diff -rud nvidia-settings-1.0/src/gtk+-2.x/ctkui.c nvidia-settings-1.0-work/src/gtk+-2.x/ctkui.c
--- nvidia-settings-1.0/src/gtk+-2.x/ctkui.c	2005-02-25 12:37:12.000000000 -0500
+++ nvidia-settings-1.0-work/src/gtk+-2.x/ctkui.c	2005-05-27 19:46:20.000000000 -0400
@@ -37,6 +37,11 @@
     gtk_init(argc, argv);
 }
 
+gboolean ctk_init_check(int *argc, char **argv[])
+{
+    return gtk_init_check(argc, argv);
+}
+
 char *ctk_get_display(void)
 {
     return gdk_get_display();
diff -rud nvidia-settings-1.0/src/gtk+-2.x/ctkui.h nvidia-settings-1.0-work/src/gtk+-2.x/ctkui.h
--- nvidia-settings-1.0/src/gtk+-2.x/ctkui.h	2005-02-25 12:37:13.000000000 -0500
+++ nvidia-settings-1.0-work/src/gtk+-2.x/ctkui.h	2005-05-27 21:40:54.000000000 -0400
@@ -28,9 +28,12 @@
 #include "NvCtrlAttributes.h"
 #include "parse.h"
 #include "config-file.h"
+#include <gtk/gtk.h>
 
 void ctk_init(int *argc, char **argv[]);
 
+gboolean ctk_init_check(int *argc, char **argv[]);
+
 char *ctk_get_display(void);
 
 void ctk_main(NvCtrlAttributeHandle **, int, ParsedAttribute*,
diff -rud nvidia-settings-1.0/src/nvidia-settings.c nvidia-settings-1.0-work/src/nvidia-settings.c
--- nvidia-settings-1.0/src/nvidia-settings.c	2005-02-25 12:37:12.000000000 -0500
+++ nvidia-settings-1.0-work/src/nvidia-settings.c	2005-05-27 21:32:49.000000000 -0400
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
  *
  */
 
+#include <gtk/gtk.h>
+
 #include "NvCtrlAttributes.h"
 
 #include "command-line.h"
@@ -41,6 +43,8 @@
     CtrlHandles *h;
     Options *op;
     int ret;
+    char *dpy = NULL;
+    int gui = 0;
     
     /*
      * initialize the ui
@@ -49,14 +53,21 @@
      * may not even use the gui, but we want the toolkit to have a
      * chance to parse the commandline before we do... we should
      * investigate gtk_init_check().
+     *
+     * gui flag used to decide if gtk should be used or not, as
+     * use might just use control the display from a remote console
+     * but for some reason cannot initialize the gtk gui. - TY 2005-05-27
      */
     
-    ctk_init(&argc, &argv);
+
+    if (ctk_init_check(&argc, &argv) == TRUE) {
+        dpy = ctk_get_display();
+        gui = 1;
+    }
     
     /* parse the commandline */
     
-    op = parse_command_line(argc, argv, ctk_get_display());
-
+    op = parse_command_line(argc, argv, dpy);
     /* process any query or assignment commandline options */
 
     if (op->num_assignments || op->num_queries) {
@@ -64,6 +75,14 @@
         return ret ? 0 : 1;
     }
     
+    /* quit here if display is undefineds - TY 2005-05-27 */
+
+    if (op->ctrl_display == NULL) {
+        nv_error_msg("Display is undefined, please run `%s --help` "
+                     "for usage information.\n", argv[0]);
+        return 1;
+    }
+    
     /* initialize the parsed attribute list */
 
     p = nv_parsed_attribute_init();
@@ -90,6 +109,14 @@
     }
 
     /* pass control to the gui */
+    /*
+     * if gtk wasn't initiated, exit here.
+     * Using a -c flag without gtk would behave as if using -l - TY 2005-05-27
+     */
+    if (gui == 0) {
+        nv_error_msg("Unable to create gui.\n");
+        return 1;
+    }
 
     ctk_main(h->h, h->num_screens, p, &conf);