diff --git a/intern/cycles/blender/blender_device.cpp b/intern/cycles/blender/blender_device.cpp
index 0293223864d..ffcaef0b2a9 100644
--- a/intern/cycles/blender/blender_device.cpp
+++ b/intern/cycles/blender/blender_device.cpp
@@ -47,8 +47,7 @@ DeviceInfo blender_device_info(BL::Preferences &b_preferences, BL::Scene &b_scen
     vector<DeviceInfo> devices = Device::available_devices(BlenderSession::device_override);
 
     if (devices.empty()) {
-      printf("Found no Cycles device of the specified type, falling back to CPU...\n");
-      return Device::available_devices(DEVICE_MASK_CPU).front();
+      return Device::dummy_device("Found no Cycles device of the specified type");
     }
 
     int threads = blender_device_threads(b_scene);
diff --git a/intern/cycles/blender/blender_session.cpp b/intern/cycles/blender/blender_session.cpp
index c2bdec0e53d..8214ff7d532 100644
--- a/intern/cycles/blender/blender_session.cpp
+++ b/intern/cycles/blender/blender_session.cpp
@@ -472,6 +472,11 @@ void BlenderSession::render(BL::Depsgraph &b_depsgraph_)
 {
   b_depsgraph = b_depsgraph_;
 
+  if (session->progress.get_cancel()) {
+    update_status_progress();
+    return;
+  }
+
   /* set callback to write out render results */
   session->write_render_tile_cb = function_bind(&BlenderSession::write_render_tile, this, _1);
   session->update_render_tile_cb = function_bind(
diff --git a/intern/cycles/device/CMakeLists.txt b/intern/cycles/device/CMakeLists.txt
index cc54f64b1bb..928249931a3 100644
--- a/intern/cycles/device/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/intern/cycles/device/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ set(SRC
   device_cpu.cpp
   device_cuda.cpp
   device_denoising.cpp
+  device_dummy.cpp
   device_memory.cpp
   device_multi.cpp
   device_opencl.cpp
diff --git a/intern/cycles/device/device.cpp b/intern/cycles/device/device.cpp
index 407f73e8451..eb8fb8040e3 100644
--- a/intern/cycles/device/device.cpp
+++ b/intern/cycles/device/device.cpp
@@ -375,7 +375,7 @@ Device *Device::create(DeviceInfo &info, Stats &stats, Profiler &profiler, bool
   }
 #endif
 
-  Device *device;
+  Device *device = NULL;
 
   switch (info.type) {
     case DEVICE_CPU:
@@ -385,16 +385,12 @@ Device *Device::create(DeviceInfo &info, Stats &stats, Profiler &profiler, bool
     case DEVICE_CUDA:
       if (device_cuda_init())
         device = device_cuda_create(info, stats, profiler, background);
-      else
-        device = NULL;
       break;
 #endif
 #ifdef WITH_OPTIX
     case DEVICE_OPTIX:
       if (device_optix_init())
         device = device_optix_create(info, stats, profiler, background);
-      else
-        device = NULL;
       break;
 #endif
 #ifdef WITH_NETWORK
@@ -406,12 +402,14 @@ Device *Device::create(DeviceInfo &info, Stats &stats, Profiler &profiler, bool
     case DEVICE_OPENCL:
       if (device_opencl_init())
         device = device_opencl_create(info, stats, profiler, background);
-      else
-        device = NULL;
       break;
 #endif
     default:
-      return NULL;
+      break;
+  }
+
+  if (device == NULL) {
+    device = device_dummy_create(info, stats, profiler, background);
   }
 
   return device;
@@ -549,6 +547,14 @@ vector<DeviceInfo> Device::available_devices(uint mask)
   return devices;
 }
 
+DeviceInfo Device::dummy_device(const string &error_msg)
+{
+  DeviceInfo info;
+  info.type = DEVICE_DUMMY;
+  info.error_msg = error_msg;
+  return info;
+}
+
 string Device::device_capabilities(uint mask)
 {
   thread_scoped_lock lock(device_mutex);
diff --git a/intern/cycles/device/device.h b/intern/cycles/device/device.h
index ddf608aa430..2006db02ce7 100644
--- a/intern/cycles/device/device.h
+++ b/intern/cycles/device/device.h
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ enum DeviceType {
   DEVICE_NETWORK,
   DEVICE_MULTI,
   DEVICE_OPTIX,
+  DEVICE_DUMMY,
 };
 
 enum DeviceTypeMask {
@@ -87,6 +88,7 @@ class DeviceInfo {
   int cpu_threads;
   vector<DeviceInfo> multi_devices;
   vector<DeviceInfo> denoising_devices;
+  string error_msg;
 
   DeviceInfo()
   {
@@ -471,6 +473,7 @@ class Device {
   static string string_from_type(DeviceType type);
   static vector<DeviceType> available_types();
   static vector<DeviceInfo> available_devices(uint device_type_mask = DEVICE_MASK_ALL);
+  static DeviceInfo dummy_device(const string &error_msg = "");
   static string device_capabilities(uint device_type_mask = DEVICE_MASK_ALL);
   static DeviceInfo get_multi_device(const vector<DeviceInfo> &subdevices,
                                      int threads,
diff --git a/intern/cycles/device/device_dummy.cpp b/intern/cycles/device/device_dummy.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5112fc152e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/intern/cycles/device/device_dummy.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2011-2020 Blender Foundation
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+#include "device/device.h"
+#include "device/device_intern.h"
+
+CCL_NAMESPACE_BEGIN
+
+/* Dummy device for when creating an appropriate rendering device fails. */
+
+class DummyDevice : public Device {
+ public:
+  DummyDevice(DeviceInfo &info_, Stats &stats_, Profiler &profiler_, bool background_)
+      : Device(info_, stats_, profiler_, background_)
+  {
+    error_msg = info.error_msg;
+  }
+
+  ~DummyDevice()
+  {
+  }
+
+  virtual BVHLayoutMask get_bvh_layout_mask() const override
+  {
+    return 0;
+  }
+
+  virtual void mem_alloc(device_memory &) override
+  {
+  }
+
+  virtual void mem_copy_to(device_memory &) override
+  {
+  }
+
+  virtual void mem_copy_from(device_memory &, int, int, int, int) override
+  {
+  }
+
+  virtual void mem_zero(device_memory &) override
+  {
+  }
+
+  virtual void mem_free(device_memory &) override
+  {
+  }
+
+  virtual void const_copy_to(const char *, void *, size_t) override
+  {
+  }
+
+  virtual void task_add(DeviceTask &) override
+  {
+  }
+
+  virtual void task_wait() override
+  {
+  }
+
+  virtual void task_cancel() override
+  {
+  }
+};
+
+Device *device_dummy_create(DeviceInfo &info, Stats &stats, Profiler &profiler, bool background)
+{
+  return new DummyDevice(info, stats, profiler, background);
+}
+
+CCL_NAMESPACE_END
diff --git a/intern/cycles/device/device_intern.h b/intern/cycles/device/device_intern.h
index 94d63e8f333..ecc79c5d7ee 100644
--- a/intern/cycles/device/device_intern.h
+++ b/intern/cycles/device/device_intern.h
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ bool device_cuda_init();
 Device *device_cuda_create(DeviceInfo &info, Stats &stats, Profiler &profiler, bool background);
 bool device_optix_init();
 Device *device_optix_create(DeviceInfo &info, Stats &stats, Profiler &profiler, bool background);
+Device *device_dummy_create(DeviceInfo &info, Stats &stats, Profiler &profiler, bool background);
 
 Device *device_network_create(DeviceInfo &info,
                               Stats &stats,
diff --git a/intern/cycles/render/session.cpp b/intern/cycles/render/session.cpp
index c22e29043d3..fa3fd06ab27 100644
--- a/intern/cycles/render/session.cpp
+++ b/intern/cycles/render/session.cpp
@@ -61,22 +61,6 @@ Session::Session(const SessionParams &params_)
 
   TaskScheduler::init(params.threads);
 
-  /* Create CPU/GPU devices. */
-  device = Device::create(params.device, stats, profiler, params.background);
-
-  /* Create buffers for interactive rendering. */
-  if (params.background && !params.write_render_cb) {
-    buffers = NULL;
-    display = NULL;
-  }
-  else {
-    buffers = new RenderBuffers(device);
-    display = new DisplayBuffer(device, params.display_buffer_linear);
-  }
-
-  /* Validate denoising parameters. */
-  set_denoising(params.denoising);
-
   session_thread = NULL;
   scene = NULL;
 
@@ -90,6 +74,26 @@ Session::Session(const SessionParams &params_)
   gpu_draw_ready = false;
   gpu_need_display_buffer_update = false;
   pause = false;
+
+  buffers = NULL;
+  display = NULL;
+
+  /* Validate denoising parameters. */
+  set_denoising(params.denoising);
+
+  /* Create CPU/GPU devices. */
+  device = Device::create(params.device, stats, profiler, params.background);
+
+  if (!device->error_message().empty()) {
+    progress.set_error(device->error_message());
+    return;
+  }
+
+  /* Create buffers for interactive rendering. */
+  if (!(params.background && !params.write_render_cb)) {
+    buffers = new RenderBuffers(device);
+    display = new DisplayBuffer(device, params.display_buffer_linear);
+  }
 }
 
 Session::~Session()
@@ -110,7 +114,7 @@ Session::~Session()
     wait();
   }
 
-  if (params.write_render_cb) {
+  if (buffers && params.write_render_cb) {
     /* Copy to display buffer and write out image if requested */
     delete display;