diff --git a/resources/multilightbox/lightboximage.js b/resources/multilightbox/lightboximage.js
index 9ea200f26..27754af2a 100644
--- a/resources/multilightbox/lightboximage.js
+++ b/resources/multilightbox/lightboximage.js
@@ -27,18 +27,21 @@
 	 */
 	LIP.initialSrc = null;
 
-	LIP.getImageElement = function ( loadcb ) {
-		var ele;
+	LIP.getImageElement = function () {
+		var ele,
+			$deferred = $.Deferred(),
+			image = this;
 
 		lightboxHooks.callAll( 'beforeFetchImage', this );
 
 		ele = new Image();
-		ele.addEventListener( 'load', loadcb );
+		ele.addEventListener( 'error', $deferred.reject );
+		ele.addEventListener( 'load', function() { $deferred.resolve( image, ele ); } );
 		ele.src = this.src || this.initialSrc;
 
 		lightboxHooks.callAll( 'modifyImageElement', ele );
 
-		return ele;
+		return $deferred;
 	};
 
 	// Assumes that the parent element's size is the maximum size.
diff --git a/resources/multilightbox/lightboxinterface.js b/resources/multilightbox/lightboxinterface.js
index 524e73452..cf48a8aad 100644
--- a/resources/multilightbox/lightboxinterface.js
+++ b/resources/multilightbox/lightboxinterface.js
@@ -165,12 +165,13 @@
 	 * @param {LightboxImage} image
 	 */
 	LIP.load = function ( image ) {
-		var iface = this,
-			ele = image.getImageElement( function () {
-				iface.loadCallback( image, ele );
-			} );
+		var iface = this;
 
 		this.currentImage = image;
+
+		image.getImageElement().done( function( image, ele ) {
+			iface.loadCallback.call( iface, image, ele );
+		} );
 	};
 
 	LIP.autoResizeImage = function () {
diff --git a/tests/qunit/lightboximage.test.js b/tests/qunit/lightboximage.test.js
index 0a21dd73f..bb42b158f 100644
--- a/tests/qunit/lightboximage.test.js
+++ b/tests/qunit/lightboximage.test.js
@@ -10,7 +10,20 @@
 			QUnit.start();
 		}
 
-		lightboxImage.getImageElement( loadCallback );
+		lightboxImage.getImageElement()
+			.done( loadCallback );
+	} );
+
+	QUnit.asyncTest( 'Image failing', 1, function ( assert ) {
+		var lightboxImage = new window.LightboxImage( 'http://thisdoesntexist/fail.jpg' );
+
+		function errorCallback() {
+			assert.ok( true, 'Image failed !' );
+			QUnit.start();
+		}
+
+		lightboxImage.getImageElement()
+			.fail( errorCallback );
 	} );
 
 }( mediaWiki, jQuery ) );