diff --git a/src/gallium/frontends/dri/kopper.c b/src/gallium/frontends/dri/kopper.c
index e02038075ec..6fa8e70c457 100644
--- a/src/gallium/frontends/dri/kopper.c
+++ b/src/gallium/frontends/dri/kopper.c
@@ -116,7 +116,12 @@ kopper_init_screen(__DRIscreen * sPriv)
    struct kopper_screen *kscreen;
    struct pipe_screen *pscreen = NULL;
 
-   assert(sPriv->kopper_loader);
+   if (!sPriv->kopper_loader) {
+      fprintf(stderr, "mesa: Kopper interface not found!\n"
+                      "      Ensure the versions of %s built with this version of Zink are\n"
+                      "      in your library path!\n", KOPPER_LIB_NAMES);
+      return NULL;
+   }
    kscreen = CALLOC_STRUCT(kopper_screen);
    if (!kscreen)
       return NULL;
diff --git a/src/gallium/frontends/dri/meson.build b/src/gallium/frontends/dri/meson.build
index 45c5acf0cbe..cb4f434c775 100644
--- a/src/gallium/frontends/dri/meson.build
+++ b/src/gallium/frontends/dri/meson.build
@@ -45,11 +45,16 @@ if with_dri2
   files_libdri += files('dri2.c')
 endif
 
+libdri_c_args = []
 if with_gallium_zink
+  if get_option('glvnd')
+    libdri_c_args += '-DKOPPER_LIB_NAMES="libEGL_@0@ and libGLX_@0@"'.format(get_option('glvnd-vendor-name'))
+  else
+    libdri_c_args += '-DKOPPER_LIB_NAMES="libEGL and libGLX"'
+  endif
   files_libdri += files('kopper.c')
 endif
 
-libdri_c_args = []
 if with_gallium_softpipe
   libdri_c_args += '-DGALLIUM_SOFTPIPE'
 endif