--- rxvt-unicode/src/rxvtfont.C	2021/07/03 04:47:08	1.220
+++ rxvt-unicode/src/rxvtfont.C	2023/08/19 17:44:35	1.223
@@ -519,7 +519,8 @@
   bool load (const rxvt_fontprop &prop, bool force_prop)
   {
     width = 1; height = 1;
-    ascent = 1; descent = 0;
+    ascent = 1;
+    descent = (*fs)[2]->descent;
 
     set_name (strdup ("built-in rendition overflow font"));
 
@@ -1265,6 +1266,16 @@
 
       FT_Face face = XftLockFace (f);
 
+      // fuck me plenty: XftLockFace can actually return 0. try not to crash.
+      // we also assume blindly that if the first lock succeeds, then subsequent
+      // locks will also succeed.
+      if (!face)
+        {
+          XftFontClose (disp, f);
+          success = false;
+          break;
+        }
+
       ascent  = (face->size->metrics.ascender + 63) >> 6;
       descent = (-face->size->metrics.descender + 63) >> 6;
       height  = max (ascent + descent, (face->size->metrics.height + 63) >> 6);