diff --git a/src/Objects/MonitorManager.vala b/src/Objects/MonitorManager.vala
index 8524a56c..2c253beb 100644
--- a/src/Objects/MonitorManager.vala
+++ b/src/Objects/MonitorManager.vala
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ public class Display.MonitorManager : GLib.Object {
         }
     }
 
-    public void set_monitor_config () {
+    public void set_monitor_config () throws Error {
         MutterWriteLogicalMonitor[] logical_monitors = {};
         foreach (var virtual_monitor in virtual_monitors) {
             if (virtual_monitor.is_active) {
@@ -256,11 +256,7 @@ public class Display.MonitorManager : GLib.Object {
         }
 
         var properties = new GLib.HashTable<string, GLib.Variant> (str_hash, str_equal);
-        try {
-            iface.apply_monitors_config (current_serial, MutterApplyMethod.PERSISTENT, logical_monitors, properties);
-        } catch (Error e) {
-            critical (e.message);
-        }
+        iface.apply_monitors_config (current_serial, MutterApplyMethod.PERSISTENT, logical_monitors, properties);
     }
 
     public static MutterWriteLogicalMonitor get_mutter_logical_monitor (Display.VirtualMonitor virtual_monitor) {
@@ -335,7 +331,7 @@ public class Display.MonitorManager : GLib.Object {
         notify_property ("is-mirrored");
     }
 
-    public void set_scale_on_all_monitors (double new_scale) {
+    public void set_scale_on_all_monitors (double new_scale) throws Error {
         if (new_scale <= 0.0) {
             return;
         }
diff --git a/src/Views/DisplaysView.vala b/src/Views/DisplaysView.vala
index d9fa8997..1485a827 100644
--- a/src/Views/DisplaysView.vala
+++ b/src/Views/DisplaysView.vala
@@ -107,14 +107,22 @@ public class Display.DisplaysView : Gtk.Box {
 
             detect_button.clicked.connect (() => displays_overlay.rescan_displays ());
             apply_button.clicked.connect (() => {
-                monitor_manager.set_monitor_config ();
+                try {
+                    monitor_manager.set_monitor_config ();
+                } catch (Error e) {
+                    show_error_dialog (e.message);
+                }
                 apply_button.sensitive = false;
             });
 
             dpi_combo.active = (int)monitor_manager.virtual_monitors[0].scale - 1;
 
             dpi_combo.changed.connect (() => {
-                monitor_manager.set_scale_on_all_monitors ((double)(dpi_combo.active + 1));
+                try {
+                    monitor_manager.set_scale_on_all_monitors ((double)(dpi_combo.active + 1));
+                } catch (Error e) {
+                    show_error_dialog (e.message);
+                }
             });
 
             mirror_switch.active = monitor_manager.is_mirrored;
@@ -129,6 +137,17 @@ public class Display.DisplaysView : Gtk.Box {
             });
     }
 
+    private void show_error_dialog (string details) {
+        var error_dialog = new Granite.MessageDialog.with_image_from_icon_name (
+            _("Failed to apply display settings"),
+            _("This can be caused by an invalid configuration."),
+            "dialog-error"
+        );
+        error_dialog.show_error_details (details);
+        error_dialog.response.connect (error_dialog.destroy);
+        error_dialog.present ();
+    }
+
     private async void detect_accelerometer () {
         bool has_accelerometer = false;