diff --git a/xinstance.cpp b/xinstance.cpp
index c9701e0..836eb64 100644
--- a/xinstance.cpp
+++ b/xinstance.cpp
@@ -124,6 +124,7 @@ void XInstance::flush()
 
 pid_t XInstance::getPid(Window wid)
 {
+    defaultHandler = XSetErrorHandler(ignoreErrorHandler);
     XTextProperty xWidHostNameTextProperty;
     bool ret;
     ret = XGetTextProperty(display, wid, &xWidHostNameTextProperty, atoms.wmClientMachine); 
@@ -132,7 +133,11 @@ pid_t XInstance::getPid(Window wid)
         char errorString[1024];
         XGetErrorText(display, ret, errorString, 1024);
         debug("XGetWMClientMachine failed! " + std::string(errorString));
-        if(!ignoreClientMachine) return -1;
+        if(!ignoreClientMachine) 
+        {
+            XSetErrorHandler(defaultHandler);
+            return -1;
+        }
     }
     char** xWidHostNameStringList = nullptr;
     int nStrings;
@@ -142,13 +147,21 @@ pid_t XInstance::getPid(Window wid)
         char errorString[1024];
         XGetErrorText(display, ret, errorString, 1024);
         debug("XTextPropertyToStringList failed! " + std::string(errorString));
-        if(!ignoreClientMachine) return -1;
+        if(!ignoreClientMachine) 
+        {
+            XSetErrorHandler(defaultHandler);
+            return -1;
+        }
     }
     char hostName[HOST_NAME_MAX+1]={0};
     if(gethostname(hostName, HOST_NAME_MAX) != 0)
     {
         debug("Can't get host name");
-        if(!ignoreClientMachine) return -1;
+        if(!ignoreClientMachine) 
+        {
+            XSetErrorHandler(defaultHandler);
+            return -1;
+        }
     }
     pid_t pid = -1;
     if(ignoreClientMachine || strcmp(hostName, xWidHostNameStringList[0]) == 0 )
@@ -165,9 +178,17 @@ pid_t XInstance::getPid(Window wid)
         debug("Window "+std::to_string(wid)+" is a remote window");
     }
     if(xWidHostNameStringList) XFreeStringList(xWidHostNameStringList);
+    XSetErrorHandler(defaultHandler);
     return pid;
 }
 
+int XInstance::ignoreErrorHandler(Display* display, XErrorEvent* xerror)
+{
+    std::cerr<<"Ignoring: error code"<<xerror->error_code<<" request code "<<xerror->request_code<<'\n'
+             <<"this error most likely occured because of a bug in your WM\n";
+    return 0;
+}
+
  XInstance::~XInstance()
  {
      if(display) XCloseDisplay(display);
diff --git a/xinstance.h b/xinstance.h
index 5bced7f..dc69403 100644
--- a/xinstance.h
+++ b/xinstance.h
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ class XInstance
 
 public:
     
+    inline static XErrorHandler defaultHandler;
     static constexpr unsigned long MAX_BYTES = 1048576;
     
     inline static bool ignoreClientMachine = false;
@@ -46,6 +47,7 @@ private:
     
     unsigned long readProparty(Window wid, Atom atom, unsigned char** prop, int* format);
     Atom getAtom(const std::string& atomName);
+    static int ignoreErrorHandler(Display* display, XErrorEvent* xerror);
     
 public: