diff --git a/dix/atom.c b/dix/atom.c
index 194b2baec..86e946bc5 100644
--- a/dix/atom.c
+++ b/dix/atom.c
@@ -159,12 +159,6 @@ NameForAtom(Atom atom)
     return node->string;
 }
 
-void
-AtomError(void)
-{
-    FatalError("initializing atoms");
-}
-
 static void
 FreeAtom(NodePtr patom)
 {
@@ -201,9 +195,9 @@ InitAtoms(void)
     tableLength = InitialTableSize;
     nodeTable = xallocarray(InitialTableSize, sizeof(NodePtr));
     if (!nodeTable)
-        AtomError();
+        FatalError("creating atom table");
     nodeTable[None] = NULL;
     MakePredeclaredAtoms();
     if (lastAtom != XA_LAST_PREDEFINED)
-        AtomError();
+        FatalError("builtin atom number mismatch");
 }
diff --git a/dix/generate-atoms b/dix/generate-atoms
index 780548919..48152d148 100755
--- a/dix/generate-atoms
+++ b/dix/generate-atoms
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ do_line() {
     local name="$1"
     [ "$2" != "@" ] && return 0
     echo "    if (MakeAtom(\"$name\", ${#name}, 1) != XA_$name)"
-    echo "        AtomError();"
+    echo "        FatalError(\"adding builtin atom\");"
 }
 
 cat > "$OUTPUT" << __END__
diff --git a/include/dix.h b/include/dix.h
index f7b759d27..8981319a4 100644
--- a/include/dix.h
+++ b/include/dix.h
@@ -202,10 +202,6 @@ extern _X_EXPORT Bool ValidAtom(Atom /*atom */ );
 
 extern _X_EXPORT const char *NameForAtom(Atom /*atom */ );
 
-extern _X_EXPORT void
-AtomError(void)
-    _X_NORETURN;
-
 extern _X_EXPORT void
 FreeAllAtoms(void);