diff --git a/_imagingft.c b/_imagingft.c
index 7534e0bbb..0cddc15cf 100644
--- a/_imagingft.c
+++ b/_imagingft.c
@@ -225,6 +225,11 @@ text_layout_raqm(PyObject* string, FontObject* self, const char* dir,
     if (PyUnicode_Check(string)) {
         Py_UNICODE *text = PyUnicode_AS_UNICODE(string);
         Py_ssize_t size = PyUnicode_GET_SIZE(string);
+	if (! size) {
+	    /* return 0 and clean up, no glyphs==no size, 
+	       and raqm fails with empty strings */
+	    goto failed;
+	}
         if (!raqm_set_text(rq, (const uint32_t *)(text), size)) {
             PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError, "raqm_set_text() failed");
             goto failed;
@@ -234,6 +239,9 @@ text_layout_raqm(PyObject* string, FontObject* self, const char* dir,
     else if (PyString_Check(string)) {
         char *text = PyString_AS_STRING(string);
         int size = PyString_GET_SIZE(string);
+	if (! size) {
+	    goto failed;
+	}
         if (!raqm_set_text_utf8(rq, text, size)) {
             PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError, "raqm_set_text_utf8() failed");
             goto failed;
@@ -450,6 +458,10 @@ font_getsize(FontObject* self, PyObject* args)
     y_max = y_min = 0;
 
     count = text_layout(string, self, dir, features, &glyph_info, 0);
+    if (PyErr_Occurred()) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
 
     for (x = i = 0; i < count; i++) {
         int index, error;
@@ -584,6 +596,9 @@ font_render(FontObject* self, PyObject* args)
 
     glyph_info = NULL;
     count = text_layout(string, self, dir, features, &glyph_info, mask);
+    if (PyErr_Occurred()) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
     if (count == 0) {
         Py_RETURN_NONE;
     }