diff --git a/src/native/common/extgl.c b/src/native/common/extgl.c
index 46cf9d49..34a5c389 100644
--- a/src/native/common/extgl.c
+++ b/src/native/common/extgl.c
@@ -204,27 +204,36 @@ bool extgl_QueryExtension(JNIEnv *env, const GLubyte*extensions, const char *nam
 /*-----------------------------------------------------*/
 
 #ifdef _MACOSX
-bool extgl_Open(void) {
+bool extgl_Open(JNIEnv *env) {
 	if (opengl_lib_handle != NULL)
 		return true;
 	opengl_lib_handle = loadImage("/System/Library/Frameworks/OpenGL.framework/Libraries/libGL.dylib");
-	return opengl_lib_handle != NULL;
+	if (opengl_lib_handle != NULL) {
+		throwException(env, "Could not load OpenGL library");
+		return true;
+	} else
+		return false;
 }
 #endif
 
 #ifdef _X11
-bool extgl_Open()
+bool extgl_Open(JNIEnv *env)
 {
+#define BUFFER_SIZE 2000
+	static char buffer[BUFFER_SIZE];
 	if (lib_gl_handle != NULL)
 		return true;
 	lib_gl_handle = dlopen("libGL.so.1", RTLD_LAZY | RTLD_GLOBAL);
 	if (lib_gl_handle == NULL) {
-		printfDebug("Error loading libGL.so.1: %s\n", dlerror());
+		snprintf(buffer, BUFFER_SIZE, "Error loading libGL.so.1: %s", dlerror());
+		buffer[BUFFER_SIZE - 1] = '\0';
+		throwException(env, buffer);
 		return false;
 	}
-	glXGetProcAddressARB = (glXGetProcAddressARBPROC) dlsym(lib_gl_handle, "glXGetProcAddressARB");
+	glXGetProcAddressARB = (glXGetProcAddressARBPROC)dlsym(lib_gl_handle, "glXGetProcAddressARB");
 	if (glXGetProcAddressARB == NULL) {
 		extgl_Close();
+		throwException(env, "Could not get address of glXGetProcAddressARB");
 		return false;
 	}
 	return true;
@@ -233,14 +242,16 @@ bool extgl_Open()
 #endif /* X11 */
 
 #ifdef _WIN32
-bool extgl_Open(void)
+bool extgl_Open(JNIEnv *env)
 {
 	if (lib_gl_handle != NULL)
 		return true;
 	// load the dynamic libraries for OpenGL
 	lib_gl_handle = LoadLibrary("opengl32.dll");
-	if (lib_gl_handle == NULL)
+	if (lib_gl_handle == NULL) {
+		throwException(env, "Could not load OpenGL library");
 		return false;
+	}
 	return true;
 }
 #endif /* WIN32 */
diff --git a/src/native/common/extgl.h b/src/native/common/extgl.h
index e4bbecbc..b32924c4 100644
--- a/src/native/common/extgl.h
+++ b/src/native/common/extgl.h
@@ -434,11 +434,8 @@ typedef const GLubyte * (APIENTRY * glGetStringPROC) (GLenum name);
 extern glGetErrorPROC glGetError;
 extern glGetStringPROC glGetString;
 
-/* initializes everything, call this right after the rc is created. the function returns 0 if successful */
-extern bool extgl_Open(void);
-#ifdef _MACOSX
-extern bool extgl_InitAGL(JNIEnv *env);
-#endif
+/* initializes everything, call this right after the rc is created. the function returns true if successful */
+extern bool extgl_Open(JNIEnv *env);
 extern void extgl_Close(void);
 extern void extgl_InitializeClass(JNIEnv *env, jclass clazz, int num_functions, JavaMethodAndExtFunction *functions);
 extern bool extgl_InitializeFunctions(int num_functions, ExtFunction *functions);
diff --git a/src/native/common/org_lwjgl_opengl_GLContext.c b/src/native/common/org_lwjgl_opengl_GLContext.c
index 96953ac3..20445c5f 100644
--- a/src/native/common/org_lwjgl_opengl_GLContext.c
+++ b/src/native/common/org_lwjgl_opengl_GLContext.c
@@ -34,10 +34,7 @@
 #include "extgl.h"
 
 JNIEXPORT void JNICALL Java_org_lwjgl_opengl_GLContext_nLoadOpenGLLibrary(JNIEnv * env, jclass clazz) {
-	if (!extgl_Open()) {
-		throwException(env, "Failed to load OpenGL library");
-		return;
-	}
+	extgl_Open(env);
 }
 
 JNIEXPORT void JNICALL Java_org_lwjgl_opengl_GLContext_nUnloadOpenGLLibrary(JNIEnv * env, jclass clazz) {