diff --git a/src/hb-wasm-shape.cc b/src/hb-wasm-shape.cc
index 05de4a20e..b43a8c9fb 100644
--- a/src/hb-wasm-shape.cc
+++ b/src/hb-wasm-shape.cc
@@ -283,10 +283,20 @@ _hb_wasm_shape (hb_shape_plan_t    *shape_plan,
 		const hb_feature_t *features,
 		unsigned int        num_features)
 {
+  if (unlikely (buffer->in_error ()))
+    return false;
+
   bool ret = true;
   hb_face_t *face = font->face;
   const hb_wasm_face_data_t *face_data = face->data.wasm;
 
+  bool retried = false;
+  if (0)
+  {
+retry:
+    DEBUG_MSG (WASM, font, "Retrying...");
+  }
+
   wasm_function_inst_t func = nullptr;
 
   hb_wasm_shape_plan_t *plan = acquire_shape_plan (face, face_data);
@@ -340,15 +350,25 @@ _hb_wasm_shape (hb_shape_plan_t    *shape_plan,
 
   if (unlikely (buffer->in_error ()))
   {
-    DEBUG_MSG (WASM, module_inst, "Buffer in error. Memory allocation fail?");
-    goto fail;
+    DEBUG_MSG (WASM, module_inst, "Buffer in error. Memory allocation fail in the wasm?");
+    if (retried)
+      goto fail;
+    buffer->successful = true;
+    retried = true;
+    release_shape_plan (face_data, plan);
+    goto retry;
   }
 
   if (unlikely (!ret))
   {
     DEBUG_MSG (WASM, module_inst, "Calling shape() failed: %s",
 	       wasm_runtime_get_exception(module_inst));
-    goto fail;
+    if (retried)
+      goto fail;
+    buffer->successful = true;
+    retried = true;
+    release_shape_plan (face_data, plan);
+    goto retry;
   }
 
   /* TODO Regularize clusters according to direction & cluster level,
diff --git a/src/wasm-graphite/shape.cc b/src/wasm-graphite/shape.cc
index 6aec37280..24b1b5fe1 100644
--- a/src/wasm-graphite/shape.cc
+++ b/src/wasm-graphite/shape.cc
@@ -83,6 +83,8 @@ shape (void *shape_plan,
   unsigned length = contents.length;
 
   uint32_t *chars = (uint32_t *) malloc (length * sizeof (uint32_t));
+  if (!chars)
+    return false;
   for (unsigned int i = 0; i < contents.length; ++i)
     chars[i] = contents.info[i].codepoint;
 
@@ -114,6 +116,8 @@ shape (void *shape_plan,
   buffer_contents_realloc (&contents, length);
   cluster_t *clusters = (cluster_t *) malloc (length * sizeof (cluster_t));
   uint32_t *gids = (uint32_t *) malloc (length * sizeof (uint32_t));
+  if (!clusters || !gids)
+    return false;
 
   memset (clusters, 0, sizeof (clusters[0]) * length);
   codepoint_t *pg = gids;