diff --git a/misc/dist/html/default.html b/misc/dist/html/default.html
index a1a4e89d020..4e3515a7b65 100644
--- a/misc/dist/html/default.html
+++ b/misc/dist/html/default.html
@@ -244,9 +244,6 @@ $GODOT_HEAD_INCLUDE
 			var statusMode = 'hidden';
 			var indeterminiateStatusAnimationId = 0;
 
-			setStatusMode('indeterminate');
-			engine.setCanvas(canvas);
-
 			function setStatusMode(mode) {
 
 				if (statusMode === mode || !initializing)
@@ -367,18 +364,27 @@ $GODOT_HEAD_INCLUDE
 				});
 			}
 
-			engine.startGame(BASENAME + '.pck').then(() => {
-				setStatusMode('hidden');
-				initializing = false;
-			}, err => {
+			function displayFailureNotice(err) {
+				var msg = err.message || err;
 				if (DEBUG_ENABLED) {
-					printError(err.message);
-					console.warn(err);
+					printError(msg);
 				}
-				setStatusNotice(err.message);
+				console.error(msg);
+				setStatusNotice(msg);
 				setStatusMode('notice');
 				initializing = false;
-			});
+			};
+
+			if (!Engine.isWebGLAvailable()) {
+				displayFailureNotice("WebGL not available");
+			} else {
+				setStatusMode('indeterminate');
+				engine.setCanvas(canvas);
+				engine.startGame(BASENAME + '.pck').then(() => {
+					setStatusMode('hidden');
+					initializing = false;
+				}, displayFailureNotice);
+			}
 		})();
 	//]]></script>
 </body>
diff --git a/platform/javascript/engine.js b/platform/javascript/engine.js
index bca1851f402..8f22e416608 100644
--- a/platform/javascript/engine.js
+++ b/platform/javascript/engine.js
@@ -138,18 +138,6 @@
 			}
 
 			var actualCanvas = this.rtenv.canvas;
-			var testContext = false;
-			var testCanvas;
-			try {
-				testCanvas = document.createElement('canvas');
-				testContext = testCanvas.getContext('webgl2') || testCanvas.getContext('experimental-webgl2');
-			} catch (e) {}
-			if (!testContext) {
-				throw new Error("WebGL 2 not available");
-			}
-			testCanvas = null;
-			testContext = null;
-
 			// canvas can grab focus on click
 			if (actualCanvas.tabIndex < 0) {
 				actualCanvas.tabIndex = 0;
@@ -273,6 +261,20 @@
 
 	Engine.RuntimeEnvironment = engine.RuntimeEnvironment;
 
+	Engine.isWebGLAvailable = function(majorVersion = 1) {
+
+		var testContext = false;
+		try {
+			var testCanvas = document.createElement('canvas');
+			if (majorVersion === 1) {
+				testContext = testCanvas.getContext('webgl') || testCanvas.getContet('experimental-webgl');
+			} else if (majorVersion === 2) {
+				testContext = testCanvas.getContext('webgl2') || testCanvas.getContet('experimental-webgl2');
+			}
+		} catch (e) {}
+		return !!testContext;
+	};
+
 	Engine.load = function(newBasePath) {
 
 		if (newBasePath !== undefined) basePath = getBasePath(newBasePath);
diff --git a/platform/javascript/os_javascript.cpp b/platform/javascript/os_javascript.cpp
index ace0bdad602..cbfe99ba2df 100644
--- a/platform/javascript/os_javascript.cpp
+++ b/platform/javascript/os_javascript.cpp
@@ -444,6 +444,7 @@ Error OS_JavaScript::initialize(const VideoMode &p_desired, int p_video_driver,
 			break;
 	}
 	EMSCRIPTEN_WEBGL_CONTEXT_HANDLE ctx = emscripten_webgl_create_context(NULL, &attributes);
+	ERR_EXPLAIN("WebGL " + itos(attributes.majorVersion) + ".0 not available");
 	ERR_FAIL_COND_V(emscripten_webgl_make_context_current(ctx) != EMSCRIPTEN_RESULT_SUCCESS, ERR_UNAVAILABLE);
 
 	video_mode = p_desired;