diff --git a/crates/effects/src/stroke/dash.rs b/crates/effects/src/stroke/dash.rs
index b4eb7f2b..a5d8ce00 100644
--- a/crates/effects/src/stroke/dash.rs
+++ b/crates/effects/src/stroke/dash.rs
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@ use super::{ARCLEN_ACCURACY, push_seg, segments, subpaths, tangent};
 
 /// More dashes than this (a tiny pattern on a long path) draws the line solid instead.
 const MAX_DASHES: f64 = 200_000.0;
+/// A pattern whose longest entry is shorter than this can't advance along the path (each entry
+/// ends within the generator's tolerance of where it starts), so it draws the line solid.
+const MIN_ENTRY: f64 = 1e-6;
 
 /// A zero-length dash: where it sits and the path's direction there.
 #[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, PartialEq)]
@@ -25,13 +28,13 @@ pub struct Dashed {
 }
 
 /// Apply dash pattern `d` to `bp`. `None` when the pattern has no positive length (the line is
-/// solid) or is too fine to draw.
+/// solid) or is too fine to draw (then the line is drawn solid too).
 pub fn dash(bp: &BezPath, d: &Dash) -> Option<Dashed> {
     if d.pattern.iter().any(|v| !v.is_finite()) || !d.offset.is_finite() {
         return None;
     }
     let mut pat: Vec<f64> = d.pattern.iter().map(|v| v.max(0.0)).collect();
-    if !pat.iter().any(|v| *v > 0.0) {
+    if !pat.iter().any(|v| *v > MIN_ENTRY) {
         return None;
     }
     // An odd pattern repeats with dashes and gaps swapped (as in SVG and PDF).
diff --git a/crates/effects/src/stroke/tests.rs b/crates/effects/src/stroke/tests.rs
index 578a36b0..6811e810 100644
--- a/crates/effects/src/stroke/tests.rs
+++ b/crates/effects/src/stroke/tests.rs
@@ -253,3 +253,53 @@ fn round_caps_never_poke_past_the_tip() {
         }
     }
 }
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------- robustness
+
+#[test]
+fn degenerate_paths_and_patterns_neither_panic_nor_hang() {
+    let finite = |b: &BezPath| b.elements().iter().filter_map(|e| e.end_point()).all(|q| q.x.is_finite() && q.y.is_finite());
+    let mut point = BezPath::new();
+    point.move_to((0.0, 0.0));
+    let lone = point.clone();
+    point.line_to((0.0, 0.0));
+    let mut still_curve = BezPath::new();
+    still_curve.move_to((0.0, 0.0));
+    still_curve.curve_to((0.0, 0.0), (0.0, 0.0), (0.0, 0.0));
+    // Drawing on after a ClosePath, and curves whose handles sit on their end points.
+    let mut mixed = BezPath::new();
+    mixed.move_to((0.0, 0.0));
+    mixed.line_to((10.0, 0.0));
+    mixed.close_path();
+    mixed.line_to((5.0, 5.0));
+    mixed.move_to((20.0, 0.0));
+    mixed.curve_to((20.0, 0.0), (50.0, 50.0), (50.0, 50.0));
+    mixed.quad_to((50.0, 50.0), (90.0, 0.0));
+    let paths = [BezPath::new(), lone, point, still_curve, mixed, square(20.0)];
+    // Negative, non-finite and sub-tolerance entries (the last used to loop forever on a
+    // zero-length path), and offsets far outside the pattern.
+    let patterns: [&[f64]; 6] = [&[0.0, 6.0], &[-1.0, 3.0], &[f64::NAN, 1.0], &[1e-12, 1e-12], &[0.0], &[3.0, 0.0]];
+    for bp in &paths {
+        for kind in Arrowhead::ALL {
+            for align in [ArrowAlign::Extend, ArrowAlign::Tip] {
+                for cap in [LineCap::Butt, LineCap::Round, LineCap::Square] {
+                    for pat in patterns {
+                        for off in [0.0, -7.0, 1e12, f64::INFINITY] {
+                            let st = stroke(2.0, |s| {
+                                s.start_arrow = Some(kind);
+                                s.end_arrow = Some(kind);
+                                s.arrow_align = align;
+                                s.cap = cap;
+                                s.dash = Some(dashed(pat, off));
+                            });
+                            let p = stroke_pieces(bp, &st);
+                            assert!(p.heads.iter().all(|h| finite(&h.outline)), "{bp:?} {kind:?}");
+                            assert!(finite(&line_outline(&p.line, &st, 2.0, 0.01)), "{bp:?} {pat:?} {off}");
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    assert!(dash(&line(0.0, 1e-9), &dashed(&[1e-12, 1e-12], 0.0)).is_none(), "too fine to advance: solid");
+}