diff --git a/src/cairo-type1-subset.c b/src/cairo-type1-subset.c
index bbff33d92..e55575854 100644
--- a/src/cairo-type1-subset.c
+++ b/src/cairo-type1-subset.c
@@ -553,14 +553,24 @@ cairo_type1_font_subset_get_glyph_names_and_widths (cairo_type1_font_subset_t *f
 	error = FT_Load_Glyph (font->face, i,
 			       FT_LOAD_NO_SCALE | FT_LOAD_NO_HINTING |
 			       FT_LOAD_NO_BITMAP | FT_LOAD_IGNORE_TRANSFORM);
-	if (error != 0)
+	if (error != FT_Err_Ok) {
+	    /* propagate fatal errors from FreeType */
+	    if (error == FT_Err_Out_Of_Memory)
+		return _cairo_error (CAIRO_STATUS_NO_MEMORY);
+
 	    return CAIRO_INT_STATUS_UNSUPPORTED;
+	}
 
 	font->glyphs[i].width = font->face->glyph->metrics.horiAdvance;
 
 	error = FT_Get_Glyph_Name(font->face, i, buffer, sizeof buffer);
-	if (error != 0)
+	if (error != FT_Err_Ok) {
+	    /* propagate fatal errors from FreeType */
+	    if (error == FT_Err_Out_Of_Memory)
+		return _cairo_error (CAIRO_STATUS_NO_MEMORY);
+
 	    return CAIRO_INT_STATUS_UNSUPPORTED;
+	}
 
 	font->glyphs[i].name = strdup (buffer);
 	if (font->glyphs[i].name == NULL)