diff --git a/src/error.c b/src/error.c
index 8b623d06..bfce336f 100644
--- a/src/error.c
+++ b/src/error.c
@@ -35,10 +35,13 @@
 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 //========================================================================
-// The current error value
+// The current error value and callback
+// These are not in _glfwLibrary since they need to be initialized and
+// accessible before glfwInit
 //========================================================================
 
 static int _glfwError = GLFW_NO_ERROR;
+static GLFWerrorfun _glfwErrorCallback = NULL;
 
 
 //========================================================================
@@ -48,18 +51,12 @@ static int _glfwError = GLFW_NO_ERROR;
 
 void _glfwSetError(int error, const char* description)
 {
-    if (!_glfwInitialized)
-    {
-        _glfwError = error;
-        return;
-    }
-
-    if (_glfwLibrary.errorCallback)
+    if (_glfwErrorCallback)
     {
         if (!description)
             description = glfwErrorString(error);
 
-        _glfwLibrary.errorCallback(error, description);
+        _glfwErrorCallback(error, description);
     }
     else
         _glfwError = error;
@@ -110,9 +107,9 @@ GLFWAPI const char* glfwErrorString(int error)
             return "The requested OpenGL version is unavailable";
         case GLFW_PLATFORM_ERROR:
             return "A platform-specific error occurred";
-        default:
-            return "ERROR: UNKNOWN ERROR TOKEN PASSED TO glfwErrorString";
     }
+
+    return "ERROR: UNKNOWN ERROR TOKEN PASSED TO glfwErrorString";
 }
 
 
@@ -122,12 +119,6 @@ GLFWAPI const char* glfwErrorString(int error)
 
 GLFWAPI void glfwSetErrorCallback(GLFWerrorfun cbfun)
 {
-    if (!_glfwInitialized)
-    {
-        _glfwSetError(GLFW_NOT_INITIALIZED, NULL);
-        return;
-    }
-
-    _glfwLibrary.errorCallback = cbfun;
+    _glfwErrorCallback = cbfun;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/internal.h b/src/internal.h
index 29c29156..83559ecc 100644
--- a/src/internal.h
+++ b/src/internal.h
@@ -226,7 +226,6 @@ struct _GLFWlibrary
     _GLFWwindow*  currentWindow;
     _GLFWwindow*  activeWindow;
 
-    GLFWerrorfun         errorCallback;
     GLFWwindowsizefun    windowSizeCallback;
     GLFWwindowclosefun   windowCloseCallback;
     GLFWwindowrefreshfun windowRefreshCallback;
diff --git a/tests/version.c b/tests/version.c
index c36fa387..9bcdd0f8 100644
--- a/tests/version.c
+++ b/tests/version.c
@@ -174,14 +174,14 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
     argc -= optind;
     argv += optind;
 
+    glfwSetErrorCallback(error_callback);
+
     if (!glfwInit())
     {
         fprintf(stderr, "Failed to initialize GLFW: %s\n", glfwErrorString(glfwGetError()));
         exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
     }
 
-    glfwSetErrorCallback(error_callback);
-
     if (major != 1 || minor != 0)
     {
         glfwOpenWindowHint(GLFW_OPENGL_VERSION_MAJOR, major);