diff -uNr gnome-panel-2.24.3-logout/gnome-panel/panel-gdm.c gnome-panel-2.24.3-fixed/gnome-panel/panel-gdm.c
--- gnome-panel-2.24.3-logout/gnome-panel/panel-gdm.c	2009-02-15 20:33:57.000000000 +0000
+++ gnome-panel-2.24.3-fixed/gnome-panel/panel-gdm.c	2009-02-15 20:38:47.000000000 +0000
@@ -233,6 +233,15 @@
         char               *response;
 
         g_assert (data->fd <= 0);
+        
+	if (g_file_test (GDM_PROTOCOL_SOCKET_PATH, G_FILE_TEST_EXISTS))
+	  strcpy (addr.sun_path, GDM_PROTOCOL_SOCKET_PATH);
+	else if (g_file_test ("/tmp/.gdm_socket", G_FILE_TEST_EXISTS))
+	  strcpy (addr.sun_path, "/tmp/.gdm_socket");
+	else {
+		gdm_shutdown_protocol_connection (data);
+		return FALSE;	
+	}        
 
         data->fd = socket (AF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
         if (data->fd < 0) {
@@ -242,11 +251,6 @@
                 return FALSE;
         }
 
-	if (g_file_test (GDM_PROTOCOL_SOCKET_PATH, G_FILE_TEST_EXISTS))
-	  strcpy (addr.sun_path, GDM_PROTOCOL_SOCKET_PATH);
-	else
-	  strcpy (addr.sun_path, "/tmp/.gdm_socket");
-
 	addr.sun_family = AF_UNIX;
 
         if (connect (data->fd, (struct sockaddr *) &addr, sizeof (addr)) < 0) {
@@ -398,6 +402,16 @@
         gdm_shutdown_protocol_connection (&gdm_protocol_data);
 }
 
+gboolean
+gdm_available (void)
+{
+	if (!gdm_init_protocol_connection (&gdm_protocol_data))
+		return FALSE;
+
+	gdm_shutdown_protocol_connection (&gdm_protocol_data);
+	return TRUE;
+}
+
 void
 gdm_new_login (void)
 {
diff -uNr gnome-panel-2.24.3-logout/gnome-panel/panel-gdm.h gnome-panel-2.24.3-fixed/gnome-panel/panel-gdm.h
--- gnome-panel-2.24.3-logout/gnome-panel/panel-gdm.h	2009-02-15 20:33:57.000000000 +0000
+++ gnome-panel-2.24.3-fixed/gnome-panel/panel-gdm.h	2009-02-15 20:38:58.000000000 +0000
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
 void            gdm_set_logout_action (GdmLogoutAction action);
 GdmLogoutAction gdm_get_logout_action (void);
 void            gdm_new_login         (void);
+gboolean        gdm_available         (void);
 
 G_END_DECLS
 
diff -uNr gnome-panel-2.24.3-logout/gnome-panel/panel-logout.c gnome-panel-2.24.3-fixed/gnome-panel/panel-logout.c
--- gnome-panel-2.24.3-logout/gnome-panel/panel-logout.c	2009-02-15 20:33:57.000000000 +0000
+++ gnome-panel-2.24.3-fixed/gnome-panel/panel-logout.c	2009-02-15 20:40:48.000000000 +0000
@@ -341,10 +341,12 @@
 		// FIXME need to verify that this response can be used
 		logout_dialog->priv->default_response = PANEL_LOGOUT_DIALOG_LOGOUT;
 
-		//FIXME is gdm running?
-		gtk_dialog_add_button (GTK_DIALOG (logout_dialog),
-				       _("_Switch User"),
-				       PANEL_LOGOUT_RESPONSE_SWITCH_USER);
+		//FIXME need to have a more flexible test for availability
+		if (gdm_available())
+			gtk_dialog_add_button (GTK_DIALOG (logout_dialog),
+					        _("_Switch User"),
+					        PANEL_LOGOUT_RESPONSE_SWITCH_USER);
+
 		gtk_dialog_add_button (GTK_DIALOG (logout_dialog),
 				       GTK_STOCK_CANCEL,
 				       GTK_RESPONSE_CANCEL);