diff --git a/ChatTwo/EmoteCache.cs b/ChatTwo/EmoteCache.cs
index 05cbe95..634927d 100644
--- a/ChatTwo/EmoteCache.cs
+++ b/ChatTwo/EmoteCache.cs
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ public static class EmoteCache
             var globalList = await global.Content.ReadAsStringAsync();
 
             foreach (var emote in JsonSerializer.Deserialize<Emote[]>(globalList)!)
-                if (!NotWorking.Contains(emote.Code))
+                if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(emote.Code) && !NotWorking.Contains(emote.Code))
                     Cache.TryAdd(emote.Code, emote);
 
             var lastId = string.Empty;
@@ -88,8 +88,13 @@ public static class EmoteCache
                 var topList = await top.Content.ReadAsStringAsync();
 
                 var jsonList = JsonSerializer.Deserialize<List<Top100>>(topList)!;
+                // BetterTTV occasionally returns entries with a null Code; the
+                // upstream code passed those straight into Dictionary.TryAdd
+                // and tripped ArgumentNullException, killing the whole emote
+                // load. Skip them defensively so a single bad row no longer
+                // breaks the cache for everyone else.
                 foreach (var emote in jsonList)
-                    if (!NotWorking.Contains(emote.Emote.Code))
+                    if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(emote.Emote.Code) && !NotWorking.Contains(emote.Emote.Code))
                         Cache.TryAdd(emote.Emote.Code, emote.Emote);
 
                 lastId = jsonList.Last().Id;
diff --git a/ChatTwo/FontManager.cs b/ChatTwo/FontManager.cs
index 4bd4742..3f9c2e2 100644
--- a/ChatTwo/FontManager.cs
+++ b/ChatTwo/FontManager.cs
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
-using Dalamud.Interface;
+using Dalamud;
+using Dalamud.Interface;
+using Dalamud.Interface.FontIdentifier;
 using Dalamud.Interface.GameFonts;
 using Dalamud.Interface.ManagedFontAtlas;
 using Dalamud.Interface.Utility;
@@ -119,11 +121,11 @@ public class FontManager
                 tk =>
                 {
                     var config = new SafeFontConfig {SizePt = Plugin.Config.GlobalFontV2.SizePt, GlyphRanges = Ranges};
-                    config.MergeFont = Plugin.Config.GlobalFontV2.FontId.AddToBuildToolkit(tk, config);
+                    config.MergeFont = AddFontWithFallback(tk, Plugin.Config.GlobalFontV2.FontId, config, "global");
 
                     config.SizePt = Plugin.Config.JapaneseFontV2.SizePt;
                     config.GlyphRanges = JpRange;
-                    Plugin.Config.JapaneseFontV2.FontId.AddToBuildToolkit(tk, config);
+                    AddFontWithFallback(tk, Plugin.Config.JapaneseFontV2.FontId, config, "japanese");
 
                     config.SizePt = Plugin.Config.SymbolsFontSizeV2;
                     tk.AddGameSymbol(config);
@@ -139,11 +141,11 @@ public class FontManager
                     tk =>
                     {
                         var config = new SafeFontConfig {SizePt = Plugin.Config.ItalicFontV2.SizePt, GlyphRanges = Ranges};
-                        config.MergeFont = Plugin.Config.ItalicFontV2.FontId.AddToBuildToolkit(tk, config);
+                        config.MergeFont = AddFontWithFallback(tk, Plugin.Config.ItalicFontV2.FontId, config, "italic");
 
                         config.SizePt = Plugin.Config.JapaneseFontV2.SizePt;
                         config.GlyphRanges = JpRange;
-                        Plugin.Config.JapaneseFontV2.FontId.AddToBuildToolkit(tk, config);
+                        AddFontWithFallback(tk, Plugin.Config.JapaneseFontV2.FontId, config, "japanese");
 
                         config.SizePt = Plugin.Config.SymbolsFontSizeV2;
                         tk.AddGameSymbol(config);
@@ -158,6 +160,27 @@ public class FontManager
         }
     }
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Try to add a user-configured font to the build toolkit, falling back to
+    /// the bundled NotoSansCjkRegular asset if the configured font isn't
+    /// available on the system. Without this guard a stale SystemFontId
+    /// pointing at a font the user uninstalled or that never existed on
+    /// Linux (e.g. "Crimson Text") tears down the entire font atlas build.
+    /// </summary>
+    private static ImFontPtr AddFontWithFallback(IFontAtlasBuildToolkitPreBuild tk, IFontId fontId, SafeFontConfig config, string slot)
+    {
+        try
+        {
+            return fontId.AddToBuildToolkit(tk, config);
+        }
+        catch (Exception e) when (e is FileNotFoundException or DirectoryNotFoundException or IOException)
+        {
+            Plugin.Log.Warning(e, $"Configured {slot} font unavailable, falling back to NotoSansCjkRegular");
+            var fallback = new DalamudAssetFontAndFamilyId(DalamudAsset.NotoSansCjkRegular);
+            return fallback.AddToBuildToolkit(tk, config);
+        }
+    }
+
     public static float SizeInPt(float px) => (float) (px * 3.0 / 4.0);
     public static float SizeInPx(float pt) => (float) (pt * 4.0 / 3.0);
     public static float GetFontSize() => Plugin.Config.FontsEnabled ? Plugin.Config.GlobalFontV2.SizePx : SizeInPx(Plugin.Config.FontSizeV2);