diff --git a/src/picom.c b/src/picom.c
index 74fb2a9..fedcf55 100644
--- a/src/picom.c
+++ b/src/picom.c
@@ -1205,7 +1205,13 @@ static bool redirect_start(session_t *ps) {
 		xcb_map_window(ps->c, ps->overlay);
 	}
 
-	xcb_composite_redirect_subwindows(ps->c, ps->root, session_redirection_mode(ps));
+	bool success = XCB_AWAIT_VOID(xcb_composite_redirect_subwindows, ps->c, ps->root,
+	                              session_redirection_mode(ps));
+	if (!success) {
+		log_fatal("Another composite manager is already running "
+		          "(and does not handle _NET_WM_CM_Sn correctly)");
+		return false;
+	}
 
 	x_sync(ps->c);
 
diff --git a/src/x.c b/src/x.c
index fe162d2..4d1f43c 100644
--- a/src/x.c
+++ b/src/x.c
@@ -334,12 +334,6 @@ void x_print_error(unsigned long serial, uint8_t major, uint16_t minor, uint8_t
 	int o = 0;
 	const char *name = "Unknown";
 
-	if (major == ps->composite_opcode && minor == XCB_COMPOSITE_REDIRECT_SUBWINDOWS) {
-		log_fatal("Another composite manager is already running "
-		          "(and does not handle _NET_WM_CM_Sn correctly)");
-		exit(1);
-	}
-
 #define CASESTRRET2(s)                                                                   \
 	case s: name = #s; break
 
diff --git a/src/x.h b/src/x.h
index e98b211..8238b7c 100644
--- a/src/x.h
+++ b/src/x.h
@@ -50,27 +50,27 @@ struct xvisual_info {
 
 #define XCB_AWAIT_VOID(func, c, ...)                                                     \
 	({                                                                               \
-		bool success = true;                                                     \
-		__auto_type e = xcb_request_check(c, func##_checked(c, __VA_ARGS__));    \
-		if (e) {                                                                 \
-			x_print_error(e->sequence, e->major_code, e->minor_code,         \
-			              e->error_code);                                    \
-			free(e);                                                         \
-			success = false;                                                 \
+		bool __success = true;                                                   \
+		__auto_type __e = xcb_request_check(c, func##_checked(c, __VA_ARGS__));  \
+		if (__e) {                                                               \
+			x_print_error(__e->sequence, __e->major_code, __e->minor_code,   \
+			              __e->error_code);                                  \
+			free(__e);                                                       \
+			__success = false;                                               \
 		}                                                                        \
-		success;                                                                 \
+		__success;                                                               \
 	})
 
 #define XCB_AWAIT(func, c, ...)                                                          \
 	({                                                                               \
-		xcb_generic_error_t *e = NULL;                                           \
-		__auto_type r = func##_reply(c, func(c, __VA_ARGS__), &e);               \
-		if (e) {                                                                 \
-			x_print_error(e->sequence, e->major_code, e->minor_code,         \
-			              e->error_code);                                    \
-			free(e);                                                         \
+		xcb_generic_error_t *__e = NULL;                                         \
+		__auto_type __r = func##_reply(c, func(c, __VA_ARGS__), &__e);           \
+		if (__e) {                                                               \
+			x_print_error(__e->sequence, __e->major_code, __e->minor_code,   \
+			              __e->error_code);                                  \
+			free(__e);                                                       \
 		}                                                                        \
-		r;                                                                       \
+		__r;                                                                     \
 	})
 
 /// Wraps x_new_id. abort the program if x_new_id returns error