diff --git a/src/ui.rs b/src/ui.rs
index 02eb4ba1..6cdbeca4 100644
--- a/src/ui.rs
+++ b/src/ui.rs
@@ -99,13 +99,15 @@ impl Drop for Ui {
 pub fn sdl_init(flag: sdl3_sys::init::SDL_InitFlags) {
     unsafe {
         if sdl3_sys::init::SDL_WasInit(flag) == 0 && !sdl3_sys::init::SDL_InitSubSystem(flag) {
-            let err = std::ffi::CStr::from_ptr(sdl3_sys::error::SDL_GetError())
-                .to_str()
-                .unwrap();
+            let err = sdl3_sys::error::SDL_GetError();
             panic!(
                 "Could not initialize SDL subsystem: {}, {}",
                 u32::from(flag),
-                err
+                if err.is_null() {
+                    "Unknown error"
+                } else {
+                    std::ffi::CStr::from_ptr(err).to_str().unwrap()
+                }
             );
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/ui/input.rs b/src/ui/input.rs
index 9dca6dc7..44f891d9 100644
--- a/src/ui/input.rs
+++ b/src/ui/input.rs
@@ -332,10 +332,12 @@ pub fn get_controller_names(game_ui: &ui::Ui) -> Vec<String> {
     let mut controllers: Vec<String> = vec![];
 
     for joystick in game_ui.input.joysticks.iter() {
-        let name = unsafe {
-            std::ffi::CStr::from_ptr(sdl3_sys::joystick::SDL_GetJoystickNameForID(*joystick))
-        };
-        controllers.push(name.to_string_lossy().to_string());
+        let name = unsafe { sdl3_sys::joystick::SDL_GetJoystickNameForID(*joystick) };
+        controllers.push(if name.is_null() {
+            "Unknown controller".to_string()
+        } else {
+            unsafe { std::ffi::CStr::from_ptr(name).to_str().unwrap() }.to_string()
+        });
     }
 
     controllers
@@ -346,12 +348,12 @@ pub fn get_controller_paths(game_ui: &ui::Ui) -> Vec<Option<String>> {
     let mut controller_paths: Vec<Option<String>> = vec![];
 
     for joystick in game_ui.input.joysticks.iter() {
-        let path = unsafe {
-            std::ffi::CStr::from_ptr(sdl3_sys::joystick::SDL_GetJoystickPathForID(*joystick))
-                .to_string_lossy()
-                .to_string()
-        };
-        controller_paths.push(Some(path));
+        let path = unsafe { sdl3_sys::joystick::SDL_GetJoystickPathForID(*joystick) };
+        controller_paths.push(if path.is_null() {
+            None
+        } else {
+            Some(unsafe { std::ffi::CStr::from_ptr(path).to_str().unwrap() }.to_string())
+        });
     }
 
     controller_paths
@@ -470,13 +472,12 @@ pub fn get(ui: &mut ui::Ui, channel: usize) -> InputData {
 pub fn assign_controller(ui: &mut ui::Ui, controller: i32, port: usize) {
     if controller < ui.input.joysticks.len() as i32 {
         let path = unsafe {
-            std::ffi::CStr::from_ptr(sdl3_sys::joystick::SDL_GetJoystickPathForID(
-                ui.input.joysticks[controller as usize],
-            ))
-            .to_string_lossy()
-            .to_string()
+            sdl3_sys::joystick::SDL_GetJoystickPathForID(ui.input.joysticks[controller as usize])
         };
-        ui.config.input.controller_assignment[port - 1] = Some(path);
+        if !path.is_null() {
+            ui.config.input.controller_assignment[port - 1] =
+                Some(unsafe { std::ffi::CStr::from_ptr(path).to_str().unwrap().to_string() });
+        }
     } else {
         println!("Invalid controller number")
     }
@@ -977,14 +978,9 @@ pub fn init(ui: &mut ui::Ui) {
             let assigned_path = controller_assignment.as_ref().unwrap();
 
             for joystick in ui.input.joysticks.iter() {
-                let path = unsafe {
-                    std::ffi::CStr::from_ptr(sdl3_sys::joystick::SDL_GetJoystickPathForID(
-                        *joystick,
-                    ))
-                    .to_string_lossy()
-                    .to_string()
-                };
-                if path == *assigned_path
+                let path = unsafe { sdl3_sys::joystick::SDL_GetJoystickPathForID(*joystick) };
+                if !path.is_null()
+                    && unsafe { std::ffi::CStr::from_ptr(path).to_str().unwrap() } == *assigned_path
                     && unsafe { sdl3_sys::joystick::SDL_GetJoystickFromID(*joystick) }.is_null()
                     && unsafe { sdl3_sys::gamepad::SDL_GetGamepadFromID(*joystick) }.is_null()
                 {
diff --git a/src/ui/video.rs b/src/ui/video.rs
index 409264ad..2bd53867 100644
--- a/src/ui/video.rs
+++ b/src/ui/video.rs
@@ -73,18 +73,26 @@ pub fn init(device: &mut device::Device) {
         sdl3_sys::video::SDL_CreateWindow(window_title.as_ptr(), window_width, window_height, flags)
     };
     if device.ui.video.window.is_null() {
-        panic!("Could not create window: {}", unsafe {
-            std::ffi::CStr::from_ptr(sdl3_sys::error::SDL_GetError())
-                .to_str()
-                .unwrap()
-        });
+        let err = sdl3_sys::error::SDL_GetError();
+        panic!(
+            "Could not create window: {}",
+            if err.is_null() {
+                "Unknown error"
+            } else {
+                unsafe { std::ffi::CStr::from_ptr(err).to_str().unwrap() }
+            }
+        );
     }
     if !unsafe { sdl3_sys::video::SDL_ShowWindow(device.ui.video.window) } {
-        panic!("Could not show window: {}", unsafe {
-            std::ffi::CStr::from_ptr(sdl3_sys::error::SDL_GetError())
-                .to_str()
-                .unwrap()
-        });
+        let err = sdl3_sys::error::SDL_GetError();
+        panic!(
+            "Could not show window: {}",
+            if err.is_null() {
+                "Unknown error"
+            } else {
+                unsafe { std::ffi::CStr::from_ptr(err).to_str().unwrap() }
+            }
+        );
     }
     unsafe {
         sdl3_sys::everything::SDL_HideCursor();