diff --git a/src/ship/controller/physicaldevice/ConnectedPhysicalDeviceManager.cpp b/src/ship/controller/physicaldevice/ConnectedPhysicalDeviceManager.cpp
index 2f372434e..7f0397e25 100644
--- a/src/ship/controller/physicaldevice/ConnectedPhysicalDeviceManager.cpp
+++ b/src/ship/controller/physicaldevice/ConnectedPhysicalDeviceManager.cpp
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #include "ship/controller/physicaldevice/ConnectedPhysicalDeviceManager.h"
+#include <spdlog/spdlog.h>
 
 namespace Ship {
 ConnectedPhysicalDeviceManager::ConnectedPhysicalDeviceManager() {
@@ -51,19 +52,53 @@ void ConnectedPhysicalDeviceManager::HandlePhysicalDeviceDisconnect(int32_t sdlJ
 void ConnectedPhysicalDeviceManager::RefreshConnectedSDLGamepads() {
     mConnectedSDLGamepads.clear();
     mConnectedSDLGamepadNames.clear();
+    static SDL_JoystickGUID sZeroGuid;
 
     for (int32_t i = 0; i < SDL_NumJoysticks(); i++) {
-        // skip if this SDL joystick isn't a Gamepad
+
+        SDL_JoystickGUID deviceGUID = SDL_JoystickGetDeviceGUID(i);
+        if (SDL_memcmp(&deviceGUID, &sZeroGuid, sizeof(deviceGUID)) == 0) {
+            SPDLOG_WARN(
+                "Calling SDL JoystickGetDeviceGUID with index ({:d}) returned zero GUID. This is likely due to an "
+                "invalid index. Refer to https://wiki.libsdl.org/SDL2/SDL_JoystickGetDeviceGUID for more information.",
+                i);
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        char deviceGuidCStr[33] = "";
+        SDL_JoystickGetGUIDString(deviceGUID, deviceGuidCStr, sizeof(deviceGuidCStr));
+
         if (!SDL_IsGameController(i)) {
+            SPDLOG_WARN("SDL Joystick (GUID: {}) not recognized as gamepad."
+                        "This is likely due to a missing mapping string in gamecontrollerdb.txt."
+                        "Refer to https://github.com/mdqinc/SDL_GameControllerDB for more information.",
+                        deviceGuidCStr);
             continue;
         }
 
         auto gamepad = SDL_GameControllerOpen(i);
+        if (gamepad == nullptr) {
+            SPDLOG_ERROR("SDL GameControllerOpen error (GUID: {}): {}", deviceGuidCStr, SDL_GetError());
+            continue;
+        }
+
         auto instanceId = SDL_JoystickInstanceID(SDL_GameControllerGetJoystick(gamepad));
+        if (instanceId < 0) {
+            SPDLOG_ERROR("SDL JoystickInstanceID error (GUID: {}): {}", deviceGuidCStr, SDL_GetError());
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        std::string gamepadName;
         auto name = SDL_GameControllerName(gamepad);
+        if (name == nullptr) {
+            gamepadName = deviceGuidCStr;
+            SPDLOG_WARN("SDL_GameControllerName returned null. Setting name to GUID \"{}\" instead.", gamepadName);
+        } else {
+            gamepadName = name;
+        }
 
         mConnectedSDLGamepads[instanceId] = gamepad;
-        mConnectedSDLGamepadNames[instanceId] = name;
+        mConnectedSDLGamepadNames[instanceId] = gamepadName;
 
         for (uint8_t port = 1; port < 4; port++) {
             mIgnoredInstanceIds[port].insert(instanceId);