_window_title",
+    "own_window_type",
+    "own_window_hints",
+    "own_window_argb_value",
+    "own_window_argb_visual",
+    "own_window_colour",
+    "own_window",
+    "double_buffer",
+    "out_to_wayland",
+    "imlib_cache_size",
+};
+
 // returns a vector of all settings, sorted in order of registration
 settings_vector make_settings_vector() {
   settings_vector ret;
   ret.reserve(settings->size());
 
-  for (auto &setting : *settings) { ret.push_back(setting.second); }
-  sort(ret.begin(), ret.end(), &priv::config_setting_base::seq_compare);
+  // for _some_ settings, the order matters, for others it does not. first we
+  // fill the vec with the settings which are ordered, then we add the remainder
+  // in.
+  for (auto &name : settings_ordering) {
+    auto setting = settings->at(name);
+    ret.push_back(setting);
+  }
+  for (auto &setting : *settings) {
+    if (std::find(settings_ordering.begin(), settings_ordering.end(),
+                  setting.second->name) == settings_ordering.end()) {
+      ret.push_back(setting.second);
+    }
+  }
+  auto start = ret.begin();
+  std::advance(start, settings_ordering.size());
+  sort(start, ret.end(), &priv::config_setting_base::seq_compare);
 
   return ret;
 }
@@ -252,6 +312,4 @@ void cleanup_config_settings(lua::state &l) {
   l.pop();
 }
 
-/////////// example settings, remove after real settings are available ///////
-range_config_setting<int> asdf("asdf", 42, 47, 45, true);
 }  // namespace conky
diff --git a/src/setting.hh b/src/setting.hh
index 813e3584..195dccbb 100644
--- a/src/setting.hh
+++ b/src/setting.hh
@@ -359,8 +359,6 @@ class range_config_setting : public simple_config_setting<T, Traits> {
   }
 };
 
-/////////// example settings, remove after real settings are available ///////
-extern range_config_setting<int> asdf;
 }  // namespace conky
 
 #endif /* SETTING_HH */
diff --git a/src/x11.cc b/src/x11.cc
index 3ac518d7..80370900 100644
--- a/src/x11.cc
+++ b/src/x11.cc
@@ -64,12 +64,15 @@ Display *display = nullptr;
 /* Window stuff */
 struct conky_x11_window window;
 
+conky::simple_config_setting<std::string> display_name("display", std::string(),
+                                                       false);
+
 /* local prototypes */
 static void update_workarea();
 static Window find_desktop_window(Window *p_root, Window *p_desktop);
 static Window find_subwindow(Window win, int w, int h);
-static void init_X11();
-static void deinit_X11();
+static void init_x11();
+static void deinit_x11();
 
 /********************* <SETTINGS> ************************/
 namespace priv {
@@ -78,7 +81,7 @@ void out_to_x_setting::lua_setter(lua::state &l, bool init) {
 
   Base::lua_setter(l, init);
 
-  if (init && do_convert(l, -1).first) { init_X11(); }
+  if (init && do_convert(l, -1).first) { init_x11(); }
 
   ++s;
 }
@@ -86,7 +89,7 @@ void out_to_x_setting::lua_setter(lua::state &l, bool init) {
 void out_to_x_setting::cleanup(lua::state &l) {
   lua::stack_sentry s(l, -1);
 
-  if (do_convert(l, -1).first) { deinit_X11(); }
+  if (do_convert(l, -1).first) { deinit_x11(); }
 
   l.pop();
 }
@@ -94,7 +97,10 @@ void out_to_x_setting::cleanup(lua::state &l) {
 #ifdef BUILD_XDBE
 bool use_xdbe_setting::set_up(lua::state &l) {
   // double_buffer makes no sense when not drawing to X
-  if (!out_to_x.get(l) || !display || !window.window) { return false; }
+  if (!out_to_x.get(l) || !display || !window.window) {
+    DBGP("can't enable xdbe");
+    return false;
+  }
 
   int major, minor;
 
@@ -222,8 +228,8 @@ static int __attribute__((noreturn)) x11_ioerror_handler(Display *d) {
 }
 
 /* X11 initializer */
-static void init_X11() {
-  DBGP("enter init_X11()");
+static void init_x11() {
+  DBGP("enter init_x11()");
   if (display == nullptr) {
     const std::string &dispstr = display_name.get(*state);
     // passing nullptr to XOpenDisplay should open the default display
@@ -233,12 +239,7 @@ static void init_X11() {
     if ((display = XOpenDisplay(disp)) == nullptr) {
       std::string err =
           std::string("can't open display: ") + XDisplayName(disp);
-#ifdef BUILD_WAYLAND
-      fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", err.c_str());
-      return;
-#else
       throw std::runtime_error(err);
-#endif
     }
   }
 
@@ -261,12 +262,12 @@ static void init_X11() {
   XSetErrorHandler(&x11_error_handler);
   XSetIOErrorHandler(&x11_ioerror_handler);
 
-  DBGP("leave init_X11()");
+  DBGP("leave init_x11()");
 }
 
-static void deinit_X11() {
+static void deinit_x11() {
   if (display) {
-    DBGP("deinit_X11()");
+    DBGP("deinit_x11()");
     XCloseDisplay(display);
     display = nullptr;
   }
@@ -457,9 +458,11 @@ static int get_argb_visual(Visual **visual, int *depth) {
       return 1;
     }
   }
+
   // no argb visual available
   DBGP("No ARGB Visual found");
   XFree(visual_list);
+
   return 0;
 }
 #endif /* BUILD_ARGB */
@@ -473,18 +476,19 @@ void destroy_window() {
 }
 
 void x11_init_window(lua::state &l __attribute__((unused)), bool own) {
-  DBGP("enter init_window()");
+  DBGP("enter x11_init_window()");
   // own is unused if OWN_WINDOW is not defined
   (void)own;
 
-  window_created = 1;
-
 #ifdef OWN_WINDOW
   if (own) {
     int depth = 0, flags = CWOverrideRedirect | CWBackingStore;
     Visual *visual = nullptr;
 
-    if (find_desktop_window(&window.root, &window.desktop) == 0U) { return; }
+    if (find_desktop_window(&window.root, &window.desktop) == 0U) {
+      DBGP2("no desktop window found");
+      return;
+    }
 
 #ifdef BUILD_ARGB
     if (use_argb_visual.get(l) && (get_argb_visual(&visual, &depth) != 0)) {
@@ -802,7 +806,10 @@ void x11_init_window(lua::state &l __attribute__((unused)), bool own) {
     if (window.window == 0u) {
       window.window = find_desktop_window(&window.root, &window.desktop);
     }
-    if (window.window == 0u) { return; }
+    if (window.window == 0u) {
+      DBGP2("no root window found");
+      return;
+    }
 
     window.visual = DefaultVisual(display, screen);
     window.colourmap = DefaultColormap(display, screen);
@@ -828,7 +835,9 @@ void x11_init_window(lua::state &l __attribute__((unused)), bool own) {
                                         : 0)
 #endif
   );
-  DBGP("leave init_window()");
+
+  window_created = 1;
+  DBGP("leave x11_init_window()");
 }
 
 static Window find_subwindow(Window win, int w, int h) {
diff --git a/src/x11.h b/src/x11.h
index bd02d1a9..82dd4883 100644
--- a/src/x11.h
+++ b/src/x11.h
@@ -22,9 +22,7 @@
  *
  */
 
-#ifdef BUILD_X11
-#ifndef X11_H_
-#define X11_H_
+#pragma once
 
 #include <X11/Xatom.h>
 #pragma GCC diagnostic push
@@ -93,6 +91,7 @@ struct conky_x11_window {
 };
 
 extern struct conky_x11_window window;
+extern conky::simple_config_setting<std::string> display_name;
 
 void destroy_window(void);
 void create_gc(void);
@@ -158,6 +157,3 @@ extern priv::use_xdbe_setting use_xdbe;
 #else
 extern priv::use_xpmdb_setting use_xpmdb;
 #endif
-
-#endif /*X11_H_*/
-#endif /* BUILD_X11 */