diff --git a/ui/app/app.go b/ui/app/app.go
index 456dfeac..499e0d64 100644
--- a/ui/app/app.go
+++ b/ui/app/app.go
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ type Event interface {
 	ImplementsEvent()
 }
 
+// DrawEvent is sent when a Window's Draw
+// method must be called.
 type DrawEvent struct {
 	Config Config
 	Size   image.Point
@@ -27,6 +29,14 @@ type DrawEvent struct {
 	sync bool
 }
 
+// DestroyEvent is the last event sent through
+// a window event channel.
+type DestroyEvent struct {
+	// Err is nil for normal window closures. If a
+	// window is prematurely closed, Err is the cause.
+	Err error
+}
+
 // Insets is the space taken up by
 // system decoration such as translucent
 // system bars and software keyboards.
@@ -60,8 +70,7 @@ type windowAndOptions struct {
 }
 
 const (
-	StageDead Stage = iota
-	StagePaused
+	StagePaused Stage = iota
 	StageRunning
 )
 
@@ -93,8 +102,6 @@ var extraArgs string
 
 func (l Stage) String() string {
 	switch l {
-	case StageDead:
-		return "StageDead"
 	case StagePaused:
 		return "StagePaused"
 	case StageRunning:
@@ -104,10 +111,6 @@ func (l Stage) String() string {
 	}
 }
 
-func (_ DrawEvent) ImplementsEvent()     {}
-func (_ StageEvent) ImplementsEvent()    {}
-func (_ *CommandEvent) ImplementsEvent() {}
-
 func init() {
 	args := strings.Split(extraArgs, "|")
 	os.Args = append(os.Args, args...)
@@ -178,3 +181,8 @@ func newWindowRendezvous() *windowRendezvous {
 	}()
 	return wr
 }
+
+func (_ DrawEvent) ImplementsEvent()     {}
+func (_ StageEvent) ImplementsEvent()    {}
+func (_ *CommandEvent) ImplementsEvent() {}
+func (_ DestroyEvent) ImplementsEvent()  {}
diff --git a/ui/app/os_ios.go b/ui/app/os_ios.go
index 2b86eccc..9ef63132 100644
--- a/ui/app/os_ios.go
+++ b/ui/app/os_ios.go
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ func onStop(view C.CFTypeRef) {
 func onDestroy(view C.CFTypeRef) {
 	w := views[view]
 	delete(views, view)
-	w.w.event(StageEvent{StageDead})
+	w.w.event(DestroyEvent{})
 	C.gio_removeLayer(w.layer)
 	C.CFRelease(w.layer)
 	w.layer = 0
diff --git a/ui/app/os_macos.go b/ui/app/os_macos.go
index f310197f..c9345c64 100644
--- a/ui/app/os_macos.go
+++ b/ui/app/os_macos.go
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ func getConfig() Config {
 func gio_onTerminate(view C.CFTypeRef) {
 	w := views[view]
 	delete(views, view)
-	w.setStage(StageDead)
+	w.w.event(DestroyEvent{})
 }
 
 //export gio_onHide
diff --git a/ui/app/os_wayland.go b/ui/app/os_wayland.go
index 2a2f3696..fd9043e3 100644
--- a/ui/app/os_wayland.go
+++ b/ui/app/os_wayland.go
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ type window struct {
 	lastTouch f32.Point
 
 	stage             Stage
+	dead              bool
 	lastFrameCallback *C.struct_wl_callback
 
 	mu        sync.Mutex
@@ -308,7 +309,8 @@ func gio_onXdgSurfaceConfigure(data unsafe.Pointer, wmSurf *C.struct_xdg_surface
 //export gio_onToplevelClose
 func gio_onToplevelClose(data unsafe.Pointer, topLvl *C.struct_xdg_toplevel) {
 	w := winMap[topLvl]
-	w.setStage(StageDead)
+	w.dead = true
+	w.w.event(DestroyEvent{})
 }
 
 //export gio_onToplevelConfigure
@@ -769,7 +771,7 @@ loop:
 		if ret := C.wl_display_flush(conn.disp); ret < 0 {
 			break
 		}
-		if w.stage == StageDead {
+		if w.dead {
 			break
 		}
 		// Clear poll events.
diff --git a/ui/app/os_windows.go b/ui/app/os_windows.go
index a673b6bf..3527ff6e 100644
--- a/ui/app/os_windows.go
+++ b/ui/app/os_windows.go
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ type window struct {
 	width  int
 	height int
 	stage  Stage
+	dead   bool
 
 	mu        sync.Mutex
 	animating bool
@@ -319,7 +320,8 @@ func windowProc(hwnd syscall.Handle, msg uint32, wParam, lParam uintptr) uintptr
 		w.scrollEvent(wParam, lParam)
 	case _WM_DESTROY:
 		delete(winMap, hwnd)
-		w.setStage(StageDead)
+		w.dead = true
+		w.w.event(DestroyEvent{})
 	case _WM_REDRAW:
 		w.mu.Lock()
 		anim := w.animating
@@ -368,7 +370,7 @@ func (w *window) scrollEvent(wParam, lParam uintptr) {
 // Adapted from https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20060126-00/?p=32513/
 func (w *window) loop() error {
 loop:
-	for w.stage > StageDead {
+	for !w.dead {
 		var msg msg
 		// Since posted messages are always returned before system messages,
 		// but we want our WM_REDRAW to always come last, just like WM_PAINT.
diff --git a/ui/app/window.go b/ui/app/window.go
index 902af0d5..06fee21e 100644
--- a/ui/app/window.go
+++ b/ui/app/window.go
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ type Window struct {
 	drawStart  time.Time
 	gpu        *gpu.GPU
 	inputState key.TextInputState
-	err        error
 
 	events chan Event
 
@@ -70,7 +69,7 @@ var ackEvent Event
 // ignore or adjust them.
 // If the current program is running on iOS and Android,
 // NewWindow returns the window previously by the platform.
-func NewWindow(opts *WindowOptions) (*Window, error) {
+func NewWindow(opts *WindowOptions) *Window {
 	if opts == nil {
 		opts = &WindowOptions{
 			Width:  ui.Dp(800),
@@ -87,9 +86,11 @@ func NewWindow(opts *WindowOptions) (*Window, error) {
 		stage:  StagePaused,
 	}
 	if err := createWindow(w, opts); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		// For simplicity, NewWindow always succeeds. Send
+		// an immediate DestroyEvent instead of returning the error.
+		w.destroy(err)
 	}
-	return w, nil
+	return w
 }
 
 func (w *Window) Events() <-chan Event {
@@ -107,10 +108,6 @@ func (w *Window) setTextInput(s key.TextInputState) {
 	w.inputState = s
 }
 
-func (w *Window) Err() error {
-	return w.err
-}
-
 func (w *Window) Queue() input.Queue {
 	return &w.router
 }
@@ -144,12 +141,12 @@ func (w *Window) Draw(root *ui.Ops) {
 	if w.gpu == nil {
 		ctx, err := newContext(driver)
 		if err != nil {
-			w.err = err
+			w.destroy(err)
 			return
 		}
 		w.gpu, err = gpu.NewGPU(ctx)
 		if err != nil {
-			w.err = err
+			w.destroy(err)
 			return
 		}
 	}
@@ -190,6 +187,9 @@ func (w *Window) updateAnimation() {
 		w.delayedDraw.Stop()
 		w.delayedDraw = nil
 	}
+	if !w.isAlive() {
+		return
+	}
 	if w.stage >= StageRunning && w.hasNextFrame {
 		if dt := time.Until(w.nextFrame); dt <= 0 {
 			animate = true
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ func (w *Window) Stage() Stage {
 }
 
 func (w *Window) isAlive() bool {
-	return w.stage > StageDead && w.err == nil
+	return w.driver != nil
 }
 
 func (w *Window) contextDriver() interface{} {
@@ -236,10 +236,18 @@ func (w *Window) setDriver(d *window) {
 	w.driver = d
 }
 
+func (w *Window) destroy(err error) {
+	w.setDriver(nil)
+	go func() {
+		w.event(DestroyEvent{err})
+	}()
+}
+
 func (w *Window) event(e Event) {
 	w.eventLock.Lock()
 	defer w.eventLock.Unlock()
 	w.mu.Lock()
+	died := false
 	needAck := false
 	switch e := e.(type) {
 	case input.Event:
@@ -248,12 +256,13 @@ func (w *Window) event(e Event) {
 		}
 	case *CommandEvent:
 		needAck = true
+	case DestroyEvent:
+		w.driver = nil
+		died = true
 	case StageEvent:
 		w.stage = e.Stage
-		if w.stage > StageDead {
-			needAck = true
-			w.syncGPU = true
-		}
+		needAck = true
+		w.syncGPU = true
 	case DrawEvent:
 		if e.Size == (image.Point{}) {
 			panic(errors.New("internal error: zero-sized Draw"))
@@ -290,7 +299,7 @@ func (w *Window) event(e Event) {
 			w.gpu.Refresh()
 		}
 	}
-	if stage == StageDead {
+	if died {
 		close(w.events)
 	}
 }