diff --git a/src/panel/panel.cpp b/src/panel/panel.cpp
index 0864fb1f..e31615c6 100644
--- a/src/panel/panel.cpp
+++ b/src/panel/panel.cpp
@@ -200,7 +200,15 @@ class WayfirePanel::impl
 
         if (name == "language")
         {
-            return Widget(new WayfireLanguage());
+            if (WayfireIPC::get_instance()->connected)
+            {
+                return Widget(new WayfireLanguage());
+            } else
+            {
+                std::cerr << "Wayfire IPC not connected, which is required to load language widget." <<
+                    std::endl;
+                return nullptr;
+            }
         }
 
         if (auto pixel = widget_with_value(name, "spacing"))
diff --git a/src/panel/widgets/language.cpp b/src/panel/widgets/language.cpp
index 1d4432ec..00c65308 100644
--- a/src/panel/widgets/language.cpp
+++ b/src/panel/widgets/language.cpp
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#include <iostream>
 #include <cstddef>
 #include <cstdint>
 
@@ -25,6 +26,13 @@ void WayfireLanguage::init(Gtk::Box *container)
     ipc_client->subscribe(this, {"keyboard-modifier-state-changed"});
     ipc_client->send("{\"method\":\"wayfire/get-keyboard-state\"}", [=] (wf::json_t data)
     {
+        if (data.serialize().find(
+            "error") != std::string::npos)
+        {
+            std::cerr << "Error getting keyboard state for language widget. Is wayfire ipc-rules plugin enabled?" << std::endl;
+            return;
+        }
+
         set_available(data["possible-layouts"]);
         set_current(data["layout-index"]);
     });
diff --git a/src/util/wf-ipc.cpp b/src/util/wf-ipc.cpp
index f5c1c4d9..0d81dc85 100644
--- a/src/util/wf-ipc.cpp
+++ b/src/util/wf-ipc.cpp
@@ -1,63 +1,70 @@
+#include <sys/socket.h>
+#include <sys/un.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <poll.h>
+
+#include <sigc++/functors/mem_fun.h>
+#include <iostream>
 #include <cstdint>
 #include <cstdlib>
-#include <fcntl.h>
-#include <functional>
-#include <giomm/enums.h>
-#include <glibmm/iochannel.h>
 #include <memory>
 #include <optional>
-#include <stdexcept>
-#include <string>
 #include <string_view>
-#include <sys/socket.h>
-#include <sys/un.h>
-#include <unistd.h>
-#include <poll.h>
-#include <vector>
-#include <wayfire/nonstd/json.hpp>
+
 #include <wayfire/util/log.hpp>
 
 #include "wf-ipc.hpp"
-#include "giomm/cancellable.h"
-#include "giomm/error.h"
-#include "giomm/socketclient.h"
-#include "giomm/unixsocketaddress.h"
-#include "glibconfig.h"
-#include "glibmm/error.h"
-#include "glibmm/iochannel.h"
-#include "glibmm/main.h"
-#include "sigc++/functors/mem_fun.h"
 
 WayfireIPC::WayfireIPC()
 {
-    connect();
+    if (connect())
+    {
+        sig_connection = Glib::signal_io().connect(
+            sigc::mem_fun(*this, &WayfireIPC::receive),
+            connection->get_socket()->get_fd(),
+            Glib::IOCondition::IO_IN);
 
-    sig_connection = Glib::signal_io().connect(
-        sigc::mem_fun(*this, &WayfireIPC::receive),
-        connection->get_socket()->get_fd(),
-        Glib::IOCondition::IO_IN);
+        connected = true;
+    } else
+    {
+        std::cerr << "Failed to connect to WAYFIRE_SOCKET. Is wayfire ipc plugin enabled?" << std::endl;
+    }
 }
 
 WayfireIPC::~WayfireIPC()
 {
-    disconnect();
+    if (connected)
+    {
+        disconnect();
+    }
 }
 
-void WayfireIPC::connect()
+bool WayfireIPC::connect()
 {
     const char *socket_path = getenv("WAYFIRE_SOCKET");
-    if (socket_path == nullptr)
+    if (!socket_path || std::string(socket_path).empty())
+    {
+        std::cerr << "Wayfire socket not found" << std::endl;
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    try {
+        auto client  = Gio::SocketClient::create();
+        auto address = Gio::UnixSocketAddress::create(socket_path);
+        connection = client->connect(address);
+        connection->get_socket()->set_blocking(false);
+        output = connection->get_output_stream();
+        input  = connection->get_input_stream();
+        cancel = Gio::Cancellable::create();
+
+        return true;
+    } catch (const Glib::Error& ex)
     {
-        throw std::runtime_error("Wayfire socket not found");
+        std::cerr << "Error connecting to WAYFIRE_SOCKET at path \"" << socket_path << "\": " << ex.what();
+        return false;
     }
 
-    auto client  = Gio::SocketClient::create();
-    auto address = Gio::UnixSocketAddress::create(socket_path);
-    connection = client->connect(address);
-    connection->get_socket()->set_blocking(false);
-    output = connection->get_output_stream();
-    input  = connection->get_input_stream();
-    cancel = Gio::Cancellable::create();
+    return false;
 }
 
 void WayfireIPC::disconnect()
diff --git a/src/util/wf-ipc.hpp b/src/util/wf-ipc.hpp
index 35a4f7e3..d9496a14 100644
--- a/src/util/wf-ipc.hpp
+++ b/src/util/wf-ipc.hpp
@@ -1,11 +1,8 @@
 #pragma once
 
-#include <giomm/cancellable.h>
-#include <giomm/outputstream.h>
-#include <giomm/socketconnection.h>
-#include <glibmm/iochannel.h>
-#include <glibmm/refptr.h>
-#include <wayfire/nonstd/json.hpp>
+#include <glibmm.h>
+#include <giomm.h>
+
 #include <sigc++/connection.h>
 #include <functional>
 #include <memory>
@@ -15,6 +12,8 @@
 #include <unordered_map>
 #include <vector>
 
+#include <wayfire/nonstd/json.hpp>
+
 class IIPCSubscriber
 {
   public:
@@ -26,6 +25,7 @@ using response_handler = std::function<void (wf::json_t)>;
 class WayfireIPC;
 class IPCClient
 {
+  private:
     int id;
     std::shared_ptr<WayfireIPC> ipc;
     std::queue<response_handler> response_handlers;
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ class IPCClient
 
 class WayfireIPC : public std::enable_shared_from_this<WayfireIPC>
 {
+  private:
     std::queue<int> response_handlers;
     std::set<IIPCSubscriber*> subscribers;
     std::unordered_map<std::string, std::set<IIPCSubscriber*>> subscriptions;
@@ -57,7 +58,7 @@ class WayfireIPC : public std::enable_shared_from_this<WayfireIPC>
     std::queue<std::string> write_queue;
     bool writing = false;
 
-    void connect();
+    bool connect();
     void disconnect();
     void send_message(const std::string& message);
     bool send_queue(Glib::IOCondition cond);
@@ -75,6 +76,7 @@ class WayfireIPC : public std::enable_shared_from_this<WayfireIPC>
     void client_destroyed(int id);
 
     static std::shared_ptr<WayfireIPC> get_instance();
+    bool connected = false;
     WayfireIPC();
     ~WayfireIPC();
 };