Error: X11 fatal IO error: please save work and shut down R when ssh connection broken

I ues R on a Linux server running under Screen or Emacs server from a Mac desktop.

I use Screen and/or Emacs server so that I can reattach to long running sessions, and this works well except...

If X11 server on my desktop is shut down, or my ssh connection is broken, I get this error on the next plot() call:

Error: X11 fatal IO error: please save work and shut down R

Is there a work around for this?

Thanks,
regcl