diff --git a/bin/te.c b/bin/te.c
index d33406d..73f990f 100644
--- a/bin/te.c
+++ b/bin/te.c
@@ -180,9 +180,9 @@ int x11_setup(struct X11 *x11)
 	x11->buf_x = 0;
 	x11->buf_y = 0;
 	x11->buf = malloc(x11->buf_w * x11->buf_h);
-	if (x11->buf == NULL)
+	if (!x11->buf )
 	{
-		perror("calloc");
+		fprintf(stderr, "Could not allocate terminal buffer\n");
 		return -1;
 	}
 	memset (x11->buf, ' ', x11->buf_w * x11->buf_h);
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ int main()
 	hio = hio_open(HIO_NULL, 0, HIO_NULL, HIO_FEATURE_ALL, 512, HIO_NULL);
 	if (!hio)
 	{
-		printf ("Cannot open hio\n");
+		fprintf (stderr, "Error: Unable to open hio\n");
 		return -1;
 	}
 
@@ -382,6 +382,11 @@ int main()
 		pi.on_read = pty_on_read;
 		pi.on_close = pty_on_close;
 		pty = hio_dev_pty_make(hio, HIO_SIZEOF(*pair), &pi);
+		if (!pty)
+		{
+			fprintf (stderr, "Error: Unable to create pty - %s\n",  hio_geterrbmsg(hio));
+			return -1;
+		}
 
 		pair = hio_dev_pty_getxtn(pty);
 		pair->x11 = &x11;
diff --git a/lib/pty.c b/lib/pty.c
index ad27719..c0022fd 100644
--- a/lib/pty.c
+++ b/lib/pty.c
@@ -38,6 +38,13 @@
 #if defined(HAVE_PTY_H)
 #	include <pty.h>
 #endif
+#if defined(HAVE_PATHS_H)
+#	include <paths.h>
+#endif
+
+#if !defined(_PATH_DEV)
+#	define _PATH_DEV "/dev/"
+#endif
 
 /* ========================================================================= */
 
@@ -215,7 +222,11 @@ static int dev_pty_make (hio_dev_t* dev, void* ctx)
 		hio_oow_t capa = HIO_COUNTOF(pts_name_buf);
 
 		/* open a pty slave device name */
+#if defined(HAVE_PTSNAME_R)
 		if (ptsname_r(pfds[0], ptr, capa) != 0)
+#else
+		if (ttyname_r(pfds[0], ptr, capa) != 0)
+#endif
 		{
 			if (errno == ERANGE) 
 			{
@@ -233,6 +244,11 @@ static int dev_pty_make (hio_dev_t* dev, void* ctx)
 			goto oops;
 		}
 
+#if !defined(HAVE_PTSNAME_R)
+		/* ttyname_r() gives something like /dev/ptyp0. change the leading p to t */
+		ptr[HIO_SIZEOF(_PATH_DEV) - 1] = 't';
+#endif
+
 		/* open a pty slave */
 		pfds[1] = open(ptr, O_RDWR | O_NOCTTY);
 		if (pfds[1] == -1)