diff --git a/devices/src/virtio/gpu/virtio_gpu.rs b/devices/src/virtio/gpu/virtio_gpu.rs
index cb95969bb1..ae87e3ea7a 100644
--- a/devices/src/virtio/gpu/virtio_gpu.rs
+++ b/devices/src/virtio/gpu/virtio_gpu.rs
@@ -859,12 +859,25 @@ impl VirtioGpu {
 
     /// Gets rutabaga's capset information associated with `index`.
     pub fn get_capset_info(&self, index: u32) -> VirtioGpuResult {
-        let (capset_id, version, size) = self.rutabaga.get_capset_info(index)?;
-        Ok(OkCapsetInfo {
-            capset_id,
-            version,
-            size,
-        })
+        if let Ok((capset_id, version, size)) = self.rutabaga.get_capset_info(index) {
+            Ok(OkCapsetInfo {
+                capset_id,
+                version,
+                size,
+            })
+        } else {
+            // Any capset_id > 63 is invalid according to the virtio-gpu spec, so we can
+            // intentionally poison the capset without stalling the guest kernel driver.
+            base::warn!(
+                "virtio-gpu get_capset_info(index={}) failed. intentionally poisoning response",
+                index
+            );
+            Ok(OkCapsetInfo {
+                capset_id: u32::max_value(),
+                version: 0,
+                size: 0,
+            })
+        }
     }
 
     /// Gets a capset from rutabaga.
diff --git a/rutabaga_gfx/src/rutabaga_core.rs b/rutabaga_gfx/src/rutabaga_core.rs
index ab89e7e872..d487449209 100644
--- a/rutabaga_gfx/src/rutabaga_core.rs
+++ b/rutabaga_gfx/src/rutabaga_core.rs
@@ -1177,23 +1177,26 @@ impl RutabagaBuilder {
             ));
         }
 
-        if self.default_component == RutabagaComponentType::Rutabaga2D {
-            let rutabaga_2d = Rutabaga2D::init(fence_handler.clone())?;
-            rutabaga_components.insert(RutabagaComponentType::Rutabaga2D, rutabaga_2d);
-        } else {
+        #[allow(unused_mut)]
+        let mut fallback_2d = false;
+        if self.default_component != RutabagaComponentType::Rutabaga2D {
             #[cfg(feature = "virgl_renderer")]
             if self.default_component == RutabagaComponentType::VirglRenderer {
-                let virgl = VirglRenderer::init(
+                if let Ok(virgl) = VirglRenderer::init(
                     self.virglrenderer_flags,
                     fence_handler.clone(),
                     rutabaga_server_descriptor,
-                )?;
-                rutabaga_components.insert(RutabagaComponentType::VirglRenderer, virgl);
+                ) {
+                    rutabaga_components.insert(RutabagaComponentType::VirglRenderer, virgl);
 
-                push_capset(RUTABAGA_CAPSET_VIRGL);
-                push_capset(RUTABAGA_CAPSET_VIRGL2);
-                push_capset(RUTABAGA_CAPSET_VENUS);
-                push_capset(RUTABAGA_CAPSET_DRM);
+                    push_capset(RUTABAGA_CAPSET_VIRGL);
+                    push_capset(RUTABAGA_CAPSET_VIRGL2);
+                    push_capset(RUTABAGA_CAPSET_VENUS);
+                    push_capset(RUTABAGA_CAPSET_DRM);
+                } else {
+                    log::warn!("error initializing gpu backend=virglrenderer, falling back to 2d.");
+                    fallback_2d = true;
+                };
             }
 
             #[cfg(feature = "gfxstream")]
@@ -1220,6 +1223,11 @@ impl RutabagaBuilder {
             push_capset(RUTABAGA_CAPSET_CROSS_DOMAIN);
         }
 
+        if self.default_component == RutabagaComponentType::Rutabaga2D || fallback_2d {
+            let rutabaga_2d = Rutabaga2D::init(fence_handler.clone())?;
+            rutabaga_components.insert(RutabagaComponentType::Rutabaga2D, rutabaga_2d);
+        }
+
         Ok(Rutabaga {
             resources: Default::default(),
             contexts: Default::default(),