diff --git a/intern/cycles/render/svm.cpp b/intern/cycles/render/svm.cpp
index e5140ea990b..538b1aae313 100644
--- a/intern/cycles/render/svm.cpp
+++ b/intern/cycles/render/svm.cpp
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ SVMCompiler::SVMCompiler(ShaderManager *shader_manager_, ImageManager *image_man
 	background = false;
 	mix_weight_offset = SVM_STACK_INVALID;
 	use_multi_closure = use_multi_closure_;
+	compile_failed = false;
 }
 
 int SVMCompiler::stack_size(ShaderSocketType type)
@@ -164,10 +165,12 @@ int SVMCompiler::stack_find_offset(ShaderSocketType type)
 		}
 	}
 
-	fprintf(stderr, "Out of SVM stack space.\n");
-	assert(0);
+	if(!compile_failed) {
+		compile_failed = true;
+		fprintf(stderr, "Cycles: out of SVM stack space, shader \"%s\" too big.\n", current_shader->name.c_str());
+	}
 
-	return offset;
+	return 0;
 }
 
 void SVMCompiler::stack_clear_offset(ShaderSocketType type, int offset)
@@ -654,6 +657,12 @@ void SVMCompiler::compile_type(Shader *shader, ShaderGraph *graph, ShaderType ty
 		node->compile(*this);
 	}
 
+	/* if compile failed, generate empty shader */
+	if(compile_failed) {
+		svm_nodes.clear();
+		compile_failed = false;
+	}
+
 	add_node(NODE_END, 0, 0, 0);
 }
 
diff --git a/intern/cycles/render/svm.h b/intern/cycles/render/svm.h
index 9693e54ce75..3d84a67e173 100644
--- a/intern/cycles/render/svm.h
+++ b/intern/cycles/render/svm.h
@@ -141,6 +141,7 @@ protected:
 	int max_stack_use;
 	uint mix_weight_offset;
 	bool use_multi_closure;
+	bool compile_failed;
 };
 
 CCL_NAMESPACE_END