diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 440845e37..ac4ff9d51 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -221,18 +221,6 @@ foreach h : check_headers
   cdata.set(h.get(1), cc.has_header(h.get(0)))
 endforeach
 
-check_functions = [
-  ['gettid', '#include <unistd.h>', ['-D_GNU_SOURCE']],
-  ['memfd_create', '#include <sys/mman.h>', ['-D_GNU_SOURCE']],
-  ['getrandom', '#include <stddef.h>\n#include <sys/random.h>', ['-D_GNU_SOURCE']],
-  ['sigabbrev_np', '#include <string.h>', ['-D_GNU_SOURCE']],
-]
-
-foreach f : check_functions
-  cdata.set('HAVE_' + f.get(0).to_upper(),
-            cc.has_function(f.get(0), prefix: f.get(1), args: f.get(2)))
-endforeach
-
 cdata.set('HAVE_PIDFD_OPEN',
           cc.get_define('SYS_pidfd_open', prefix: '#include <sys/syscall.h>') != '')
 
@@ -380,6 +368,22 @@ lilv_lib = dependency('lilv-0', required: get_option('lv2'))
 summary({'lilv (for lv2 plugins)': lilv_lib.found()}, bool_yn: true)
 cdata.set('HAVE_LILV', lilv_lib.found())
 
+check_functions = [
+  ['gettid', '#include <unistd.h>', ['-D_GNU_SOURCE'], []],
+  ['memfd_create', '#include <sys/mman.h>', ['-D_GNU_SOURCE'], []],
+  ['getrandom', '#include <stddef.h>\n#include <sys/random.h>', ['-D_GNU_SOURCE'], []],
+  ['sigabbrev_np', '#include <string.h>', ['-D_GNU_SOURCE'], []],
+  ['XSetIOErrorExitHandler', '#include <X11/Xlib.h>', [], [x11_dep]],
+]
+
+foreach f : check_functions
+  cdata.set('HAVE_' + f.get(0).to_upper(),
+            cc.has_function(f.get(0),
+                            prefix: f.get(1),
+                            args: f.get(2),
+                            dependencies: f.get(3)))
+endforeach
+
 installed_tests_metadir = pipewire_datadir / 'installed-tests' / pipewire_name
 installed_tests_execdir = pipewire_libexecdir / 'installed-tests' / pipewire_name
 installed_tests_enabled = get_option('installed_tests').allowed()
diff --git a/src/modules/module-x11-bell.c b/src/modules/module-x11-bell.c
index 44725c20e..cf73f1d0c 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-x11-bell.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-x11-bell.c
@@ -40,8 +40,9 @@
 
 #include <canberra.h>
 
-#include "pipewire/pipewire.h"
-#include "pipewire/impl.h"
+#include <pipewire/pipewire.h>
+#include <pipewire/impl.h>
+#include <pipewire/private.h>
 
 /** \page page_module_x11_bell PipeWire Module: X11 Bell
  *
@@ -153,6 +154,22 @@ static void display_io(void *data, int fd, uint32_t mask)
 	}
 }
 
+#ifdef HAVE_XSETIOERROREXITHANDLER
+static void x11_io_error_exit_handler(Display *display, void *data)
+{
+	struct impl *impl = data;
+
+	spa_assert(display == impl->display);
+
+	pw_log_warn("X11 display (%s) has encountered a fatal I/O error", DisplayString(display));
+
+	pw_loop_destroy_source(impl->loop, impl->source);
+	impl->source = NULL;
+
+	pw_impl_module_schedule_destroy(impl->module);
+}
+#endif
+
 static int x11_connect(struct impl *impl, const char *name)
 {
 	int major, minor;
@@ -169,6 +186,10 @@ static int x11_connect(struct impl *impl, const char *name)
 	if (!impl->source)
 		return -errno;
 
+#ifdef HAVE_XSETIOERROREXITHANDLER
+	XSetIOErrorExitHandler(impl->display, x11_io_error_exit_handler, impl);
+#endif
+
 	major = XkbMajorVersion;
 	minor = XkbMinorVersion;
 
@@ -285,3 +306,52 @@ error:
 	return res;
 
 }
+
+static int x11_error_handler(Display *display, XErrorEvent *error)
+{
+	pw_log_warn("X11 error handler called on display %s with error %d",
+		    DisplayString(display), error->error_code);
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static int x11_io_error_handler(Display *display)
+{
+	pw_log_warn("X11 I/O error handler called on display %s", DisplayString(display));
+	return 0;
+}
+
+__attribute__((constructor))
+static void set_x11_handlers(void)
+{
+	{
+		XErrorHandler prev = XSetErrorHandler(NULL);
+		XErrorHandler def = XSetErrorHandler(x11_error_handler);
+
+		if (prev != def)
+			XSetErrorHandler(prev);
+	}
+
+	{
+		XIOErrorHandler prev = XSetIOErrorHandler(NULL);
+		XIOErrorHandler def = XSetIOErrorHandler(x11_io_error_handler);
+
+		if (prev != def)
+			XSetIOErrorHandler(prev);
+	}
+}
+
+__attribute__((destructor))
+static void restore_x11_handlers(void)
+{
+	{
+		XErrorHandler prev = XSetErrorHandler(NULL);
+		if (prev != x11_error_handler)
+			XSetErrorHandler(prev);
+	}
+
+	{
+		XIOErrorHandler prev = XSetIOErrorHandler(NULL);
+		if (prev != x11_io_error_handler)
+			XSetIOErrorHandler(prev);
+	}
+}