diff --git a/modules/juce_graphics/fonts/juce_Font.cpp b/modules/juce_graphics/fonts/juce_Font.cpp
index b6553ed19e..59e07b3e13 100644
--- a/modules/juce_graphics/fonts/juce_Font.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_graphics/fonts/juce_Font.cpp
@@ -105,6 +105,15 @@ public:
 
         const ScopedWriteLock slw (lock);
 
+        auto newFace = CachedFace { key,
+                                    ++counter,
+                                    juce_getTypefaceForFont != nullptr
+                                        ? juce_getTypefaceForFont (font)
+                                        : Font::getDefaultTypefaceForFont (font) };
+
+        if (newFace.typeface == nullptr)
+            return nullptr;
+
         const auto replaceIter = std::min_element (faces.begin(),
                                                    faces.end(),
                                                    [] (const auto& a, const auto& b)
@@ -114,13 +123,8 @@ public:
 
         jassert (replaceIter != faces.end());
         auto& face = *replaceIter;
-        face = CachedFace { key,
-                            ++counter,
-                            juce_getTypefaceForFont != nullptr
-                                ? juce_getTypefaceForFont (font)
-                                : Font::getDefaultTypefaceForFont (font) };
 
-        jassert (face.typeface != nullptr); // the look and feel must return a typeface!
+        face = std::move (newFace);
 
         if (defaultFace == nullptr && key == Key{})
             defaultFace = face.typeface;
@@ -206,10 +210,7 @@ public:
         const ScopedLock lock (mutex);
 
         if (typeface == nullptr)
-        {
             typeface = options.getTypeface() != nullptr ? options.getTypeface() : TypefaceCache::getInstance()->findTypefaceFor (f);
-            jassert (typeface != nullptr);
-        }
 
         return typeface;
     }
diff --git a/modules/juce_graphics/fonts/juce_SimpleShapedText.cpp b/modules/juce_graphics/fonts/juce_SimpleShapedText.cpp
index 0124a3b680..8206d11ea9 100644
--- a/modules/juce_graphics/fonts/juce_SimpleShapedText.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_graphics/fonts/juce_SimpleShapedText.cpp
@@ -463,10 +463,7 @@ static std::vector<ShapedGlyph> lowLevelShape (const String& string,
     auto nativeFont = font.getNativeDetails().font;
 
     if (nativeFont == nullptr)
-    {
-        jassertfalse;
         return {};
-    }
 
     hb_shape (nativeFont.get(), buffer.get(), features.data(), (unsigned int) features.size());
 
@@ -1090,7 +1087,9 @@ struct Shaper
 
         auto glyphsIt = shapedGlyphs.find (startFrom);
 
-        if (glyphsIt == shapedGlyphs.end())
+        // The stored glyphs data can be empty if there are input codepoints for which we failed to
+        // resolve a valid Typeface::Ptr.
+        if (glyphsIt == shapedGlyphs.end() || glyphsIt->value.data->empty())
             return {};
 
         WrappedGlyphs result;