diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index dca66650de..87916bb617 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ Features
 
 Bug Fixes
 ---------
+* [#TBD](https://github.com/java-native-access/jna/pull/TBD): Handle failure in `ffi_closure_alloc` - [@davecturner](https://github.com/davecturner).
 
 
 Release 5.9.0
diff --git a/native/dispatch.c b/native/dispatch.c
index f87c572b9e..949856bcba 100644
--- a/native/dispatch.c
+++ b/native/dispatch.c
@@ -3466,6 +3466,11 @@ Java_com_sun_jna_Native_registerMethod(JNIEnv *env, jclass UNUSED(ncls),
   }
 
   closure = ffi_closure_alloc(sizeof(ffi_closure), &code);
+  if (closure == NULL) {
+    throwByName(env, EUnsupportedOperation, "Failed to allocate closure");
+    status = FFI_BAD_ABI;
+    goto cleanup;
+  }
   status = ffi_prep_closure_loc(closure, closure_cif, dispatch_direct, data, code);
   if (status != FFI_OK) {
     throwByName(env, EError, "Native method linkage failed");