diff --git a/src/server/scene/basic_surface.cpp b/src/server/scene/basic_surface.cpp
index 58cd9a1cbc5..cff979124da 100644
--- a/src/server/scene/basic_surface.cpp
+++ b/src/server/scene/basic_surface.cpp
@@ -287,6 +287,8 @@ ms::BasicSurface::BasicSurface(
         {
             if (auto const o = observers.lock())
                 o->frame_posted(this, 1, size);
+            else
+                BOOST_THROW_EXCEPTION(std::runtime_error("Frame posted to dead surface"));
         };
 
     for (auto& layer : layers)
@@ -915,6 +917,8 @@ void ms::BasicSurface::set_streams(std::list<scene::StreamInfo> const& s)
                 {
                     if (auto const o = observers.lock())
                         o->frame_posted(this, 1, size);
+                    else
+                        BOOST_THROW_EXCEPTION(std::runtime_error("Frame posted to dead surface"));
                 });
         surface_top_left = surface_rect.top_left;
     }
diff --git a/src/wayland/wayland_base.cpp b/src/wayland/wayland_base.cpp
index 5487ce546fe..7245ca9b981 100644
--- a/src/wayland/wayland_base.cpp
+++ b/src/wayland/wayland_base.cpp
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ void mw::internal_error_processing_request(wl_client* client, char const* method
     wl_client_post_no_memory(client);
 #endif
     ::mir::log(
-        ::mir::logging::Severity::error,
+        ::mir::logging::Severity::warning,
         "frontend:Wayland",
         std::current_exception(),
         std::string() + "Exception processing " + method_name + " request");