diff --git a/qutebrowser/app.py b/qutebrowser/app.py
index 19a278ceb..a3a855f9a 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/app.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/app.py
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ def init(args, crash_handler):
 
     try:
         _init_modules(args, crash_handler)
-    except (OSError, UnicodeDecodeError) as e:
+    except (OSError, UnicodeDecodeError, browsertab.WebTabError) as e:
         error.handle_fatal_exc(e, args, "Error while initializing!",
                                pre_text="Error while initializing")
         sys.exit(usertypes.Exit.err_init)
diff --git a/qutebrowser/browser/webengine/webenginetab.py b/qutebrowser/browser/webengine/webenginetab.py
index 97bd9b181..773404be9 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/browser/webengine/webenginetab.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/browser/webengine/webenginetab.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 
 """Wrapper over a QWebEngineView."""
 
+import os
 import functools
 
 import sip
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ from qutebrowser.browser.webengine import (webview, webengineelem, tabhistory,
                                            webenginesettings)
 from qutebrowser.misc import miscwidgets
 from qutebrowser.utils import (usertypes, qtutils, log, javascript, utils,
-                               objreg, jinja, debug)
+                               objreg, jinja, debug, version)
 
 
 _qute_scheme_handler = None
@@ -49,6 +50,13 @@ def init():
     global _qute_scheme_handler
     app = QApplication.instance()
 
+    software_rendering = os.environ.get('LIBGL_ALWAYS_SOFTWARE') == '1'
+    if version.opengl_vendor() == 'nouveau' and not software_rendering:
+        # FIXME:qtwebengine display something more sophisticated here
+        raise browsertab.WebTabError(
+            "QtWebEngine is not supported with Nouveau graphics (unless "
+            "LIBGL_ALWAYS_SOFTWARE is set as environment variable).")
+
     log.init.debug("Initializing qute://* handler...")
     _qute_scheme_handler = webenginequtescheme.QuteSchemeHandler(parent=app)
     _qute_scheme_handler.install(webenginesettings.default_profile)
diff --git a/qutebrowser/utils/version.py b/qutebrowser/utils/version.py
index 4d0fd5146..490f72784 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/utils/version.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/utils/version.py
@@ -377,3 +377,33 @@ def version():
         lines += ['{}: {}'.format(name, path)]
 
     return '\n'.join(lines)
+
+
+def opengl_vendor():  # pragma: no cover
+    """Get the OpenGL vendor used."""
+    # We're doing those imports here because this is only available with Qt 5.4
+    # or newer.
+    from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QOpenGLWidget
+    from PyQt5.QtOpenGL import QGLWidget
+    from PyQt5.QtGui import QOpenGLContext, QSurfaceFormat, QOpenGLVersionProfile, QOffscreenSurface
+    assert QApplication.instance()
+    assert QOpenGLContext.currentContext() is None
+
+    surface = QOffscreenSurface()
+    surface.create()
+
+    ctx = QOpenGLContext()
+    ok = ctx.create()
+    assert ok
+
+    ok = ctx.makeCurrent(surface)
+    assert ok
+
+    vp = QOpenGLVersionProfile()
+    vp.setVersion(2, 0)
+
+    vf = ctx.versionFunctions(vp)
+    vendor = vf.glGetString(vf.GL_VENDOR)
+    ctx.doneCurrent()
+
+    return vendor