diff --git a/gsk/gskslcompiler.c b/gsk/gskslcompiler.c
index 1e9cfead17..b473cecf1d 100644
--- a/gsk/gskslcompiler.c
+++ b/gsk/gskslcompiler.c
@@ -196,7 +196,9 @@ gsk_sl_compiler_compile (GskSlCompiler *compiler,
 
   preproc = gsk_sl_preprocessor_new (compiler, source);
 
-  if (!gsk_sl_program_parse (program, preproc))
+  gsk_sl_program_parse (program, preproc);
+
+  if (gsk_sl_preprocessor_has_fatal_error (preproc))
     {
       g_object_unref (program);
       program = NULL;
diff --git a/gsk/gskslpreprocessor.c b/gsk/gskslpreprocessor.c
index 98c2fd5fce..ca39e79d43 100644
--- a/gsk/gskslpreprocessor.c
+++ b/gsk/gskslpreprocessor.c
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ struct _GskSlPreprocessor
   GskSlTokenizer *tokenizer;
   GArray *tokens;
   GHashTable *defines;
+  gboolean fatal_error;
 };
 
 /* API */
@@ -111,6 +112,12 @@ gsk_sl_preprocessor_unref (GskSlPreprocessor *preproc)
   g_slice_free (GskSlPreprocessor, preproc);
 }
 
+gboolean
+gsk_sl_preprocessor_has_fatal_error (GskSlPreprocessor *preproc)
+{
+  return preproc->fatal_error;
+}
+
 static gboolean
 gsk_sl_preprocessor_next_token (GskSlPreprocessor *preproc,
                                 GskSlPpToken      *pp,
@@ -375,6 +382,8 @@ gsk_sl_preprocessor_emit_error (GskSlPreprocessor     *preproc,
                                 const GskCodeLocation *location,
                                 const GError          *error)
 {
+  preproc->fatal_error |= fatal;
+
   g_printerr ("%3zu:%2zu: %s: %s\n",
               location->lines + 1, location->line_bytes,
               fatal ? "error" : "warn",
diff --git a/gsk/gskslpreprocessorprivate.h b/gsk/gskslpreprocessorprivate.h
index 8fcb429c3d..b6544cca73 100644
--- a/gsk/gskslpreprocessorprivate.h
+++ b/gsk/gskslpreprocessorprivate.h
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ GskSlPreprocessor *     gsk_sl_preprocessor_new                 (GskSlCompiler
 GskSlPreprocessor *     gsk_sl_preprocessor_ref                 (GskSlPreprocessor   *preproc);
 void                    gsk_sl_preprocessor_unref               (GskSlPreprocessor   *preproc);
 
+gboolean                gsk_sl_preprocessor_has_fatal_error     (GskSlPreprocessor   *preproc);
 const GskSlToken *      gsk_sl_preprocessor_get                 (GskSlPreprocessor   *preproc);
 const GskCodeLocation * gsk_sl_preprocessor_get_location        (GskSlPreprocessor   *preproc);
 void                    gsk_sl_preprocessor_consume             (GskSlPreprocessor   *preproc,
diff --git a/gsk/gskslprogram.c b/gsk/gskslprogram.c
index 8f9c3edb60..d1dea506cb 100644
--- a/gsk/gskslprogram.c
+++ b/gsk/gskslprogram.c
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ gsk_sl_program_parse_variable (GskSlProgram      *program,
   return TRUE;
 }
 
-static gboolean
+static void
 gsk_sl_program_parse_declaration (GskSlProgram      *program,
                                   GskSlScope        *scope,
                                   GskSlPreprocessor *preproc)
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ gsk_sl_program_parse_declaration (GskSlProgram      *program,
   if (type == NULL)
     {
       gsk_sl_preprocessor_consume (preproc, program);
-      return FALSE;
+      return;
     }
 
   token = gsk_sl_preprocessor_get (preproc);
@@ -170,13 +170,13 @@ gsk_sl_program_parse_declaration (GskSlProgram      *program,
           gsk_sl_preprocessor_consume (preproc, program);
         }
       gsk_sl_type_unref (type);
-      return success;
+      return;
     }
   else if (!gsk_sl_token_is (token, GSK_SL_TOKEN_IDENTIFIER))
     {
       gsk_sl_preprocessor_error (preproc, SYNTAX, "Expected a variable name");
       gsk_sl_type_unref (type);
-      return FALSE;
+      return;
     }
 
   name = g_strdup (token->str);
@@ -204,24 +204,21 @@ gsk_sl_program_parse_declaration (GskSlProgram      *program,
 
   g_free (name);
 
-  return success;
+  return;
 }
 
-gboolean
+void
 gsk_sl_program_parse (GskSlProgram      *program,
                       GskSlPreprocessor *preproc)
 {
   const GskSlToken *token;
-  gboolean success = TRUE;
 
   for (token = gsk_sl_preprocessor_get (preproc);
        !gsk_sl_token_is (token, GSK_SL_TOKEN_EOF);
        token = gsk_sl_preprocessor_get (preproc))
     {
-      success &= gsk_sl_program_parse_declaration (program, program->scope, preproc);
+      gsk_sl_program_parse_declaration (program, program->scope, preproc);
     }
-
-  return success;
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/gsk/gskslprogramprivate.h b/gsk/gskslprogramprivate.h
index 9b24b8eda5..4d9ec97c7b 100644
--- a/gsk/gskslprogramprivate.h
+++ b/gsk/gskslprogramprivate.h
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 
 G_BEGIN_DECLS
 
-gboolean                gsk_sl_program_parse                    (GskSlProgram           *program,
+void                    gsk_sl_program_parse                    (GskSlProgram           *program,
                                                                  GskSlPreprocessor      *preproc);
 
 G_END_DECLS