diff --git a/software/libdvi/dvi.c b/software/libdvi/dvi.c
index 3e149c1..7364b04 100644
--- a/software/libdvi/dvi.c
+++ b/software/libdvi/dvi.c
@@ -186,8 +186,14 @@ static void __dvi_func(dvi_dma_irq_handler)(struct dvi_inst *inst) {
 	// now have until the end of this region to generate DMA blocklist for next
 	// scanline.
 	dvi_timing_state_advance(inst->timing, &inst->timing_state);
-	if (inst->tmds_buf_release && !queue_try_add_u32(&inst->q_tmds_free, &inst->tmds_buf_release))
-		panic("TMDS free queue full in IRQ!");
+	if (inst->tmds_buf_release && !queue_try_add_u32(&inst->q_tmds_free, &inst->tmds_buf_release)) {
+		// Would be a bug ("TMDS free queue full in IRQ"). Hang here rather
+		// than panic(): panic is flash-resident, and core1 may run with
+		// flash access disabled (e.g. CircuitPython's MPU lockout), where
+		// calling into flash hard faults before anything is printed.
+		while (true)
+			tight_loop_contents();
+	}
 	inst->tmds_buf_release = inst->tmds_buf_release_next;
 	inst->tmds_buf_release_next = NULL;