diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index f25814b8..6c4f998d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -77,8 +77,12 @@
 * config: improved validation of color values.
 * config: double close of file descriptor, resulting in a chain of
   errors ultimately leading to a startup failure ([#1531][1531]).
+* Crash when using a desktop scaling factor > 1, on compositors that
+  implements neither the `fractional-scale-v1`, nor the
+  `cursor-shape-v1` Wayland protocols ([#1573][1573]).
 
 [1531]: https://codeberg.org/dnkl/foot/issues/1531
+[1573]: https://codeberg.org/dnkl/foot/issues/1573
 
 
 ### Security
diff --git a/wayland.c b/wayland.c
index a87bf45d..34050d18 100644
--- a/wayland.c
+++ b/wayland.c
@@ -2024,10 +2024,19 @@ surface_scale_explicit_width_height(
                 "(width=%d, height=%d)", scale, width, height);
 
         xassert(scale == floorf(scale));
-
         const int iscale = (int)floorf(scale);
-        xassert(width % iscale == 0);
-        xassert(height % iscale == 0);
+
+        if (verify) {
+            if (width % iscale != 0) {
+                BUG("width=%d is not valid with scaling factor %.2f (%d %% %d != 0)",
+                    width, scale, width, iscale);
+            }
+
+            if (height % iscale != 0) {
+                BUG("height=%d is not valid with scaling factor %.2f (%d %% %d != 0)",
+                    height, scale, height, iscale);
+            }
+        }
 
         wl_surface_set_buffer_scale(surf->surf, iscale);
     }