diff --git a/x/imagegen/cmd/engine/main.go b/x/imagegen/cmd/engine/main.go
index 31411f466..21d138f44 100644
--- a/x/imagegen/cmd/engine/main.go
+++ b/x/imagegen/cmd/engine/main.go
@@ -79,6 +79,10 @@ func main() {
 		log.Fatalf("MLX initialization failed: %v", mlx.GetMLXInitError())
 	}
 
+	// Restore strict error handling now that we know MLX is working.
+	// During init(), a safe handler prevented exit(-1) on GPU errors.
+	mlx.RestoreDefaultErrorHandler()
+
 	// CPU profiling
 	if *cpuProfile != "" {
 		f, err := os.Create(*cpuProfile)
diff --git a/x/imagegen/mlx/mlx.go b/x/imagegen/mlx/mlx.go
index b529b9088..dc925570b 100644
--- a/x/imagegen/mlx/mlx.go
+++ b/x/imagegen/mlx/mlx.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ package mlx
 
 // Use generated wrappers instead of direct MLX headers
 #include "mlx.h"
+#include "mlx_error_handler.h"
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <string.h>
@@ -1836,11 +1837,31 @@ func init() {
 		return
 	}
 
+	// Enter safe mode: replace the default exit(-1) error handler with one
+	// that logs and stores errors. This prevents a GPU init failure from
+	// killing the entire process during startup.
+	C.mlx_set_safe_init_mode()
+
 	// Lock main goroutine to OS thread for CUDA context stability.
 	// CUDA contexts are bound to threads; Go can migrate goroutines between threads.
 	runtime.LockOSThread()
 	RandomState[0] = RandomKey(uint64(time.Now().UnixMilli()))
 	Keep(RandomState[0]) // Global state should persist
+
+	// Check if the RandomKey call silently failed under safe mode
+	if C.mlx_had_init_error() != 0 {
+		msg := C.GoString(C.mlx_get_init_error())
+		mlxInitError = fmt.Errorf("MLX GPU init failed: %s", msg)
+		mlxInitialized = false
+		return
+	}
+}
+
+// RestoreDefaultErrorHandler restores the default MLX error handler (exit on error).
+// Call this from runner entry points after confirming MLX is available,
+// to get the original strict error behavior during actual MLX work.
+func RestoreDefaultErrorHandler() {
+	C.mlx_set_default_error_mode()
 }
 
 // RandomKey creates a PRNG key from a seed
diff --git a/x/imagegen/mlx/mlx_error_handler.c b/x/imagegen/mlx/mlx_error_handler.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..56635464b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/x/imagegen/mlx/mlx_error_handler.c
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+// mlx_error_handler.c - Safe error handling for MLX initialization
+// Provides a non-fatal error handler for use during init(), so that
+// GPU failures are captured instead of calling exit(-1).
+
+#include "mlx_error_handler.h"
+#include "mlx.h"
+#include <string.h>
+
+static char mlx_init_error_msg[1024] = {0};
+static int  mlx_init_error_flag = 0;
+
+// Error handler that silently stores the error message.
+// The error is surfaced on the Go side via mlxInitError / GetMLXInitError()
+// only when MLX is actually needed.
+static void mlx_silent_error_handler(const char* msg, void* data) {
+    (void)data;
+    strncpy(mlx_init_error_msg, msg, sizeof(mlx_init_error_msg) - 1);
+    mlx_init_error_msg[sizeof(mlx_init_error_msg) - 1] = '\0';
+    mlx_init_error_flag = 1;
+}
+
+void mlx_set_safe_init_mode(void) {
+    mlx_init_error_flag = 0;
+    mlx_init_error_msg[0] = '\0';
+    mlx_set_error_handler(mlx_silent_error_handler, NULL, NULL);
+}
+
+void mlx_set_default_error_mode(void) {
+    mlx_set_error_handler(NULL, NULL, NULL);
+}
+
+int mlx_had_init_error(void) {
+    return mlx_init_error_flag;
+}
+
+const char* mlx_get_init_error(void) {
+    return mlx_init_error_flag ? mlx_init_error_msg : NULL;
+}
diff --git a/x/imagegen/mlx/mlx_error_handler.h b/x/imagegen/mlx/mlx_error_handler.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..851768106
--- /dev/null
+++ b/x/imagegen/mlx/mlx_error_handler.h
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+// mlx_error_handler.h - Safe error handling for MLX initialization
+// This replaces the default exit(-1) MLX error handler during init()
+// so that GPU failures don't kill the process.
+
+#ifndef MLX_ERROR_HANDLER_H
+#define MLX_ERROR_HANDLER_H
+
+// Enter safe mode before any MLX compute calls during init().
+// Replaces the default exit(-1) handler with one that silently stores errors.
+void mlx_set_safe_init_mode(void);
+
+// Restore the default MLX error handler (exit on error).
+// Call from runner entry points after confirming MLX is available.
+void mlx_set_default_error_mode(void);
+
+// Check whether an error occurred while in safe init mode.
+int mlx_had_init_error(void);
+
+// Get the error message from the last init error, or NULL if none.
+const char* mlx_get_init_error(void);
+
+#endif // MLX_ERROR_HANDLER_H