diff --git a/source/blender/blenfont/BLF_api.hh b/source/blender/blenfont/BLF_api.hh
index 9c18c92ae1d..e606d76ad67 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenfont/BLF_api.hh
+++ b/source/blender/blenfont/BLF_api.hh
@@ -126,9 +126,14 @@ bool BLF_get_vfont_metrics(int fontid, float *ascend_ratio, float *em_ratio, flo
 
 /**
  * Convert a character's outlines into curves.
+ * \return success if the character was found and converted.
  */
-float BLF_character_to_curves(
-    int fontid, unsigned int unicode, ListBase *nurbsbase, const float scale, bool use_fallback);
+bool BLF_character_to_curves(int fontid,
+                             unsigned int unicode,
+                             ListBase *nurbsbase,
+                             const float scale,
+                             bool use_fallback,
+                             float *r_advance);
 
 /**
  * Check if font supports a particular glyph.
diff --git a/source/blender/blenfont/intern/blf.cc b/source/blender/blenfont/intern/blf.cc
index 76213986ce0..2c92283bd27 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenfont/intern/blf.cc
+++ b/source/blender/blenfont/intern/blf.cc
@@ -1127,14 +1127,18 @@ bool BLF_get_vfont_metrics(int fontid, float *ascend_ratio, float *em_ratio, flo
   return true;
 }
 
-float BLF_character_to_curves(
-    int fontid, uint unicode, ListBase *nurbsbase, const float scale, bool use_fallback)
+bool BLF_character_to_curves(int fontid,
+                             uint unicode,
+                             ListBase *nurbsbase,
+                             const float scale,
+                             bool use_fallback,
+                             float *r_advance)
 {
   FontBLF *font = blf_get(fontid);
   if (!font) {
-    return 0.0f;
+    return false;
   }
-  return blf_character_to_curves(font, unicode, nurbsbase, scale, use_fallback);
+  return blf_character_to_curves(font, unicode, nurbsbase, scale, use_fallback, r_advance);
 }
 
 #ifndef NDEBUG
diff --git a/source/blender/blenfont/intern/blf_glyph.cc b/source/blender/blenfont/intern/blf_glyph.cc
index 53f1326a1da..1c3d17172e3 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenfont/intern/blf_glyph.cc
+++ b/source/blender/blenfont/intern/blf_glyph.cc
@@ -1863,6 +1863,11 @@ static FT_GlyphSlot blf_glyphslot_ensure_outline(FontBLF *font, uint charcode, b
   FontBLF *font_with_glyph = font;
   FT_UInt glyph_index = use_fallback ? blf_glyph_index_from_charcode(&font_with_glyph, charcode) :
                                        blf_get_char_index(font_with_glyph, charcode);
+
+  if (!glyph_index) {
+    return nullptr;
+  }
+
   if (!blf_ensure_face(font_with_glyph)) {
     return nullptr;
   }
@@ -1883,16 +1888,22 @@ static FT_GlyphSlot blf_glyphslot_ensure_outline(FontBLF *font, uint charcode, b
   return glyph;
 }
 
-float blf_character_to_curves(
-    FontBLF *font, uint unicode, ListBase *nurbsbase, const float scale, bool use_fallback)
+bool blf_character_to_curves(FontBLF *font,
+                             uint unicode,
+                             ListBase *nurbsbase,
+                             const float scale,
+                             bool use_fallback,
+                             float *r_advance)
 {
   FT_GlyphSlot glyph = blf_glyphslot_ensure_outline(font, unicode, use_fallback);
   if (!glyph) {
-    return 0.0f;
+    *r_advance = 0.0f;
+    return false;
   }
 
   blf_glyph_to_curves(glyph->outline, nurbsbase, scale);
-  return float(glyph->advance.x) * scale;
+  *r_advance = float(glyph->advance.x) * scale;
+  return true;
 }
 
 /** \} */
diff --git a/source/blender/blenfont/intern/blf_internal.hh b/source/blender/blenfont/intern/blf_internal.hh
index b041868ee89..f3c22d9f875 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenfont/intern/blf_internal.hh
+++ b/source/blender/blenfont/intern/blf_internal.hh
@@ -203,11 +203,12 @@ GlyphBLF *blf_glyph_ensure_icon(
 /**
  * Convert a character's outlines into curves.
  */
-float blf_character_to_curves(FontBLF *font,
-                              unsigned int unicode,
-                              ListBase *nurbsbase,
-                              const float scale,
-                              bool use_fallback);
+bool blf_character_to_curves(FontBLF *font,
+                             unsigned int unicode,
+                             ListBase *nurbsbase,
+                             const float scale,
+                             bool use_fallback,
+                             float *r_advance);
 
 void blf_glyph_draw(FontBLF *font, GlyphCacheBLF *gc, GlyphBLF *g, int x, int y);
 
diff --git a/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_vfontdata.hh b/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_vfontdata.hh
index bc499cd4177..5d3f2ede717 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_vfontdata.hh
+++ b/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_vfontdata.hh
@@ -38,6 +38,13 @@ struct VFontData_Metrics {
 };
 
 struct VFontData {
+  /**
+   * A hash that maps `uint -> VChar` (code-points to character outlines).
+   *
+   * \note values may be null when the character does not exist in the font.
+   * This is done to differentiate characters known not to exist from
+   * characters that have not yet been loaded.
+   */
   GHash *characters;
   char name[128];
 
diff --git a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/vfont.cc b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/vfont.cc
index 86c4e7a47e3..66151df0e6a 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/vfont.cc
+++ b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/vfont.cc
@@ -245,6 +245,9 @@ void BKE_vfont_data_free(VFont *vfont)
       GHashIterator gh_iter;
       GHASH_ITER (gh_iter, vfont->data->characters) {
         VChar *che = static_cast<VChar *>(BLI_ghashIterator_getValue(&gh_iter));
+        if (che == nullptr) {
+          continue;
+        }
 
         while (che->nurbsbase.first) {
           Nurb *nu = static_cast<Nurb *>(che->nurbsbase.first);
diff --git a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/vfont_curve.cc b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/vfont_curve.cc
index c24c7a8b646..2db9b82977b 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/vfont_curve.cc
+++ b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/vfont_curve.cc
@@ -107,9 +107,14 @@ static VFontData *vfont_data_ensure_with_lock(VFont *vfont)
   return vfont->data;
 }
 
-static VChar *vfont_char_find(const VFontData *vfd, char32_t charcode)
+static bool vfont_char_find(const VFontData *vfd, char32_t charcode, VChar **r_che)
 {
-  return static_cast<VChar *>(BLI_ghash_lookup(vfd->characters, POINTER_FROM_UINT(charcode)));
+  if (void **che_p = BLI_ghash_lookup_p(vfd->characters, POINTER_FROM_UINT(charcode))) {
+    *r_che = static_cast<VChar *>(*che_p);
+    return true;
+  }
+  *r_che = nullptr;
+  return false;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -124,19 +129,19 @@ static VChar *vfont_char_ensure_with_lock(VFont *vfont, char32_t charcode)
   if (vfont && vfont->data) {
     VFontData *vfd = vfont->data;
     BLI_rw_mutex_lock(&vfont_rwlock, THREAD_LOCK_READ);
-    che = vfont_char_find(vfd, charcode);
+    bool che_found = vfont_char_find(vfd, charcode, &che);
     BLI_rw_mutex_unlock(&vfont_rwlock);
 
     /* The character wasn't in the current curve base so load it. */
-    if (che == nullptr) {
+    if (che_found == false) {
       BLI_rw_mutex_lock(&vfont_rwlock, THREAD_LOCK_WRITE);
       /* Check it once again, char might have been already load
        * between previous #BLI_rw_mutex_unlock() and this #BLI_rw_mutex_lock().
        *
        * Such a check should not be a bottleneck since it wouldn't
        * happen often once all the chars are load. */
-      che = vfont_char_find(vfd, charcode);
-      if (che == nullptr) {
+      che_found = vfont_char_find(vfd, charcode, &che);
+      if (che_found == false) {
         che = BKE_vfontdata_char_from_freetypefont(vfont, charcode);
       }
       BLI_rw_mutex_unlock(&vfont_rwlock);
@@ -268,7 +273,10 @@ static VChar *vfont_char_find_or_placeholder(const VFontData *vfd,
                                              char32_t charcode,
                                              VCharPlaceHolder &che_placeholder)
 {
-  VChar *che = vfd ? vfont_char_find(vfd, charcode) : nullptr;
+  VChar *che = nullptr;
+  if (vfd) {
+    vfont_char_find(vfd, charcode, &che);
+  }
   if (UNLIKELY(che == nullptr)) {
     che = vfont_placeholder_ensure(che_placeholder, charcode);
   }
@@ -491,7 +499,8 @@ void BKE_vfont_char_build(Curve *cu,
   if (!vfd) {
     return;
   }
-  VChar *che = vfont_char_find(vfd, charcode);
+  VChar *che;
+  vfont_char_find(vfd, charcode, &che);
   vfont_char_build_impl(cu, nubase, che, info, ofsx, ofsy, rot, charidx, fsize);
 }
 
diff --git a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/vfontdata_freetype.cc b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/vfontdata_freetype.cc
index 63df82e3e82..ffcdff149f7 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/vfontdata_freetype.cc
+++ b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/vfontdata_freetype.cc
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ VFontData *BKE_vfontdata_from_freetypefont(PackedFile *pf)
 
 static void *vfontdata_copy_characters_value_cb(const void *src)
 {
-  return BKE_vfontdata_char_copy(static_cast<const VChar *>(src));
+  return src ? BKE_vfontdata_char_copy(static_cast<const VChar *>(src)) : nullptr;
 }
 
 VFontData *BKE_vfontdata_copy(const VFontData *vfont_src, const int /*flag*/)
@@ -122,8 +122,18 @@ VChar *BKE_vfontdata_char_from_freetypefont(VFont *vfont, uint character)
   /* need to set a size for embolden, etc. */
   BLF_size(font_id, 16);
 
-  che->width = BLF_character_to_curves(
-      font_id, character, &che->nurbsbase, vfont->data->metrics.scale, use_fallback);
+  if (!BLF_character_to_curves(font_id,
+                               character,
+                               &che->nurbsbase,
+                               vfont->data->metrics.scale,
+                               use_fallback,
+                               &che->width))
+  {
+    /* Free but add to the character cache to prevent future lookups
+     * from attempting to load the font again. */
+    MEM_freeN(che);
+    che = nullptr;
+  }
 
   BLI_ghash_insert(vfont->data->characters, POINTER_FROM_UINT(character), che);
   BLF_unload_id(font_id);