diff --git a/src/gui/text/qfontengine_p.h b/src/gui/text/qfontengine_p.h
index 5f779e155a..e9a8d6f607 100644
--- a/src/gui/text/qfontengine_p.h
+++ b/src/gui/text/qfontengine_p.h
@@ -434,6 +434,11 @@ public:
     QFontEngine *engine(int at) const
     {Q_ASSERT(at < engines.size()); return engines.at(at); }
 
+    inline void ensureEngineAt(int at)
+    {
+        if (at >= engines.size() || engines.at(at) == 0)
+            loadEngine(at);
+    }
 
 protected:
     friend class QPSPrintEnginePrivate;
diff --git a/src/gui/text/qtextlayout.cpp b/src/gui/text/qtextlayout.cpp
index 8c5e63da54..d253c02052 100644
--- a/src/gui/text/qtextlayout.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/text/qtextlayout.cpp
@@ -2305,6 +2305,7 @@ QList<QGlyphRun> QTextLine::glyphRuns(int from, int length) const
                         continue;
 
                     QGlyphLayout subLayout = glyphLayout.mid(start, end - start);
+                    multiFontEngine->ensureEngineAt(which);
                     glyphRuns.append(glyphRunWithInfo(multiFontEngine->engine(which),
                                                       subLayout, pos, flags, x, width));
                     for (int i = 0; i < subLayout.numGlyphs; i++) {
@@ -2317,6 +2318,7 @@ QList<QGlyphRun> QTextLine::glyphRuns(int from, int length) const
                 }
 
                 QGlyphLayout subLayout = glyphLayout.mid(start, end - start);
+                multiFontEngine->ensureEngineAt(which);
                 QGlyphRun glyphRun = glyphRunWithInfo(multiFontEngine->engine(which),
                                                       subLayout, pos, flags, x, width);
                 if (!glyphRun.isEmpty())