diff --git a/freeglut/freeglut/src/freeglut_spaceball.c b/freeglut/freeglut/src/freeglut_spaceball.c
index 7c9d073..89655f4 100644
--- a/freeglut/freeglut/src/freeglut_spaceball.c
+++ b/freeglut/freeglut/src/freeglut_spaceball.c
@@ -52,12 +52,17 @@ static int spnav_remove_events(int type);
 static SFG_Window *spnav_win;
 #endif
 
-static int sball_initialized;
+/* Flag telling whether we have a spaceball:
+ *   0 - haven't tried initializing
+ *   1 - have successfully initialized
+ *  -1 - have tried to initialize but not succeeded
+ */
+static int sball_initialized = 0;
 
 
 void fgInitialiseSpaceball(void)
 {
-    if(sball_initialized) {
+    if(sball_initialized != 0) {
         return;
     }
 
@@ -66,10 +71,15 @@ void fgInitialiseSpaceball(void)
         Window w;
 
         if(!fgStructure.CurrentWindow)
+		{
+			sball_initialized = -1;
             return;
+		}
 
         w = fgStructure.CurrentWindow->Window.Handle;
-        if(spnav_x11_open(fgDisplay.Display, w) == -1) {
+        if(spnav_x11_open(fgDisplay.Display, w) == -1)
+		{
+			sball_initialized = -1;
             return;
         }
     }
@@ -87,9 +97,9 @@ void fgSpaceballClose(void)
 
 int fgHasSpaceball(void)
 {
-    if(!sball_initialized) {
+    if(sball_initialized == 0) {
         fgInitialiseSpaceball();
-        if(!sball_initialized) {
+        if(sball_initialized != 1) {
             fgWarning("fgInitialiseSpaceball failed\n");
             return 0;
         }
@@ -107,9 +117,9 @@ int fgHasSpaceball(void)
 
 int fgSpaceballNumButtons(void)
 {
-    if(!sball_initialized) {
+    if(sball_initialized == 0) {
         fgInitialiseSpaceball();
-        if(!sball_initialized) {
+        if(sball_initialized != 1) {
             fgWarning("fgInitialiseSpaceball failed\n");
             return 0;
         }
@@ -124,9 +134,9 @@ int fgSpaceballNumButtons(void)
 
 void fgSpaceballSetWindow(SFG_Window *window)
 {
-    if(!sball_initialized) {
+    if(sball_initialized == 0) {
         fgInitialiseSpaceball();
-        if(!sball_initialized) {
+        if(sball_initialized != 1) {
             return;
         }
     }
@@ -150,7 +160,7 @@ int fgIsSpaceballXEvent(const XEvent *xev)
         fgSpaceballSetWindow(fgStructure.CurrentWindow);
     }
 
-    if(!sball_initialized) {
+    if(sball_initialized != 1) {
         return 0;
     }
 
@@ -161,9 +171,9 @@ void fgSpaceballHandleXEvent(const XEvent *xev)
 {
     spnav_event sev;
 
-    if(!sball_initialized) {
+    if(sball_initialized == 0) {
         fgInitialiseSpaceball();
-        if(!sball_initialized) {
+        if(sball_initialized != 1) {
             return;
         }
     }