diff --git a/dgl/src/ApplicationPrivateData.cpp b/dgl/src/ApplicationPrivateData.cpp
index 00787d14..bce9cd14 100644
--- a/dgl/src/ApplicationPrivateData.cpp
+++ b/dgl/src/ApplicationPrivateData.cpp
@@ -151,6 +151,7 @@ void Application::PrivateData::quit()
 
 void Application::PrivateData::setClassName(const char* const name)
 {
+    DISTRHO_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(world != nullptr,);
     DISTRHO_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(name != nullptr && name[0] != '\0',);
 
     puglSetClassName(world, name);
diff --git a/dgl/src/Window.cpp b/dgl/src/Window.cpp
index 96240580..7bc603c8 100644
--- a/dgl/src/Window.cpp
+++ b/dgl/src/Window.cpp
@@ -132,6 +132,8 @@ void Window::setResizable(const bool resizable)
 
 uint Window::getWidth() const noexcept
 {
+    DISTRHO_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(pData->view != nullptr, 0);
+
     const double width = puglGetFrame(pData->view).width;
     DISTRHO_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(width >= 0.0, 0);
     return static_cast<uint>(width + 0.5);
@@ -139,6 +141,8 @@ uint Window::getWidth() const noexcept
 
 uint Window::getHeight() const noexcept
 {
+    DISTRHO_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(pData->view != nullptr, 0);
+
     const double height = puglGetFrame(pData->view).height;
     DISTRHO_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(height >= 0.0, 0);
     return static_cast<uint>(height + 0.5);
@@ -146,6 +150,8 @@ uint Window::getHeight() const noexcept
 
 Size<uint> Window::getSize() const noexcept
 {
+    DISTRHO_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(pData->view != nullptr, Size<uint>());
+
     const PuglRect rect = puglGetFrame(pData->view);
     DISTRHO_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(rect.width >= 0.0, Size<uint>());
     DISTRHO_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(rect.height >= 0.0, Size<uint>());
@@ -214,7 +220,8 @@ const char* Window::getTitle() const noexcept
 
 void Window::setTitle(const char* const title)
 {
-    puglSetWindowTitle(pData->view, title);
+    if (pData->view != nullptr)
+        puglSetWindowTitle(pData->view, title);
 }
 
 bool Window::isIgnoringKeyRepeat() const noexcept
@@ -277,11 +284,17 @@ bool Window::openFileBrowser(const FileBrowserOptions& options)
 
 void Window::repaint() noexcept
 {
+    if (pData->view == nullptr)
+        return;
+
     puglPostRedisplay(pData->view);
 }
 
 void Window::repaint(const Rectangle<uint>& rect) noexcept
 {
+    if (pData->view == nullptr)
+        return;
+
     PuglRect prect = {
         static_cast<double>(rect.getX()),
         static_cast<double>(rect.getY()),
@@ -318,6 +331,9 @@ void Window::setGeometryConstraints(const uint minimumWidth,
     pData->autoScaling = automaticallyScale;
     pData->keepAspectRatio = keepAspectRatio;
 
+    if (pData->view == nullptr)
+        return;
+
     const double scaleFactor = pData->scaleFactor;
 
     puglSetGeometryConstraints(pData->view,
diff --git a/dgl/src/WindowPrivateData.cpp b/dgl/src/WindowPrivateData.cpp
index 4fa69020..019593b4 100644
--- a/dgl/src/WindowPrivateData.cpp
+++ b/dgl/src/WindowPrivateData.cpp
@@ -70,7 +70,10 @@ static double getDesktopScaleFactor(const PuglView* const view)
     if (const char* const scale = getenv("DPF_SCALE_FACTOR"))
         return std::max(1.0, std::atof(scale));
 
-    return puglGetDesktopScaleFactor(view);
+    if (view != nullptr)
+        return puglGetDesktopScaleFactor(view);
+
+    return 1.0;
 }
 
 // -----------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -162,11 +165,11 @@ Window::PrivateData::PrivateData(Application& a, Window* const s,
     : app(a),
       appData(a.pData),
       self(s),
-      view(puglNewView(appData->world)),
+      view(appData->world != nullptr ? puglNewView(appData->world) : nullptr),
       transientParentView(nullptr),
       topLevelWidgets(),
       isClosed(parentWindowHandle == 0),
-      isVisible(parentWindowHandle != 0),
+      isVisible(parentWindowHandle != 0 && view != nullptr),
       isEmbed(parentWindowHandle != 0),
       scaleFactor(scale != 0.0 ? scale : getDesktopScaleFactor(view)),
       autoScaling(false),
@@ -187,6 +190,12 @@ Window::PrivateData::PrivateData(Application& a, Window* const s,
 
 Window::PrivateData::~PrivateData()
 {
+    appData->idleCallbacks.remove(this);
+    appData->windows.remove(self);
+
+    if (view == nullptr)
+        return;
+
     if (isEmbed)
     {
 #ifdef HAVE_X11
@@ -198,16 +207,12 @@ Window::PrivateData::~PrivateData()
         isVisible = false;
     }
 
-    appData->idleCallbacks.remove(this);
-    appData->windows.remove(self);
-
 #ifdef DISTRHO_OS_WINDOWS
     if (win32SelectedFile != nullptr && win32SelectedFile != kWin32SelectedFileCancelled)
         std::free(const_cast<char*>(win32SelectedFile));
 #endif
 
-    if (view != nullptr)
-        puglFreeView(view);
+    puglFreeView(view);
 }
 
 // -----------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -244,6 +249,9 @@ void Window::PrivateData::initPre(const uint width, const uint height, const boo
 
 void Window::PrivateData::initPost()
 {
+    if (view == nullptr)
+        return;
+
     // create view now, as a few methods we allow devs to use require it
     puglRealize(view);
 
@@ -290,6 +298,9 @@ void Window::PrivateData::show()
 
     DGL_DBG("Window show called\n");
 
+    if (view == nullptr)
+        return;
+
     if (isClosed)
     {
         isClosed = false;
@@ -347,6 +358,9 @@ void Window::PrivateData::hide()
 
 void Window::PrivateData::focus()
 {
+    if (view == nullptr)
+        return;
+
     if (! isEmbed)
         puglRaiseWindow(view);
 
diff --git a/dgl/src/pugl-upstream b/dgl/src/pugl-upstream
index 4e2888aa..fe761025 160000
--- a/dgl/src/pugl-upstream
+++ b/dgl/src/pugl-upstream
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 4e2888aaafa315936941eccc38dab695beacaa0d
+Subproject commit fe76102568733092b232c253138ac913862e4f1b
diff --git a/distrho/src/DistrhoUIPrivateData.hpp b/distrho/src/DistrhoUIPrivateData.hpp
index 63c89caa..a216f283 100644
--- a/distrho/src/DistrhoUIPrivateData.hpp
+++ b/distrho/src/DistrhoUIPrivateData.hpp
@@ -168,12 +168,18 @@ public:
           initializing(true),
           receivedReshapeDuringInit(false)
     {
+        if (pData->view == nullptr)
+            return;
+
         pData->initPost();
         puglBackendEnter(pData->view);
     }
 
     void leaveContext()
     {
+        if (pData->view == nullptr)
+            return;
+
         if (receivedReshapeDuringInit)
             ui->uiReshape(getWidth(), getHeight());