diff --git a/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate-pdf.c b/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate-pdf.c
index fb7d1aa2f..470fb06d2 100644
--- a/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate-pdf.c
+++ b/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate-pdf.c
@@ -178,17 +178,8 @@ _cairo_boilerplate_pdf_convert_to_image (cairo_surface_t *surface)
 {
     pdf_target_closure_t *ptc = cairo_surface_get_user_data (surface,
 							     &pdf_closure_key);
-    FILE *file;
-    cairo_surface_t *image;
-
-    file = cairo_boilerplate_open_any2ppm (ptc->filename, 1);
-    if (file == NULL)
-	return cairo_boilerplate_surface_create_in_error (CAIRO_STATUS_READ_ERROR);
-
-    image = cairo_boilerplate_image_surface_create_from_ppm_stream (file);
-    fclose (file);
 
-    return image;
+    return cairo_boilerplate_convert_to_image (ptc->filename, 1);
 }
 
 cairo_surface_t *
diff --git a/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate-svg.c b/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate-svg.c
index 7a07d1b37..c3ad8d2fe 100644
--- a/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate-svg.c
+++ b/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate-svg.c
@@ -170,17 +170,8 @@ _cairo_boilerplate_svg_convert_to_image (cairo_surface_t *surface)
 {
     svg_target_closure_t *ptc = cairo_surface_get_user_data (surface,
 							     &svg_closure_key);
-    FILE *file;
-    cairo_surface_t *image;
-
-    file = cairo_boilerplate_open_any2ppm (ptc->filename, 0);
-    if (file == NULL)
-	return cairo_boilerplate_surface_create_in_error (CAIRO_STATUS_READ_ERROR);
-
-    image = cairo_boilerplate_image_surface_create_from_ppm_stream (file);
-    fclose (file);
 
-    return image;
+    return cairo_boilerplate_convert_to_image (ptc->filename, 0);
 }
 
 cairo_surface_t *
diff --git a/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate.c b/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate.c
index 039fb3dee..65898e16f 100644
--- a/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate.c
+++ b/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate.c
@@ -706,7 +706,8 @@ any2ppm_daemon_exists (void)
 
 FILE *
 cairo_boilerplate_open_any2ppm (const char *filename,
-				int page)
+				int page,
+				unsigned int flags)
 {
     char command[4096];
 #if HAS_DAEMON
@@ -714,6 +715,9 @@ cairo_boilerplate_open_any2ppm (const char *filename,
     struct sockaddr_un addr;
     int len;
 
+    if (flags & CAIRO_BOILERPLATE_OPEN_NO_DAEMON)
+	goto POPEN;
+
     if (! any2ppm_daemon_exists ()) {
 	if (system ("./any2ppm") != 0)
 	    goto POPEN;
@@ -747,7 +751,7 @@ cairo_boilerplate_open_any2ppm (const char *filename,
 }
 
 static cairo_bool_t
-freadn (char *buf, int len, FILE *file)
+freadn (unsigned char *buf, int len, FILE *file)
 {
     int ret;
 
@@ -822,6 +826,33 @@ cairo_boilerplate_image_surface_create_from_ppm_stream (FILE *file)
     return cairo_boilerplate_surface_create_in_error (CAIRO_STATUS_READ_ERROR);
 }
 
+cairo_surface_t *
+cairo_boilerplate_convert_to_image (const char *filename, int page)
+{
+    FILE *file;
+    unsigned int flags = 0;
+    cairo_surface_t *image;
+
+  RETRY:
+    file = cairo_boilerplate_open_any2ppm (filename, 1, flags);
+    if (file == NULL)
+	return cairo_boilerplate_surface_create_in_error (CAIRO_STATUS_READ_ERROR);
+
+    image = cairo_boilerplate_image_surface_create_from_ppm_stream (file);
+    fclose (file);
+
+    if (cairo_surface_status (image) == CAIRO_STATUS_READ_ERROR) {
+	if (flags == 0) {
+	    /* Try again in process, e.g. to propagate a CRASH. */
+	    cairo_surface_destroy (image);
+	    flags = CAIRO_BOILERPLATE_OPEN_NO_DAEMON;
+	    goto RETRY;
+	}
+    }
+
+    return image;
+}
+
 int
 cairo_boilerplate_version (void)
 {
diff --git a/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate.h b/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate.h
index df2da0913..7b6dbc31c 100644
--- a/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate.h
+++ b/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate.h
@@ -176,13 +176,20 @@ cairo_boilerplate_get_image_surface_from_png (const char *filename,
 cairo_surface_t *
 cairo_boilerplate_surface_create_in_error (cairo_status_t status);
 
+enum {
+    CAIRO_BOILERPLATE_OPEN_NO_DAEMON = 0x1,
+};
+
 FILE *
 cairo_boilerplate_open_any2ppm (const char *filename,
-				int page);
-
+				int page,
+				unsigned int flags);
 cairo_surface_t *
 cairo_boilerplate_image_surface_create_from_ppm_stream (FILE *file);
 
+cairo_surface_t *
+cairo_boilerplate_convert_to_image (const char *filename, int page);
+
 int
 cairo_boilerplate_version (void);