diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 6ca6d88a..0b06bf41 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -122,12 +122,14 @@
   affect emojis.
 * Pressing a modifier key while the kitty keyboard protocol is enabled
   no longer resets the viewport, or clears the selection.
+* Crash when failing to load an xcursor image ([#1624][1624]).
 
 [1531]: https://codeberg.org/dnkl/foot/issues/1531
 [1573]: https://codeberg.org/dnkl/foot/issues/1573
 [1568]: https://codeberg.org/dnkl/foot/issues/1568
 [1552]: https://codeberg.org/dnkl/foot/issues/1552
 [1610]: https://codeberg.org/dnkl/foot/issues/1610
+[1624]: https://codeberg.org/dnkl/foot/issues/1624
 
 
 ### Security
diff --git a/render.c b/render.c
index 4f0d2348..3ce8a226 100644
--- a/render.c
+++ b/render.c
@@ -4363,8 +4363,6 @@ render_xcursor_update(struct seat *seat)
         return;
     }
 
-    xassert(seat->pointer.cursor != NULL);
-
     const enum cursor_shape shape = seat->pointer.shape;
     const char *const xcursor = seat->pointer.last_custom_xcursor;
 
@@ -4398,6 +4396,23 @@ render_xcursor_update(struct seat *seat)
     LOG_DBG("setting %scursor shape using a client-side cursor surface",
             seat->pointer.shape == CURSOR_SHAPE_CUSTOM ? "custom " : "");
 
+    if (seat->pointer.cursor == NULL) {
+        /*
+         * Normally, we never get here with a NULL-cursor, because we
+         * only schedule a cursor update when we succeed to load the
+         * cursor image.
+         *
+         * However, it is possible that we did succeed to load an
+         * image, and scheduled an update. But, *before* the scheduled
+         * update triggers, the user mvoes the pointer, and we try to
+         * load a new cursor image. This time failing.
+         *
+         * In this case, we have a NULL cursor, but the scheduled
+         * update is still scheduled.
+         */
+        return;
+    }
+
     const float scale = seat->pointer.scale;
     struct wl_cursor_image *image = seat->pointer.cursor->images[0];
     struct wl_buffer *buf = wl_cursor_image_get_buffer(image);