diff --git a/src/rendering/twn_text.c b/src/rendering/twn_text.c
index a00b6f8..78e0e4a 100644
--- a/src/rendering/twn_text.c
+++ b/src/rendering/twn_text.c
@@ -108,11 +108,8 @@ static char *string_arena_alloc(StringArena *arena, size_t size) {
 
 
 static FontData *text_load_font_data(const char *path, int height_px) {
-    FontData *font_data = ccalloc(1, sizeof *font_data);
-    font_data->file_path = path;
-    font_data->height_px = height_px;
-
-    unsigned char* bitmap = ccalloc(ctx.font_texture_size * ctx.font_texture_size, 1);
+    FontData *font_data;
+    unsigned char* bitmap;
 
     {
         unsigned char *buf = NULL;
@@ -125,10 +122,21 @@ static FontData *text_load_font_data(const char *path, int height_px) {
             buf_len = font_file_ptr->value.len;
         } else {
             buf_len = file_to_bytes(path, &buf);
+            if (buf_len == -1) {
+                /* TODO: have a fallback default font */
+                log_warn("Font %s not found", path);
+                return NULL;
+            }
             FontFileBuffer buffer = { buf_len, buf };
             shput(font_file_cache_hash, path, buffer);
         }
 
+        font_data = ccalloc(1, sizeof *font_data);
+        font_data->file_path = path;
+        font_data->height_px = height_px;
+
+        bitmap = ccalloc(ctx.font_texture_size * ctx.font_texture_size, 1);
+
         stbtt_InitFont(&font_data->info, buf, stbtt_GetFontOffsetForIndex(buf, 0));
         
         /* might as well get these now, for later */
@@ -224,7 +232,7 @@ static void text_draw_with(FontData* font_data, char* text, Vec2 position, Color
 }
 
 
-static void ensure_font_cache(const char *font_path, int height_px) {
+static bool ensure_font_cache(const char *font_path, int height_px) {
     /* HACK: don't */
     bool is_cached = false;
     for (size_t i = 0; i < arrlenu(ctx.text_cache.data); ++i) {
@@ -236,8 +244,11 @@ static void ensure_font_cache(const char *font_path, int height_px) {
     }
     if (!is_cached) {
         FontData *new_font_data = text_load_font_data(font_path, height_px);
+        if (new_font_data == NULL)
+            return false;
         arrput(ctx.text_cache.data, new_font_data);
     }
+    return true;
 }
 
 
@@ -294,7 +305,8 @@ void draw_text(const char *string, Vec2 position, float height, Color color, con
         return;
     }
 
-    ensure_font_cache(font, (int)height);
+    if (!ensure_font_cache(font, (int)height))
+        return;
 
     /* the original string might not be around by the time it's used, so copy it */
     size_t str_length = SDL_strlen(string) + 1;
@@ -322,7 +334,9 @@ void draw_text(const char *string, Vec2 position, float height, Color color, con
 
 
 float draw_text_width(const char *string, float height, const char *font) {
-    ensure_font_cache(font, (int)height);
+    if (!ensure_font_cache(font, (int)height))
+        return 0;
+
     FontData *font_data = get_font_data(font, (int)height);
 
     int length = 0;