diff --git a/src/cdogs/config.h b/src/cdogs/config.h
index f8fd7d737..95ec56eba 100644
--- a/src/cdogs/config.h
+++ b/src/cdogs/config.h
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ extern Config gConfig;
 
 void ConfigLoad(Config *config, const char *filename);
 void ConfigSave(Config *config, const char *filename);
-void ConfigApply(Config *config);
+int ConfigApply(Config *config);
 void ConfigLoadDefault(Config *config);
 int ConfigGetVersion(FILE *f);
 
diff --git a/src/cdogs/config_apply.c b/src/cdogs/config_apply.c
index 903a3596f..634ccd3d2 100644
--- a/src/cdogs/config_apply.c
+++ b/src/cdogs/config_apply.c
@@ -32,10 +32,11 @@
 #include "gamedata.h"
 
 
-void ConfigApply(Config *config)
+int ConfigApply(Config *config)
 {
 	BlitSetBrightness(config->Graphics.Brightness);
 	SoundReconfigure(&gSoundDevice, &config->Sound);
 	gCampaign.seed = config->Game.RandomSeed;
 	GraphicsInitialize(&gGraphicsDevice, &config->Graphics, 0);
+	return gGraphicsDevice.IsInitialized;
 }
diff --git a/src/menu.c b/src/menu.c
index 9bbd0055a..2f25a7ee8 100644
--- a/src/menu.c
+++ b/src/menu.c
@@ -799,6 +799,7 @@ void MenuChangeIndex(menu_t *menu, int cmd)
 
 void MenuActivate(menu_t *menu, int cmd)
 {
+	Config lastConfig = gConfig;
 	SoundPlay(&gSoundDevice, SND_SWITCH);
 	switch (menu->type)
 	{
@@ -927,5 +928,14 @@ void MenuActivate(menu_t *menu, int cmd)
 		assert(0);
 		break;
 	}
-	ConfigApply(&gConfig);
+	if (!ConfigApply(&gConfig))
+	{
+		printf("Error: cannot apply new config; applying last config\n");
+		gConfig = lastConfig;
+		if (!ConfigApply(&gConfig))
+		{
+			printf("Error: cannot apply last config!\n");
+			exit(1);
+		}
+	}
 }