diff --git a/video/decode/vaapi.c b/video/decode/vaapi.c
index bcc03aeaa4..0a9250c900 100644
--- a/video/decode/vaapi.c
+++ b/video/decode/vaapi.c
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ static bool create_va_dummy_ctx(struct priv *p)
     VADisplay *display = vaGetDisplay(p->x11_display);
     if (!display)
         goto destroy_ctx;
-    p->ctx = va_initialize(display, p->log);
+    p->ctx = va_initialize(display, p->log, true);
     if (!p->ctx) {
         vaTerminate(display);
         goto destroy_ctx;
diff --git a/video/decode/vd_lavc.c b/video/decode/vd_lavc.c
index bbe6734c19..7c5c4ec8dc 100644
--- a/video/decode/vd_lavc.c
+++ b/video/decode/vd_lavc.c
@@ -252,10 +252,11 @@ static struct vd_lavc_hwdec *probe_hwdec(struct dec_video *vd, bool autoprobe,
     if (r >= 0) {
         return hwdec;
     } else if (r == HWDEC_ERR_NO_CODEC) {
-        MP_VERBOSE(vd, "Hardware decoder '%s' not found in "
-                   "libavcodec.\n", decoder);
+        MP_VERBOSE(vd, "Hardware decoder '%s' not found in libavcodec.\n",
+                   decoder);
     } else if (r == HWDEC_ERR_NO_CTX && !autoprobe) {
-        MP_WARN(vd, "VO does not support requested hardware decoder.\n");
+        MP_WARN(vd, "VO does not support requested hardware decoder, or "
+                "loading it failed.\n");
     }
     return NULL;
 }
diff --git a/video/out/gl_hwdec.c b/video/out/gl_hwdec.c
index 9f6928bebd..678ff184df 100644
--- a/video/out/gl_hwdec.c
+++ b/video/out/gl_hwdec.c
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ static struct gl_hwdec *load_hwdec_driver(struct mp_log *log, GL *gl,
     };
     if (hwdec->driver->create(hwdec) < 0) {
         talloc_free(hwdec);
-        mp_err(log, "Couldn't load hwdec driver '%s'\n", drv->api_name);
+        mp_verbose(log, "Couldn't load hwdec driver '%s'\n", drv->api_name);
         return NULL;
     }
     return hwdec;
diff --git a/video/out/gl_hwdec_vaglx.c b/video/out/gl_hwdec_vaglx.c
index 86ec3b5183..00fecffb31 100644
--- a/video/out/gl_hwdec_vaglx.c
+++ b/video/out/gl_hwdec_vaglx.c
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ static int create(struct gl_hwdec *hw)
     p->display = vaGetDisplay(x11disp);
     if (!p->display)
         return -1;
-    p->ctx = va_initialize(p->display, p->log);
+    p->ctx = va_initialize(p->display, p->log, true);
     if (!p->ctx) {
         vaTerminate(p->display);
         return -1;
diff --git a/video/out/gl_hwdec_vdpau.c b/video/out/gl_hwdec_vdpau.c
index bb502ade11..851f79393d 100644
--- a/video/out/gl_hwdec_vdpau.c
+++ b/video/out/gl_hwdec_vdpau.c
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ static int create(struct gl_hwdec *hw)
     struct priv *p = talloc_zero(hw, struct priv);
     hw->priv = p;
     p->log = hw->log;
-    p->ctx = mp_vdpau_create_device_x11(hw->log, x11disp);
+    p->ctx = mp_vdpau_create_device_x11(hw->log, x11disp, true);
     if (!p->ctx)
         return -1;
     if (mp_vdpau_handle_preemption(p->ctx, &p->preemption_counter) < 1)
diff --git a/video/out/vo_vaapi.c b/video/out/vo_vaapi.c
index b34acb1052..69097021fd 100644
--- a/video/out/vo_vaapi.c
+++ b/video/out/vo_vaapi.c
@@ -600,7 +600,7 @@ static int preinit(struct vo *vo)
     if (!p->display)
         goto fail;
 
-    p->mpvaapi = va_initialize(p->display, p->log);
+    p->mpvaapi = va_initialize(p->display, p->log, false);
     if (!p->mpvaapi) {
         vaTerminate(p->display);
         p->display = NULL;
diff --git a/video/out/vo_vdpau.c b/video/out/vo_vdpau.c
index 495e65a9b9..26ff5454dc 100644
--- a/video/out/vo_vdpau.c
+++ b/video/out/vo_vdpau.c
@@ -954,7 +954,7 @@ static int preinit(struct vo *vo)
     if (!vo_x11_init(vo))
         return -1;
 
-    vc->mpvdp = mp_vdpau_create_device_x11(vo->log, vo->x11->display);
+    vc->mpvdp = mp_vdpau_create_device_x11(vo->log, vo->x11->display, false);
     if (!vc->mpvdp) {
         vo_x11_uninit(vo);
         return -1;
diff --git a/video/vaapi.c b/video/vaapi.c
index 8b95dde85d..df2022ce01 100644
--- a/video/vaapi.c
+++ b/video/vaapi.c
@@ -114,12 +114,15 @@ static void va_get_formats(struct mp_vaapi_ctx *ctx)
     ctx->image_formats = formats;
 }
 
-struct mp_vaapi_ctx *va_initialize(VADisplay *display, struct mp_log *plog)
+struct mp_vaapi_ctx *va_initialize(VADisplay *display, struct mp_log *plog,
+                                   bool probing)
 {
     struct mp_vaapi_ctx *res = NULL;
     struct mp_log *log = mp_log_new(NULL, plog, "/vaapi");
     int major_version, minor_version;
     int status = vaInitialize(display, &major_version, &minor_version);
+    if (status != VA_STATUS_SUCCESS && probing)
+        goto error;
     if (!check_va_status(log, status, "vaInitialize()"))
         goto error;
 
diff --git a/video/vaapi.h b/video/vaapi.h
index 34450f8c60..e3310bcee0 100644
--- a/video/vaapi.h
+++ b/video/vaapi.h
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ bool check_va_status(struct mp_log *log, VAStatus status, const char *msg);
 
 int                      va_get_colorspace_flag(enum mp_csp csp);
 
-struct mp_vaapi_ctx     *va_initialize(VADisplay *display, struct mp_log *log);
+struct mp_vaapi_ctx *    va_initialize(VADisplay *display, struct mp_log *plog, bool probing);
 void                     va_destroy(struct mp_vaapi_ctx *ctx);
 
 enum mp_imgfmt           va_fourcc_to_imgfmt(uint32_t fourcc);
diff --git a/video/vdpau.c b/video/vdpau.c
index 339fb59d54..55ca8d95ce 100644
--- a/video/vdpau.c
+++ b/video/vdpau.c
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ static void preemption_callback(VdpDevice device, void *context)
     pthread_mutex_unlock(&ctx->preempt_lock);
 }
 
-static int win_x11_init_vdpau_procs(struct mp_vdpau_ctx *ctx)
+static int win_x11_init_vdpau_procs(struct mp_vdpau_ctx *ctx, bool probing)
 {
     Display *x11 = ctx->x11;
     VdpStatus vdp_st;
@@ -142,11 +142,14 @@ static int win_x11_init_vdpau_procs(struct mp_vdpau_ctx *ctx)
     vdp_st = vdp_device_create_x11(x11, DefaultScreen(x11), &ctx->vdp_device,
                                    &get_proc_address);
     if (vdp_st != VDP_STATUS_OK) {
-        if (ctx->is_preempted)
+        if (ctx->is_preempted) {
             MP_DBG(ctx, "Error calling vdp_device_create_x11 while preempted: %d\n",
                    vdp_st);
-        else
-            MP_ERR(ctx, "Error when calling vdp_device_create_x11: %d\n", vdp_st);
+        } else {
+            int lev = probing ? MSGL_V : MSGL_ERR;
+            mp_msg(ctx->log, lev, "Error when calling vdp_device_create_x11: %d\n",
+                   vdp_st);
+        }
         return -1;
     }
 
@@ -182,7 +185,7 @@ static int handle_preemption(struct mp_vdpau_ctx *ctx)
     if (ctx->last_preemption_retry_fail &&
         mp_time_sec() - ctx->last_preemption_retry_fail < 1.0)
         return -1;
-    if (win_x11_init_vdpau_procs(ctx) < 0) {
+    if (win_x11_init_vdpau_procs(ctx, false) < 0) {
         ctx->last_preemption_retry_fail = mp_time_sec();
         return -1;
     }
@@ -369,7 +372,8 @@ struct mp_image *mp_vdpau_get_video_surface(struct mp_vdpau_ctx *ctx,
     return mp_vdpau_get_surface(ctx, chroma, 0, false, w, h);
 }
 
-struct mp_vdpau_ctx *mp_vdpau_create_device_x11(struct mp_log *log, Display *x11)
+struct mp_vdpau_ctx *mp_vdpau_create_device_x11(struct mp_log *log, Display *x11,
+                                                bool probing)
 {
     struct mp_vdpau_ctx *ctx = talloc_ptrtype(NULL, ctx);
     *ctx = (struct mp_vdpau_ctx) {
@@ -389,7 +393,7 @@ struct mp_vdpau_ctx *mp_vdpau_create_device_x11(struct mp_log *log, Display *x11
 
     mark_vdpau_objects_uninitialized(ctx);
 
-    if (win_x11_init_vdpau_procs(ctx) < 0) {
+    if (win_x11_init_vdpau_procs(ctx, probing) < 0) {
         mp_vdpau_destroy(ctx);
         return NULL;
     }
diff --git a/video/vdpau.h b/video/vdpau.h
index 2304ecd0d6..2e9269a420 100644
--- a/video/vdpau.h
+++ b/video/vdpau.h
@@ -79,7 +79,8 @@ struct mp_vdpau_ctx {
     int getimg_w, getimg_h;
 };
 
-struct mp_vdpau_ctx *mp_vdpau_create_device_x11(struct mp_log *log, Display *x11);
+struct mp_vdpau_ctx *mp_vdpau_create_device_x11(struct mp_log *log, Display *x11,
+                                                bool probing);
 void mp_vdpau_destroy(struct mp_vdpau_ctx *ctx);
 
 int mp_vdpau_handle_preemption(struct mp_vdpau_ctx *ctx, uint64_t *counter);