diff --git a/src/hb-paint-extents.hh b/src/hb-paint-extents.hh
index b80d8e26c..bc5762562 100644
--- a/src/hb-paint-extents.hh
+++ b/src/hb-paint-extents.hh
@@ -438,7 +438,7 @@ hb_paint_extents_pop_group (hb_paint_funcs_t *funcs HB_UNUSED,
   c->pop_group (mode);
 }
 
-static void
+static hb_bool_t
 hb_paint_extents_paint_image (hb_paint_funcs_t *funcs HB_UNUSED,
 			      void *paint_data,
 			      hb_blob_t *blob HB_UNUSED,
@@ -458,6 +458,8 @@ hb_paint_extents_paint_image (hb_paint_funcs_t *funcs HB_UNUSED,
   c->push_clip (extents);
   c->paint ();
   c->pop_clip ();
+
+  return true;
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/src/hb-paint.cc b/src/hb-paint.cc
index 9ae01a235..6e20a6024 100644
--- a/src/hb-paint.cc
+++ b/src/hb-paint.cc
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ hb_paint_color_nil (hb_paint_funcs_t *funcs, void *paint_data,
                     hb_color_t color,
                     void *user_data) {}
 
-static void
+static hb_bool_t
 hb_paint_image_nil (hb_paint_funcs_t *funcs, void *paint_data,
                     hb_blob_t *image,
                     unsigned int width,
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ hb_paint_image_nil (hb_paint_funcs_t *funcs, void *paint_data,
                     hb_tag_t format,
                     float slant_xy,
                     hb_glyph_extents_t *extents,
-                    void *user_data) {}
+                    void *user_data) { return false; }
 
 static void
 hb_paint_linear_gradient_nil (hb_paint_funcs_t *funcs, void *paint_data,
diff --git a/src/hb-paint.h b/src/hb-paint.h
index a76d5392b..7bd88124d 100644
--- a/src/hb-paint.h
+++ b/src/hb-paint.h
@@ -270,17 +270,19 @@ typedef void (*hb_paint_color_func_t) (hb_paint_funcs_t *funcs,
  * The image dimensions and glyph extents are provided if available,
  * and should be used to size and position the image.
  *
+ * Return value: Whether the operation was successful.
+ *
  * Since: REPLACEME
  */
-typedef void (*hb_paint_image_func_t) (hb_paint_funcs_t *funcs,
-                                       void *paint_data,
-                                       hb_blob_t *image,
-                                       unsigned int width,
-                                       unsigned int height,
-                                       hb_tag_t format,
-                                       float slant,
-                                       hb_glyph_extents_t *extents,
-                                       void *user_data);
+typedef hb_bool_t (*hb_paint_image_func_t) (hb_paint_funcs_t *funcs,
+					    void *paint_data,
+					    hb_blob_t *image,
+					    unsigned int width,
+					    unsigned int height,
+					    hb_tag_t format,
+					    float slant,
+					    hb_glyph_extents_t *extents,
+					    void *user_data);
 
 /**
  * hb_color_stop_t:
diff --git a/test/api/test-paint.c b/test/api/test-paint.c
index e1331ca0d..acbdeedf1 100644
--- a/test/api/test-paint.c
+++ b/test/api/test-paint.c
@@ -40,7 +40,9 @@ typedef struct {
   GString *string;
 } paint_data_t;
 
-static void
+static void print (paint_data_t *data, const char *format, ...) __attribute__((format (printf, 2, 3)));
+
+void
 print (paint_data_t *data,
        const char *format,
        ...)
@@ -133,7 +135,7 @@ paint_color (hb_paint_funcs_t *funcs,
          hb_color_get_alpha (color));
 }
 
-static void
+static hb_bool_t
 paint_image (hb_paint_funcs_t *funcs,
              void *paint_data,
              hb_blob_t *blob,
@@ -151,6 +153,8 @@ paint_image (hb_paint_funcs_t *funcs,
   print (data, "image type %s size %u %u slant %f extents %d %d %d %d\n",
          buf, width, height, slant,
          extents->x_bearing, extents->y_bearing, extents->width, extents->height);
+
+  return TRUE;
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/util/hb-cairo-utils.c b/util/hb-cairo-utils.c
index 27dda47e5..59ae87319 100644
--- a/util/hb-cairo-utils.c
+++ b/util/hb-cairo-utils.c
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ _hb_cairo_destroy_blob (void *p)
   hb_blob_destroy ((hb_blob_t *) p);
 }
 
-void
+hb_bool_t
 hb_cairo_paint_glyph_image (cairo_t *cr,
                             hb_blob_t *blob,
                             unsigned width,
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ hb_cairo_paint_glyph_image (cairo_t *cr,
                             hb_glyph_extents_t *extents)
 {
   if (!extents) /* SVG currently. */
-    return;
+    return FALSE;
 
   cairo_surface_t *surface = NULL;
 
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ hb_cairo_paint_glyph_image (cairo_t *cr,
     /* Byte-endian conversion. */
     unsigned data_size = hb_blob_get_length (blob);
     if (data_size < width * height * 4)
-      return;
+      return FALSE;
 
     unsigned char *data;
 #ifdef __BYTE_ORDER
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ hb_cairo_paint_glyph_image (cairo_t *cr,
     {
       data = (unsigned char *) hb_blob_get_data_writable (blob, NULL);
       if (!data)
-        return;
+        return FALSE;
 
       unsigned count = width * height * 4;
       for (unsigned i = 0; i < count; i += 4)
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ hb_cairo_paint_glyph_image (cairo_t *cr,
   }
 
   if (!surface)
-    return;
+    return FALSE;
 
   cairo_save (cr);
   /* this clip is here to work around recording surface limitations */
@@ -211,6 +211,8 @@ hb_cairo_paint_glyph_image (cairo_t *cr,
   cairo_surface_destroy (surface);
 
   cairo_restore (cr);
+
+  return TRUE;
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/util/hb-cairo-utils.h b/util/hb-cairo-utils.h
index fdf7c01af..9309e10dc 100644
--- a/util/hb-cairo-utils.h
+++ b/util/hb-cairo-utils.h
@@ -70,13 +70,13 @@ hb_paint_composite_mode_to_cairo (hb_paint_composite_mode_t mode)
   return CAIRO_OPERATOR_SOURCE;
 }
 
-void hb_cairo_paint_glyph_image (cairo_t *cr,
-                                 hb_blob_t *blob,
-                                 unsigned width,
-                                 unsigned height,
-                                 hb_tag_t format,
-                                 float slant,
-                                 hb_glyph_extents_t *extents);
+hb_bool_t hb_cairo_paint_glyph_image (cairo_t *cr,
+                                      hb_blob_t *blob,
+                                      unsigned width,
+                                      unsigned height,
+                                      hb_tag_t format,
+                                      float slant,
+                                      hb_glyph_extents_t *extents);
 
 void hb_cairo_paint_linear_gradient (cairo_t *cr,
                                      hb_color_line_t *color_line,
diff --git a/util/helper-cairo-user.hh b/util/helper-cairo-user.hh
index 3c54036bc..97ce2161c 100644
--- a/util/helper-cairo-user.hh
+++ b/util/helper-cairo-user.hh
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ paint_color (hb_paint_funcs_t *funcs,
   cairo_paint (cr);
 }
 
-static void
+static hb_bool_t
 paint_image (hb_paint_funcs_t *funcs,
              void *paint_data,
              hb_blob_t *blob,
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ paint_image (hb_paint_funcs_t *funcs,
          buf, width, height, (double) slant,
          extents->x_bearing, extents->y_bearing, extents->width, extents->height);
 
-  hb_cairo_paint_glyph_image (cr, blob, width, height, format, slant, extents);
+  return hb_cairo_paint_glyph_image (cr, blob, width, height, format, slant, extents);
 }
 
 static void