diff --git a/awesome.c b/awesome.c
index 2ed9bbd21..dcc8c2077 100644
--- a/awesome.c
+++ b/awesome.c
@@ -249,21 +249,19 @@ xerror(void *data __attribute__ ((unused)),
        xcb_connection_t *c __attribute__ ((unused)),
        xcb_generic_error_t *e)
 {
-    xutil_error_t *err = xutil_error_get(e);
-    if(!err)
+    xutil_error_t err;
+
+    if(!xutil_error_init(e, &err))
         return 0;
 
+    /* ignore this */
     if(e->error_code == XUTIL_BAD_WINDOW
-       || (e->error_code == XUTIL_BAD_MATCH && err->request_code == XCB_SET_INPUT_FOCUS)
-       || (e->error_code == XUTIL_BAD_VALUE && err->request_code == XCB_KILL_CLIENT)
-       || (err->request_code == XCB_CONFIGURE_WINDOW && e->error_code == XUTIL_BAD_MATCH))
-    {
-        xutil_error_delete(err);
-        return 0;
-    }
+       || (e->error_code == XUTIL_BAD_MATCH && err.request_code == XCB_SET_INPUT_FOCUS)
+       || (e->error_code == XUTIL_BAD_VALUE && err.request_code == XCB_KILL_CLIENT)
+       || (err.request_code == XCB_CONFIGURE_WINDOW && e->error_code == XUTIL_BAD_MATCH))
+        goto bailout;
 
-    warn("fatal error: request=%s, error=%s", err->request_label, err->error_label);
-    xutil_error_delete(err);
+    warn("X error: request=%s, error=%s", err.request_label, err.error_label);
 
     /*
      * Xlib code was using default X error handler, namely
@@ -274,8 +272,10 @@ xerror(void *data __attribute__ ((unused)),
      * \todo display more informations about the error (like the Xlib default error handler)
      */
     if(e->error_code == XUTIL_BAD_IMPLEMENTATION)
-        exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+       fatal("X error: request=%s, error=%s", err.request_label, err.error_label);
 
+  bailout:
+    xutil_error_wipe(&err);
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/common/xutil.c b/common/xutil.c
index 9aaf2b8a3..e8028249a 100644
--- a/common/xutil.c
+++ b/common/xutil.c
@@ -299,14 +299,12 @@ xutil_label_request[] =
     "NoOperation",
 };
 
-xutil_error_t *
-xutil_error_get(const xcb_generic_error_t *e)
+bool
+xutil_error_init(const xcb_generic_error_t *e, xutil_error_t *err)
 {
     if(e->response_type != 0)
         /* This is not an error, this _should_ not happen */
-        return NULL;
-
-    xutil_error_t *err = p_new(xutil_error_t, 1);
+        return false;
 
     /*
      * Get the request code,  taken from 'xcb-util/wm'. I can't figure
@@ -329,7 +327,7 @@ xutil_error_get(const xcb_generic_error_t *e)
     else
         err->error_label = a_strdup(xutil_label_error[e->error_code]);
 
-    return err;
+    return true;
 }
 
 /** Link a name to a key symbol */
diff --git a/common/xutil.h b/common/xutil.h
index e9e6e9601..46640e977 100644
--- a/common/xutil.h
+++ b/common/xutil.h
@@ -111,17 +111,16 @@ typedef struct
     char *error_label;
 } xutil_error_t;
 
-xutil_error_t *xutil_error_get(const xcb_generic_error_t *);
+bool xutil_error_init(const xcb_generic_error_t *, xutil_error_t *);
 xcb_keysym_t xutil_key_mask_fromstr(const char *);
 unsigned int xutil_button_fromint(int);
 xcb_cursor_t xutil_cursor_new(xcb_connection_t *, unsigned int);
 
 static inline void
-xutil_error_delete(xutil_error_t *err)
+xutil_error_wipe(xutil_error_t *err)
 {
     p_delete(&err->error_label);
     p_delete(&err->request_label);
-    p_delete(&err);
 }
 
 /* Get the informations about the screen.