diff --git a/src/gl_context.c b/src/gl_context.c
index 61ffe4cf9..852b65e9e 100644
--- a/src/gl_context.c
+++ b/src/gl_context.c
@@ -149,42 +149,49 @@ bool init_gl_context(struct gl_context *context, int which) {
 GLuint glsl_compile_link(const char *vprogram, const char *fprogram)
 {
         char log[32768];
-        GLuint vhandle, fhandle;
-        GLuint phandle;
+        GLuint vhandle = 0;
+        GLuint fhandle = 0;
         GLint status;
 
-        phandle = glCreateProgram();
-        vhandle = glCreateShader(GL_VERTEX_SHADER);
-        fhandle = glCreateShader(GL_FRAGMENT_SHADER);
-
         log_msg(LOG_LEVEL_DEBUG, "Compiling program:\nVertex:%s\nShader:\n%s\n", IF_NOT_NULL_ELSE(vprogram, "(none)"), IF_NOT_NULL_ELSE(fprogram, "(none)"));
 
         /* compile */
         /* fragmemt */
         if (fprogram) {
+                fhandle = glCreateShader(GL_FRAGMENT_SHADER);
                 glShaderSource(fhandle, 1, &fprogram, NULL);
                 glCompileShader(fhandle);
                 /* Print compile log */
                 glGetShaderInfoLog(fhandle, sizeof log, NULL, log);
                 if (strlen(log) > 0) {
-                        log_msg(LOG_LEVEL_INFO, "Fragment compile log: %s\n", log);
+                        log_msg(LOG_LEVEL_ERROR, "Fragment compile log: %s\n", log);
                 }
                 glGetShaderiv(fhandle, GL_COMPILE_STATUS, &status);
-                assert(status == GL_TRUE);
+                if (status != GL_TRUE) {
+                        glDeleteShader(fhandle);
+                        return 0;
+                }
         }
         /* vertex */
         if (vprogram) {
+                vhandle = glCreateShader(GL_VERTEX_SHADER);
                 glShaderSource(vhandle, 1, &vprogram, NULL);
                 glCompileShader(vhandle);
                 /* Print compile log */
                 glGetShaderInfoLog(vhandle, sizeof log, NULL, log);
                 if (strlen(log) > 0) {
-                        log_msg(LOG_LEVEL_INFO, "Vertex compile log: %s\n", log);
+                        log_msg(LOG_LEVEL_ERROR, "Vertex compile log: %s\n", log);
                 }
                 glGetShaderiv(vhandle, GL_COMPILE_STATUS, &status);
-                assert(status == GL_TRUE);
+                if (status != GL_TRUE) {
+                        glDeleteShader(fhandle);
+                        glDeleteShader(vhandle);
+                        return 0;
+                }
         }
 
+        GLuint phandle = glCreateProgram();
+
         /* attach and link */
         if (vprogram) {
                 glAttachShader(phandle, vhandle);
@@ -193,20 +200,24 @@ GLuint glsl_compile_link(const char *vprogram, const char *fprogram)
                 glAttachShader(phandle, fhandle);
         }
         glLinkProgram(phandle);
-        glGetProgramiv(phandle, GL_LINK_STATUS, &status);
-        assert(status == GL_TRUE);
-        glGetProgramInfoLog(phandle, sizeof log, NULL, (GLchar*) log);
-        if (strlen(log) > 0) {
-                log_msg(LOG_LEVEL_INFO, "Link Log: %s\n", log);
-        }
-
-        // check GL errors
-        gl_check_error();
 
         // mark shaders for deletion when program is deleted
         glDeleteShader(vhandle);
         glDeleteShader(fhandle);
 
+        glGetProgramInfoLog(phandle, sizeof log, NULL, (GLchar*) log);
+        if (strlen(log) > 0) {
+                log_msg(LOG_LEVEL_ERROR, "Link Log: %s\n", log);
+        }
+        glGetProgramiv(phandle, GL_LINK_STATUS, &status);
+        if (status != GL_TRUE) {
+                glDeleteProgram(phandle);
+                return 0;
+        }
+
+        // check GL errors
+        gl_check_error();
+
         return phandle;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/gl_context.h b/src/gl_context.h
index 0b20621a3..5b7945e1f 100644
--- a/src/gl_context.h
+++ b/src/gl_context.h
@@ -123,6 +123,11 @@ void destroy_gl_context(struct gl_context *context);
         } \
 } while(0)
 
+/**
+ * compiles and links specified program shaders
+ * @returns shader ID
+ * @retval 0 on error
+ */
 GLuint glsl_compile_link(const char *vprogram, const char *fprogram);
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
diff --git a/src/video_capture/syphon.mm b/src/video_capture/syphon.mm
index 6f35759c4..d7bc43c67 100644
--- a/src/video_capture/syphon.mm
+++ b/src/video_capture/syphon.mm
@@ -252,6 +252,7 @@ static void oneshot_init(int value [[gnu::unused]])
 
         if (!s->use_rgb) {
                 s->program_to_yuv422 = glsl_compile_link(NULL, fp_display_rgba_to_yuv422_legacy);
+                assert(s->program_to_yuv422 != NULL);
                 glUseProgram(s->program_to_yuv422);
                 glUniform1i(glGetUniformLocation(s->program_to_yuv422, "image"), 0);
         }