diff --git a/gdk/x11/gdkdisplay-x11.c b/gdk/x11/gdkdisplay-x11.c
index db8175cb1b..f15da8b80c 100644
--- a/gdk/x11/gdkdisplay-x11.c
+++ b/gdk/x11/gdkdisplay-x11.c
@@ -2751,7 +2751,7 @@ _gdk_x11_display_error_event (GdkDisplay  *display,
 #ifdef G_ENABLE_DEBUG
       g_error ("%s", msg);
 #else /* !G_ENABLE_DEBUG */
-      g_fprintf (stderr, "%s\n", msg);
+      g_warning ("%s\n", msg);
 
       exit (1);
 #endif /* G_ENABLE_DEBUG */
diff --git a/gdk/x11/gdkmain-x11.c b/gdk/x11/gdkmain-x11.c
index ca20f97304..c71e189aa0 100644
--- a/gdk/x11/gdkmain-x11.c
+++ b/gdk/x11/gdkmain-x11.c
@@ -318,19 +318,18 @@ gdk_x_io_error (Display *display)
    */
   if (errno == EPIPE)
     {
-      g_fprintf (stderr,
-               "The application '%s' lost its connection to the display %s;\n"
-               "most likely the X server was shut down or you killed/destroyed\n"
-               "the application.\n",
-               g_get_prgname (),
-               display ? DisplayString (display) : gdk_get_display_arg_name ());
+      g_warning ("The application '%s' lost its connection to the display %s;\n"
+                 "most likely the X server was shut down or you killed/destroyed\n"
+                 "the application.\n",
+                 g_get_prgname (),
+                 display ? DisplayString (display) : gdk_get_display_arg_name ());
     }
   else
     {
-      g_fprintf (stderr, "%s: Fatal IO error %d (%s) on X server %s.\n",
-               g_get_prgname (),
-	       errno, g_strerror (errno),
-	       display ? DisplayString (display) : gdk_get_display_arg_name ());
+      g_warning ("%s: Fatal IO error %d (%s) on X server %s.\n",
+                 g_get_prgname (),
+                 errno, g_strerror (errno),
+                 display ? DisplayString (display) : gdk_get_display_arg_name ());
     }
 
   exit(1);