diff --git a/src/video/x11/SDL_x11video.c b/src/video/x11/SDL_x11video.c
index ecb638179..8ae4b6cb6 100644
--- a/src/video/x11/SDL_x11video.c
+++ b/src/video/x11/SDL_x11video.c
@@ -92,20 +92,6 @@ get_classname()
 
 /* X11 driver bootstrap functions */
 
-static int
-X11_Available(void)
-{
-    Display *display = NULL;
-    if (SDL_X11_LoadSymbols()) {
-        display = X11_XOpenDisplay(NULL);
-        if (display != NULL) {
-            X11_XCloseDisplay(display);
-        }
-        SDL_X11_UnloadSymbols();
-    }
-    return (display != NULL);
-}
-
 static void
 X11_DeleteDevice(SDL_VideoDevice * device)
 {
@@ -159,10 +145,7 @@ X11_CreateDevice(int devindex)
     SDL_VideoDevice *device;
     SDL_VideoData *data;
     const char *display = NULL; /* Use the DISPLAY environment variable */
-
-    if (!X11_Available()) {
-        return NULL;
-    }
+    Display *x11_display = NULL;
 
     if (!SDL_X11_LoadSymbols()) {
         return NULL;
@@ -172,6 +155,14 @@ X11_CreateDevice(int devindex)
         nVidia driver to be threaded. */
     X11_XInitThreads();
 
+    /* Open the display first to be sure that X11 is available */
+    x11_display = X11_XOpenDisplay(display);
+
+    if (!x11_display) {
+        SDL_X11_UnloadSymbols();
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
     /* Initialize all variables that we clean on shutdown */
     device = (SDL_VideoDevice *) SDL_calloc(1, sizeof(SDL_VideoDevice));
     if (!device) {
@@ -188,34 +179,7 @@ X11_CreateDevice(int devindex)
 
     data->global_mouse_changed = SDL_TRUE;
 
-    /* FIXME: Do we need this?
-       if ( (SDL_strncmp(X11_XDisplayName(display), ":", 1) == 0) ||
-       (SDL_strncmp(X11_XDisplayName(display), "unix:", 5) == 0) ) {
-       local_X11 = 1;
-       } else {
-       local_X11 = 0;
-       }
-     */
-    data->display = X11_XOpenDisplay(display);
-#ifdef SDL_VIDEO_DRIVER_X11_DYNAMIC
-    /* On some systems if linking without -lX11, it fails and you get following message.
-     * Xlib: connection to ":0.0" refused by server
-     * Xlib: XDM authorization key matches an existing client!
-     *
-     * It succeeds if retrying 1 second later
-     * or if running xhost +localhost on shell.
-     */
-    if (data->display == NULL) {
-        SDL_Delay(1000);
-        data->display = X11_XOpenDisplay(display);
-    }
-#endif
-    if (data->display == NULL) {
-        SDL_free(device->driverdata);
-        SDL_free(device);
-        SDL_SetError("Couldn't open X11 display");
-        return NULL;
-    }
+    data->display = x11_display;
 #ifdef X11_DEBUG
     X11_XSynchronize(data->display, True);
 #endif