diff --git a/libobs-winrt/winrt-capture.cpp b/libobs-winrt/winrt-capture.cpp
index 56dbf20bb..bbfcdb71a 100644
--- a/libobs-winrt/winrt-capture.cpp
+++ b/libobs-winrt/winrt-capture.cpp
@@ -14,10 +14,10 @@ struct __declspec(uuid("A9B3D012-3DF2-4EE3-B8D1-8695F457D3C1"))
 
 extern "C" EXPORT BOOL winrt_capture_supported()
 {
-	return winrt::Windows::Foundation::Metadata::ApiInformation::IsTypePresent(
-		       L"Windows.Graphics.Capture.GraphicsCaptureSession") &&
-	       winrt::Windows::Graphics::Capture::GraphicsCaptureSession::
-		       IsSupported();
+	/* no contract for IGraphicsCaptureItemInterop, verify 10.0.18362.0 */
+	return winrt::Windows::Foundation::Metadata::ApiInformation::
+		IsApiContractPresent(L"Windows.Foundation.UniversalApiContract",
+				     8);
 }
 
 extern "C" EXPORT BOOL winrt_capture_cursor_toggle_supported()
@@ -311,18 +311,14 @@ static void winrt_capture_device_loss_rebuild(void *device_void, void *data)
 thread_local bool initialized_tls;
 
 extern "C" EXPORT struct winrt_capture *
-winrt_capture_init(BOOL cursor, HWND window, BOOL client_area, char **error,
-		   HRESULT *hr_out)
+winrt_capture_init(BOOL cursor, HWND window, BOOL client_area)
 try {
 	ID3D11Device *const d3d_device = (ID3D11Device *)gs_get_device_obj();
 	ComPtr<IDXGIDevice> dxgi_device;
 
-	*error = nullptr;
-
 	HRESULT hr = d3d_device->QueryInterface(&dxgi_device);
 	if (FAILED(hr)) {
-		*error = bstrdup("Failed to get DXGI device");
-		*hr_out = hr;
+		blog(LOG_ERROR, "Failed to get DXGI device");
 		return nullptr;
 	}
 
@@ -330,8 +326,7 @@ try {
 	hr = CreateDirect3D11DeviceFromDXGIDevice(dxgi_device.Get(),
 						  inspectable.put());
 	if (FAILED(hr)) {
-		*error = bstrdup("Failed to get WinRT device");
-		*hr_out = hr;
+		blog(LOG_ERROR, "Failed to get WinRT device");
 		return nullptr;
 	}
 
@@ -347,8 +342,8 @@ try {
 					       IGraphicsCaptureItem>(),
 			reinterpret_cast<void **>(winrt::put_abi(item)));
 	} catch (winrt::hresult_error &err) {
-		*error = bstrdup("CreateForWindow failed");
-		*hr_out = err.code();
+		blog(LOG_ERROR, "CreateForWindow (0x%08X): %ls", err.to_abi(),
+		     err.message().c_str());
 		return nullptr;
 	}
 
@@ -404,8 +399,8 @@ try {
 	return capture;
 
 } catch (winrt::hresult_error &err) {
-	*error = bstrdup("oh wow something else in winrt_capture_init failed");
-	*hr_out = err.code();
+	blog(LOG_ERROR, "winrt_capture_init (0x%08X): %ls", err.to_abi(),
+	     err.message().c_str());
 	return nullptr;
 }
 
diff --git a/libobs-winrt/winrt-capture.h b/libobs-winrt/winrt-capture.h
index cbf123929..33c237dee 100644
--- a/libobs-winrt/winrt-capture.h
+++ b/libobs-winrt/winrt-capture.h
@@ -12,8 +12,7 @@ extern "C" {
 EXPORT BOOL winrt_capture_supported();
 EXPORT BOOL winrt_capture_cursor_toggle_supported();
 EXPORT struct winrt_capture *winrt_capture_init(BOOL cursor, HWND window,
-						BOOL client_area, char **error,
-						HRESULT *hr);
+						BOOL client_area);
 EXPORT void winrt_capture_free(struct winrt_capture *capture);
 
 EXPORT void winrt_capture_show_cursor(struct winrt_capture *capture,
diff --git a/plugins/win-capture/window-capture.c b/plugins/win-capture/window-capture.c
index e97efa769..2794087f1 100644
--- a/plugins/win-capture/window-capture.c
+++ b/plugins/win-capture/window-capture.c
@@ -29,8 +29,7 @@ struct winrt_exports {
 	BOOL *(*winrt_capture_supported)();
 	BOOL *(*winrt_capture_cursor_toggle_supported)();
 	struct winrt_capture *(*winrt_capture_init)(BOOL cursor, HWND window,
-						    BOOL client_area,
-						    char **error, HRESULT *hr);
+						    BOOL client_area);
 	void (*winrt_capture_free)(struct winrt_capture *capture);
 	void (*winrt_capture_show_cursor)(struct winrt_capture *capture,
 					  BOOL visible);
@@ -247,6 +246,8 @@ static void wc_update(void *data, obs_data_t *settings)
 	/* forces a reset */
 	wc->window = NULL;
 	wc->check_window_timer = WC_CHECK_TIMER;
+
+	wc->previously_failed = false;
 }
 
 static uint32_t wc_width(void *data)
@@ -480,24 +481,16 @@ static void wc_tick(void *data, float seconds)
 		dc_capture_capture(&wc->capture, wc->window);
 	} else if (wc->method == METHOD_WGC) {
 		if (wc->window && (wc->capture_winrt == NULL)) {
-			char *error = NULL;
-			HRESULT hr;
+			if (!wc->previously_failed) {
+				wc->capture_winrt =
+					wc->exports.winrt_capture_init(
+						wc->cursor, wc->window,
+						wc->client_area);
 
-			wc->capture_winrt = wc->exports.winrt_capture_init(
-				wc->cursor, wc->window, wc->client_area, &error,
-				&hr);
-
-			if (!wc->capture_winrt && !wc->previously_failed) {
-				blog(LOG_WARNING,
-				     "%s: winrt_capture_init failed: %s: %lX",
-				     obs_source_get_name(wc->source), error,
-				     hr);
-				wc->previously_failed = true;
-			} else if (wc->capture_winrt) {
-				wc->previously_failed = false;
+				if (!wc->capture_winrt) {
+					wc->previously_failed = true;
+				}
 			}
-
-			bfree(error);
 		}
 	}