diff --git a/src/main/java/com/minelittlepony/client/pony/Pony.java b/src/main/java/com/minelittlepony/client/pony/Pony.java
index 6aa393c4..e63d6807 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/minelittlepony/client/pony/Pony.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/minelittlepony/client/pony/Pony.java
@@ -50,7 +50,12 @@ public class Pony implements IPony {
 
     private boolean initialized = false;
 
-    public Pony(Identifier resource) {
+    Pony(Identifier resource, IPonyData data) {
+        texture = resource;
+        metadata = data;
+    }
+
+    Pony(Identifier resource) {
         texture = resource;
         metadata = checkSkin(texture);
     }
@@ -122,8 +127,8 @@ public class Pony implements IPony {
         int width = getTexLevelParameter(GL_TEXTURE_2D, 0, GL_TEXTURE_WIDTH);
         int height = getTexLevelParameter(GL_TEXTURE_2D, 0, GL_TEXTURE_HEIGHT);
 
-        if (width == 0 || height == 0) {
-            return null;
+        if (width * height == 0) {
+            throw new IllegalStateException("GL texture not uploaded yet");
         }
 
         NativeImage.Format channels = getFormat(format);
@@ -135,11 +140,8 @@ public class Pony implements IPony {
         try {
             image.loadFromTextureImage(0, false);
         } catch (IllegalStateException e) {
-            // Out of memory
-            // or buffer contained no/invalid image
-            MineLittlePony.logger.fatal("Could not load texture from GL memory", e);
-
-            return null;
+            image.close();
+            throw e;
         }
         return image;
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/minelittlepony/client/pony/PonyManager.java b/src/main/java/com/minelittlepony/client/pony/PonyManager.java
index 0c0ef115..35d19dff 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/minelittlepony/client/pony/PonyManager.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/minelittlepony/client/pony/PonyManager.java
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Queue;
 import java.util.UUID;
 import java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture;
+import java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException;
 import java.util.concurrent.Executor;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
@@ -66,7 +67,11 @@ public class PonyManager implements IPonyManager, IdentifiableResourceReloadList
 
     @Override
     public IPony getPony(Identifier resource) {
-        return poniesCache.getUnchecked(resource);
+        try {
+            return poniesCache.get(resource);
+        } catch (ExecutionException e) {
+            return new Pony(resource, new PonyData());
+        }
     }
 
     @Override