diff --git a/src/core/text-rendering/SdfFontHandler.ts b/src/core/text-rendering/SdfFontHandler.ts
index e665234..0c7b555 100644
--- a/src/core/text-rendering/SdfFontHandler.ts
+++ b/src/core/text-rendering/SdfFontHandler.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { UpdateType } from '../CoreNode.js';
 import { hasZeroWidthSpace } from './Utils.js';
 import { normalizeFontMetrics } from './TextLayoutEngine.js';
 import { isProductionEnvironment } from '../../utils.js';
+import type { TextureError } from '../TextureError.js';
 
 /**
  * SDF Font Data structure matching msdf-bmfont-xml output
@@ -397,7 +398,11 @@ export const loadFont = (
         resolve();
       });
 
-      atlasTexture.on('failed', (error: Error) => {
+      // EventEmitter invokes listeners as (target, data), so the error payload
+      // is the SECOND argument. The first arg is the Texture that emitted the
+      // event. Reading it as the only param (the previous behavior) rejected
+      // and logged the Texture instead of the actual TextureError.
+      atlasTexture.on('failed', (_target, error: TextureError) => {
         // Cleanup on error
         fontLoadPromises.delete(fontFamily);
         if (fontCache[fontFamily]) {
diff --git a/src/core/text-rendering/tests/SdfFontHandler.test.ts b/src/core/text-rendering/tests/SdfFontHandler.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d0e8726
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/text-rendering/tests/SdfFontHandler.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+import { loadFont } from '../SdfFontHandler.js';
+import { EventEmitter } from '../../../common/EventEmitter.js';
+import { TextureError, TextureErrorCode } from '../../TextureError.js';
+import type { Stage } from '../../Stage.js';
+
+// Minimal XHR stand-in: synchronously delivers valid SDF font JSON so loadFont
+// proceeds to create the atlas texture and attach its event listeners.
+class FakeXHR {
+  status = 200;
+  response: unknown = null;
+  responseType = '';
+  onload: (() => void) | null = null;
+  onerror: (() => void) | null = null;
+  open(): void {}
+  send(): void {
+    this.response = { chars: [{}] };
+    if (this.onload !== null) {
+      this.onload();
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+// A texture is just an EventEmitter to loadFont; stub the few props it reads.
+function makeFakeTexture() {
+  const tex = new EventEmitter() as unknown as EventEmitter & {
+    state: string;
+    preventCleanup: boolean;
+    setRenderableOwner: (owner: string, val: boolean) => void;
+  };
+  tex.state = 'loading'; // not 'loaded' -> goes through the listener path
+  tex.preventCleanup = false;
+  tex.setRenderableOwner = () => {};
+  return tex;
+}
+
+// Drain microtasks + one macrotask so the async loader reaches listener setup.
+const flush = (): Promise<void> => new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 0));
+
+describe('SdfFontHandler loadFont — failed event argument', () => {
+  let errSpy: ReturnType<typeof vi.spyOn>;
+  let originalXHR: unknown;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    errSpy = vi.spyOn(console, 'error').mockImplementation(() => {});
+    originalXHR = (globalThis as unknown as { XMLHttpRequest: unknown })
+      .XMLHttpRequest;
+    (globalThis as unknown as { XMLHttpRequest: unknown }).XMLHttpRequest =
+      FakeXHR;
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    errSpy.mockRestore();
+    (globalThis as unknown as { XMLHttpRequest: unknown }).XMLHttpRequest =
+      originalXHR;
+  });
+
+  it('rejects with the TextureError (second emit arg), not the emitting texture', async () => {
+    const tex = makeFakeTexture();
+    const stage = {
+      txManager: { createTexture: () => tex },
+    } as unknown as Stage;
+
+    const promise = loadFont(stage, {
+      fontFamily: 'TestSdfFailFont',
+      atlasUrl: 'atlas.png',
+      atlasDataUrl: 'atlas.json',
+    } as Parameters<typeof loadFont>[1]);
+
+    await flush();
+
+    const error = new TextureError(
+      TextureErrorCode.TEXTURE_UPLOAD_FAILED,
+      'boom',
+    );
+
+    // Attach the rejection assertion before emitting so the handler is ready.
+    const assertion = expect(promise).rejects.toBe(error);
+
+    // EventEmitter calls listeners as (target, data) -> (tex, error).
+    tex.emit('failed', error);
+
+    await assertion;
+  });
+
+  it('logs the error, not the texture, on failure', async () => {
+    const tex = makeFakeTexture();
+    const stage = {
+      txManager: { createTexture: () => tex },
+    } as unknown as Stage;
+
+    const promise = loadFont(stage, {
+      fontFamily: 'TestSdfFailFontLog',
+      atlasUrl: 'atlas.png',
+      atlasDataUrl: 'atlas.json',
+    } as Parameters<typeof loadFont>[1]);
+
+    await flush();
+
+    const error = new TextureError(
+      TextureErrorCode.TEXTURE_UPLOAD_FAILED,
+      'boom',
+    );
+    const rejected = promise.catch(() => {});
+    tex.emit('failed', error);
+    await rejected;
+
+    const lastCall = errSpy.mock.calls[errSpy.mock.calls.length - 1]!;
+    expect(lastCall[1]).toBe(error);
+    expect(lastCall[1]).not.toBe(tex);
+  });
+});