diff --git a/cmd/d2/main.go b/cmd/d2/main.go
index 443c65acf..e423166bc 100644
--- a/cmd/d2/main.go
+++ b/cmd/d2/main.go
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ import (
 	"oss.terrastruct.com/d2/lib/png"
 	"oss.terrastruct.com/d2/lib/version"
 	"oss.terrastruct.com/d2/lib/xmain"
-	"oss.terrastruct.com/xdefer"
 )
 
 func main() {
@@ -123,7 +122,7 @@ func run(ctx context.Context, ms *xmain.State) (err error) {
 		defer func() {
 			cleanupErr := pw.Cleanup()
 			if cleanupErr != nil {
-				ms.Log.Error.Printf(cleanupErr.Error())
+				ms.Log.Error.Printf("error cleaning up png exporter: %v", cleanupErr.Error())
 			}
 		}()
 	}
@@ -156,7 +155,7 @@ func run(ctx context.Context, ms *xmain.State) (err error) {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func compile(ctx context.Context, ms *xmain.State, plugin d2plugin.Plugin, inputPath, outputPath string, page playwright.Page) (_ []byte, err error) {
+func compile(ctx context.Context, ms *xmain.State, plugin d2plugin.Plugin, inputPath, outputPath string, page playwright.Page) ([]byte, error) {
 	input, err := ms.ReadPath(inputPath)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -177,7 +176,6 @@ func compile(ctx context.Context, ms *xmain.State, plugin d2plugin.Plugin, input
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	defer xdefer.Errorf(&err, "failed to compile d2 \nplease report this issue here: https://github.com/terrastruct/d2/issues/new")
 	svg, err := d2svg.Render(d)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/cmd/d2/watch.go b/cmd/d2/watch.go
index 5194ce3fa..89b74da27 100644
--- a/cmd/d2/watch.go
+++ b/cmd/d2/watch.go
@@ -332,6 +332,7 @@ func (w *watcher) compileLoop(ctx context.Context) error {
 		if filepath.Ext(w.outputPath) == ".png" && !w.pw.Browser.IsConnected() {
 			newPW, err := w.pw.RestartBrowser()
 			if err != nil {
+				err = fmt.Errorf("png exporter has disconnected")
 				w.ms.Log.Error.Print(err)
 				w.broadcast(&compileResult{
 					Err: err.Error(),
diff --git a/lib/png/png.go b/lib/png/png.go
index 509faf6b9..e1cc821f1 100644
--- a/lib/png/png.go
+++ b/lib/png/png.go
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/playwright-community/playwright-go"
 	"oss.terrastruct.com/d2/lib/xmain"
-	"oss.terrastruct.com/xdefer"
 )
 
 type Playwright struct {
@@ -22,8 +21,6 @@ type Playwright struct {
 }
 
 func (pw *Playwright) RestartBrowser() (newPW Playwright, err error) {
-	defer xdefer.Errorf(&err, "png exporter has disconnected\nplease report this issue here: https://github.com/terrastruct/d2/issues/new")
-
 	if err = pw.Browser.Close(); err != nil {
 		return Playwright{}, err
 	}
@@ -31,8 +28,6 @@ func (pw *Playwright) RestartBrowser() (newPW Playwright, err error) {
 }
 
 func (pw *Playwright) Cleanup() (err error) {
-	defer xdefer.Errorf(&err, "failed to clean up png exporter\nplease report this issue here: https://github.com/terrastruct/d2/issues/new")
-
 	if err = pw.Browser.Close(); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -62,9 +57,7 @@ func startPlaywright(pw *playwright.Playwright) (Playwright, error) {
 	}, nil
 }
 
-func InitPlaywright() (_ Playwright, err error) {
-	defer xdefer.Errorf(&err, "failed to initialize png exporter\nplease report this issue here: https://github.com/terrastruct/d2/issues/new")
-
+func InitPlaywright() (Playwright, error) {
 	// check if playwright driver/browsers are installed and up to date
 	// https://github.com/playwright-community/playwright-go/blob/8e8f670b5fa7ba5365ae4bfc123fea4aac359763/run.go#L64.
 	driver, err := playwright.NewDriver(&playwright.RunOptions{})
@@ -80,7 +73,7 @@ func InitPlaywright() (_ Playwright, err error) {
 		cmd := exec.Command(driver.DriverBinaryLocation, "--version")
 		output, err := cmd.Output()
 		if err != nil {
-			return Playwright{}, err
+			return Playwright{}, fmt.Errorf("error installing png exporter: %v\nplease report this issue here: https://github.com/terrastruct/d2/issues/new", err.Error())
 		}
 		if !bytes.Contains(output, []byte(driver.Version)) {
 			err = playwright.Install()
@@ -89,7 +82,7 @@ func InitPlaywright() (_ Playwright, err error) {
 			}
 		}
 	} else {
-		return Playwright{}, err
+		return Playwright{}, fmt.Errorf("could not install png exporter: %v\nplease report this issue here: https://github.com/terrastruct/d2/issues/new", err.Error())
 	}
 
 	pw, err := playwright.Run()
@@ -103,10 +96,8 @@ func InitPlaywright() (_ Playwright, err error) {
 var genPNGScript string
 
 func ExportPNG(ms *xmain.State, page playwright.Page, svg []byte) (outputImage []byte, err error) {
-	defer xdefer.Errorf(&err, "failed to export png")
-
 	if page == nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("png exporter was not initialized properly")
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("png exporter was not initialized properly\nplease report this issue here: https://github.com/terrastruct/d2/issues/new")
 	}
 
 	encodedSVG := base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(svg)
@@ -121,7 +112,7 @@ func ExportPNG(ms *xmain.State, page playwright.Page, svg []byte) (outputImage [
 		if len(pngString) > 50 {
 			pngString = pngString[0:50] + "..."
 		}
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid PNG: %v", pngString)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid PNG: %v\nplease report this issue here: https://github.com/terrastruct/d2/issues/new", pngString)
 	}
 	splicedPNGString := pngString[len(pngPrefix):]
 	return base64.StdEncoding.DecodeString(splicedPNGString)