diff --git a/include/glerminal.h b/include/glerminal.h
index 4ff3ee2..0df93c0 100644
--- a/include/glerminal.h
+++ b/include/glerminal.h
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ void glerminal_layer_scale(unsigned char layer, float scale);
  * @brief Load sprites from a png file
  * @param filename Name of the png file
  */
-void glerminal_load_sprites_file(const char* filename);
+int glerminal_load_sprites_file(const char* filename);
 
 /**
  * @brief Load sprites from memory
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ void glerminal_load_sprites_file(const char* filename);
  * @param height height of the atlas in sprites
  * @param buffer the in-memory atlas
  */
-void glerminal_load_sprites_buffer(unsigned char width, unsigned char height, const unsigned int* buffer);
+int glerminal_load_sprites_buffer(unsigned char width, unsigned char height, const unsigned int* buffer);
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
diff --git a/source/glerminal.cpp b/source/glerminal.cpp
index 1f44bc3..370bdc9 100644
--- a/source/glerminal.cpp
+++ b/source/glerminal.cpp
@@ -815,29 +815,41 @@ void glerminal_layer_scale(unsigned char layer, float scale)
 	GLERMINAL_G->layer_scale(layer, scale);
 }
 
-void glerminal_load_sprites_file(const char* filename)
+int glerminal_load_sprites_file(const char* filename)
 {
-	if (!GLERMINAL_G) { return; }
+	if (!GLERMINAL_G) { return false; }
+
+	bool success = false;
 
 	int w, h;
 	stbi_uc* const buffer = stbi_load(filename, &w, &h, nullptr, 4);
 
 	// verify atlas size is a multiple of CELL_SIZE in each dimension
-	if (w % glerminal::CELL_SIZE == 0 && h % glerminal::CELL_SIZE == 0)
+	if (buffer && w % glerminal::CELL_SIZE == 0 && h % glerminal::CELL_SIZE == 0)
 	{
 		GLERMINAL_G->load_atlas(w / glerminal::CELL_SIZE, h / glerminal::CELL_SIZE, reinterpret_cast<unsigned int*>(buffer));
+
+		success = true;
 	}
 
 	stbi_image_free(buffer);
+
+	return success;
 }
 
-void glerminal_load_sprites_buffer(unsigned char width, unsigned char height, const unsigned int* buffer)
+int glerminal_load_sprites_buffer(unsigned char width, unsigned char height, const unsigned int* buffer)
 {
-	if (!GLERMINAL_G) { return; }
+	if (!GLERMINAL_G) { return false; }
 
 	// verify atlas size is a multiple of CELL_SIZE in each dimension
 	if (width % glerminal::CELL_SIZE == 0 && height % glerminal::CELL_SIZE == 0)
 	{
 		GLERMINAL_G->load_atlas(width / glerminal::CELL_SIZE, height / glerminal::CELL_SIZE, buffer);
+
+		return true;
+	}
+	else
+	{
+		return false;
 	}
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/basic.cpp b/tests/basic.cpp
index d5269c6..9322eee 100644
--- a/tests/basic.cpp
+++ b/tests/basic.cpp
@@ -2,11 +2,16 @@
 
 #include <test-common.h>
 
+#include <iostream>
+
 namespace
 {
 	void init()
 	{
-		glerminal_load_sprites_file("resources/image.png");
+		if (!glerminal_load_sprites_file("resources/image.png"))
+		{
+			std::cout << "Failed to load texture" << std::endl;
+		}
 		
 		for (int i = 0; i < GRID_HEIGHT; i++)
 		{