diff --git a/src/backend/wayland/wl_backend.c b/src/backend/wayland/wl_backend.c
index 14e685c..1b608c1 100644
--- a/src/backend/wayland/wl_backend.c
+++ b/src/backend/wayland/wl_backend.c
@@ -920,7 +920,6 @@ wl_display_open(const char *name)
 
     wl_state.pointer_x = 960;
     wl_state.pointer_y = 540;
-    fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: wl_display_open done, returning NULL\n");
     wwarning("wl_backend: virtual pointer initialised at %d,%d",
              wl_state.pointer_x, wl_state.pointer_y);
 
@@ -1839,7 +1838,6 @@ void wl_screen_alloc_gcs(WScreen *scr) { (void)scr; }
       void
 wl_screen_create_internals(WScreen *scr)
 {
-    fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: wl_screen_create_internals\n");
     wl_state.scr = scr;
     {
         FILE *fp = fopen("/tmp/wl_backend_trace.log", "a");
diff --git a/src/backend/wayland/wl_screen.c b/src/backend/wayland/wl_screen.c
index 26e1156..1a4bac2 100644
--- a/src/backend/wayland/wl_screen.c
+++ b/src/backend/wayland/wl_screen.c
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 void
 wl_screen_open(WScreen *scr)
 {
-    fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: wl_screen_open\n");
     /* Set geometry from the headless output created in display_open(). */
     scr->scr_width  = wl_state.output ?
         (int)wl_state.output->width  : 1920;
@@ -46,7 +45,6 @@ void wl_screen_close(WScreen *scr) { (void)scr; }
 int
 wl_screen_init_display(WScreen *scr, int screen_number)
 {
-    fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: wl_screen_init_display\n");
     (void)screen_number;
     scr->w_depth = 32;
     scr->rcontext = RCreateContextWayland(scr->scr_width, scr->scr_height, NULL);
@@ -70,7 +68,6 @@ wl_screen_init_display(WScreen *scr, int screen_number)
     scr->white_pixel = scr->white ? WMColorPixel(scr->white) : 0xFFFFFFFF;
     scr->light_pixel = scr->gray ? WMColorPixel(scr->gray) : 0xFFAAAAAA;
     scr->dark_pixel  = scr->darkGray ? WMColorPixel(scr->darkGray) : 0xFF555555;
-    fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: wl_screen_init_display done\n");
     return 1;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/defaults.c b/src/defaults.c
index 7214bc2..b4798ed 100644
--- a/src/defaults.c
+++ b/src/defaults.c
@@ -1182,7 +1182,6 @@ void wDefaultsCheckDomains(void* arg)
 
 void wReadDefaults(WScreen * scr, WMPropList * new_dict)
 {
-	fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: wReadDefaults start\n");
 	WMPropList *plvalue, *old_value;
 	WDefaultEntry *entry;
 	unsigned int i;
@@ -1194,7 +1193,6 @@ void wReadDefaults(WScreen * scr, WMPropList * new_dict)
 	needs_refresh = 0;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < wlengthof(optionList); i++) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: wReadDefaults i=%u\n", i);
 		entry = &optionList[i];
 
 		if (new_dict)
@@ -1230,7 +1228,6 @@ void wReadDefaults(WScreen * scr, WMPropList * new_dict)
 		}
 
 		if (plvalue) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: convert entry key=%s convert=%p plvalue=%p\n", entry->key ? entry->key : "(null)", (void*)entry->convert, (void*)plvalue);
 			/* convert data */
 			if ((*entry->convert) (scr, entry, plvalue, entry->addr, &tdata)) {
 				/*
@@ -1249,7 +1246,6 @@ void wReadDefaults(WScreen * scr, WMPropList * new_dict)
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: wReadDefaults after loop\n");
 
 	if (needs_refresh != 0 && !scr->flags.startup) {
 		int foo;
@@ -1660,15 +1656,12 @@ static int getEnum(WScreen * scr, WDefaultEntry * entry, WMPropList * value, voi
 
 static WTexture *parse_texture(WScreen * scr, WMPropList * pl)
 {
-	fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: parse_texture pl=%p\n", (void*)pl);
 	WMPropList *elem;
 	char *val;
 	int nelem;
 	WTexture *texture = NULL;
 
-	fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: parse_texture before WMGetPropListItemCount\n");
 	nelem = WMGetPropListItemCount(pl);
-	fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: parse_texture nelem=%d\n", nelem);
 	if (nelem < 1)
 		return NULL;
 
@@ -1972,16 +1965,17 @@ static WTexture *parse_texture(WScreen * scr, WMPropList * pl)
 
 static int getTexture(WScreen * scr, WDefaultEntry * entry, WMPropList * value, void *addr, void **ret)
 {
-	fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: getTexture called value=%p\n", (void*)value);
 	static WTexture *texture;
 	int changed = 0;
+	/* WidgetColor plvalue from WMCreatePropListFromDescription creates
+	 * array elements that crash WMIsPLString — skip until WINGs PL is fixed. */
+	if (strcmp(entry->key, "WidgetColor") == 0)
+		return False;
 
  again:
-	fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: getTexture again value=%p\n", (void*)value);
 	if (!value)
 		return False;
 	Bool _is_arr = WMIsPLArray(value);
-	fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: getTexture WMIsPLArray returned %d\n", (int)_is_arr);
 	if (!_is_arr) {
 		wwarning(_("Wrong option format for key \"%s\". Should be %s."), entry->key, "Texture");
 		if (changed == 0) {
@@ -2013,9 +2007,7 @@ static int getTexture(WScreen * scr, WDefaultEntry * entry, WMPropList * value,
 		}
 	}
 
-		fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: getTexture before parse_texture\n");
 		texture = parse_texture(scr, value);
-		fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: getTexture after parse_texture\n");
 
 		if (!texture) {
 		wwarning(_("Error in texture specification for key \"%s\""), entry->key);
@@ -2997,7 +2989,6 @@ static int setWorkspaceBack(WScreen * scr, WDefaultEntry * entry, void *tdata, v
 	(void) entry;
 	(void) bar;
 
-	fprintf(stderr, "TRACE setWorkspaceBack: backend=%p valcount=%d\n", (void*)wm_backend->set_desktop_background, WMGetPropListItemCount(value));
 	/* If the backend can render backgrounds directly (Wayland), use it */
 	if (wm_backend->set_desktop_background && WMGetPropListItemCount(value) > 0) {
 		char *str = WMGetPropListDescription(value, False);
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 081c20d..64665ea 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -788,13 +788,9 @@ static int real_main(int argc, char **argv)
 	}
 
 	/* open display */
-	fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: before display_open\n");
 	dpy = (Display *)wm_backend->display_open(DisplayName);
-	fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: after display_open, dpy=%p\n", dpy);
 	wm_backend->display_post_open(DisplayName, &multiHead);
-	fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: before StartUp\n");
 	StartUp(!multiHead);
-	fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: after StartUp\n");
 
 	if (w_global.screen_count == 1)
 		multiHead = False;
diff --git a/src/monitor.c b/src/monitor.c
index b4ecc4c..b40d0ac 100644
--- a/src/monitor.c
+++ b/src/monitor.c
@@ -37,29 +37,6 @@
 #include "main.h"
 
 
-static int showCrashDialog(int sig)
-{
-	int crashAction;
-
-	crashAction = wm_backend->show_crash_dialog(sig);
-
-	if (crashAction == WMStartAlternate) {
-		int i;
-
-		wmessage(_("trying to start alternate window manager..."));
-
-		for (i = 0; i < WMGetArrayItemCount(wPreferences.fallbackWMs); i++) {
-			Restart(WMGetFromArray(wPreferences.fallbackWMs, i), False);
-		}
-
-		wfatal(_("failed to start alternate window manager. Aborting."));
-
-		return 0;
-	} else if (crashAction == WMAbort)
-		return 0;
-	else
-		return 1;
-}
 
 int MonitorLoop(int argc, char **argv)
 {
diff --git a/src/screen.c b/src/screen.c
index 859a356..64ddf90 100644
--- a/src/screen.c
+++ b/src/screen.c
@@ -166,14 +166,10 @@ WScreen *wScreenInit(int screen_number)
 	}
 
 	/* create GCs with default values */
-		fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: before alloc_gcs\n");
 		wm_backend->screen_alloc_gcs(scr);
-		fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: after alloc_gcs, before wReadDefaults\n");
-	fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: wmaker=%p dict=%p\n", (void*)w_global.domain.wmaker, (void*)(w_global.domain.wmaker ? w_global.domain.wmaker->dictionary : NULL));
 
 		/* read defaults for this screen */
 		wReadDefaults(scr, w_global.domain.wmaker ? w_global.domain.wmaker->dictionary : NULL);
-		fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: after wReadDefaults\n");
 
 	if (scr->frame_border_color)
 		scr->frame_border_pixel = WMColorPixel(scr->frame_border_color);
diff --git a/src/startup.c b/src/startup.c
index 3340593..70cea09 100644
--- a/src/startup.c
+++ b/src/startup.c
@@ -278,16 +278,12 @@ void StartUp(Bool defaultScreenOnly)
 
 	memset(&wKeyBindings, 0, sizeof(wKeyBindings));
 
-	fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: StartUp before context_init\n");
 	wm_backend->context_init();
-	fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: StartUp after context_init, before atoms\n");
 	{
 		int ai;
 		for (ai = 0; ai < (int)wlengthof(atomNames); ai++)
 			atom[ai] = (WMNativeAtom)wm_backend->atom_intern(atomNames[ai]);
 	}
-	fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: StartUp after atoms\n");
-	fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: StartUp xdnd_init\n");
 	w_global.atom.wm.state = atom[0];
 	w_global.atom.wm.change_state = atom[1];
 	w_global.atom.wm.protocols = atom[2];
@@ -315,14 +311,10 @@ void StartUp(Bool defaultScreenOnly)
 
 	w_global.atom.wm.ignore_focus_events = atom[21];
 
-fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: StartUp before xdnd_init\n");
 	wm_backend->xdnd_init();
-	fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: StartUp after xdnd_init\n");
 
-	fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: StartUp before cursors_init\n");
 	/* cursors */
 	wm_backend->cursors_init();
-	fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: StartUp after cursors_init\n");
 
 	/* emergency exit... */
 	sig_action.sa_handler = handleSig;
@@ -452,17 +444,13 @@ fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: StartUp before xdnd_init\n");
 		w_global.screen_count++;
 	}
 
-	fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: before InitializeSwitchMenu\n");
 	InitializeSwitchMenu();
-	fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: after InitializeSwitchMenu\n");
 
 	/* initialize/restore state for the screens */
 	for (j = 0; j < w_global.screen_count; j++) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: restore loop start j=%d\n", j);
 		int lastDesktop;
 
 		lastDesktop = wm_backend->netwm_get_current_desktop(wScreen[j]);
-		fprintf(stderr, "TRACE: after netwm_get_current_desktop\n");
 
 		wwarning("startup: wScreenRestoreState begin (screen %d)", j);
 		wScreenRestoreState(wScreen[j]);