diff --git a/crates/gpui_linux/src/linux/platform.rs b/crates/gpui_linux/src/linux/platform.rs
index 876f931663f..33307034aea 100644
--- a/crates/gpui_linux/src/linux/platform.rs
+++ b/crates/gpui_linux/src/linux/platform.rs
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ use std::{
     time::Duration,
 };
 
+#[cfg(any(feature = "wayland", feature = "x11"))]
+use anyhow::ensure;
 use anyhow::{Context as _, anyhow};
 use calloop::{LoopSignal, channel::Sender};
 use futures::channel::oneshot;
@@ -832,6 +834,20 @@ pub(super) fn is_within_click_distance(a: Point<Pixels>, b: Point<Pixels>) -> bo
     diff.x.abs() <= DOUBLE_CLICK_DISTANCE && diff.y.abs() <= DOUBLE_CLICK_DISTANCE
 }
 
+#[cfg(any(feature = "wayland", feature = "x11"))]
+pub(super) fn new_xkb_context() -> anyhow::Result<xkb::Context> {
+    validate_xkb_context(xkb::Context::new(xkb::CONTEXT_NO_FLAGS))
+}
+
+#[cfg(any(feature = "wayland", feature = "x11"))]
+fn validate_xkb_context(context: xkb::Context) -> anyhow::Result<xkb::Context> {
+    ensure!(
+        !context.get_raw_ptr().is_null(),
+        "libxkbcommon failed to create an XKB context"
+    );
+    Ok(context)
+}
+
 #[cfg(any(feature = "wayland", feature = "x11"))]
 pub(super) fn get_xkb_compose_state(cx: &xkb::Context) -> Option<xkb::compose::State> {
     let mut locales = Vec::default();
@@ -1244,6 +1260,23 @@ mod tests {
     use super::*;
     use gpui::{Point, px};
 
+    #[cfg(any(feature = "wayland", feature = "x11"))]
+    #[test]
+    fn rejects_null_xkb_context() {
+        let context = unsafe {
+            // libxkbcommon permits unref on null, matching the value returned by Context::new on failure.
+            xkb::Context::from_raw_ptr(std::ptr::null_mut())
+        };
+        let error = validate_xkb_context(context)
+            .err()
+            .expect("null XKB context should be rejected");
+
+        assert_eq!(
+            error.to_string(),
+            "libxkbcommon failed to create an XKB context"
+        );
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn test_is_within_click_distance() {
         let zero = Point::new(px(0.0), px(0.0));
diff --git a/crates/gpui_linux/src/linux/wayland/client.rs b/crates/gpui_linux/src/linux/wayland/client.rs
index 3d5f9029aa5..01863989cf0 100644
--- a/crates/gpui_linux/src/linux/wayland/client.rs
+++ b/crates/gpui_linux/src/linux/wayland/client.rs
@@ -83,7 +83,8 @@ use crate::linux::{
     DOUBLE_CLICK_INTERVAL, LinuxClient, LinuxCommon, LinuxKeyboardLayout, PIPE_READ_TIMEOUT,
     SCROLL_LINES, capslock_from_xkb, cursor_style_to_icon_names, get_xkb_compose_state,
     is_within_click_distance, keystroke_from_xkb, keystroke_underlying_dead_key,
-    modifiers_from_xkb, open_uri_internal, read_fd_with_timeout, reveal_path_internal,
+    modifiers_from_xkb, new_xkb_context, open_uri_internal, read_fd_with_timeout,
+    reveal_path_internal,
     wayland::{
         clipboard::{Clipboard, DataOffer, FILE_LIST_MIME_TYPE, TEXT_MIME_TYPES},
         cursor::Cursor,
@@ -1708,7 +1709,13 @@ impl Dispatch<wl_keyboard::WlKeyboard, ()> for WaylandClientStatePtr {
                     log::error!("Received keymap format {:?}, expected XkbV1", format);
                     return;
                 }
-                let xkb_context = xkb::Context::new(xkb::CONTEXT_NO_FLAGS);
+                let xkb_context = match new_xkb_context() {
+                    Ok(context) => context,
+                    Err(error) => {
+                        log::error!("Failed to process Wayland keymap: {error:#}");
+                        return;
+                    }
+                };
                 let keymap = unsafe {
                     xkb::Keymap::new_from_fd(
                         &xkb_context,
diff --git a/crates/gpui_linux/src/linux/x11/client.rs b/crates/gpui_linux/src/linux/x11/client.rs
index a543cd66cdc..e9dd8f6a8f7 100644
--- a/crates/gpui_linux/src/linux/x11/client.rs
+++ b/crates/gpui_linux/src/linux/x11/client.rs
@@ -51,7 +51,8 @@ use super::{
 use crate::linux::{
     DEFAULT_CURSOR_ICON_NAME, LinuxClient, capslock_from_xkb, cursor_style_to_icon_names,
     get_xkb_compose_state, is_within_click_distance, keystroke_from_xkb,
-    keystroke_underlying_dead_key, log_cursor_icon_warning, modifiers_from_xkb, open_uri_internal,
+    keystroke_underlying_dead_key, log_cursor_icon_warning, modifiers_from_xkb, new_xkb_context,
+    open_uri_internal,
     platform::{DOUBLE_CLICK_INTERVAL, SCROLL_LINES},
     reveal_path_internal,
     xdg_desktop_portal::{Event as XDPEvent, XDPEventSource},
@@ -420,7 +421,7 @@ impl X11Client {
             ),
         )?;
 
-        let xkb_context = xkbc::Context::new(xkbc::CONTEXT_NO_FLAGS);
+        let xkb_context = new_xkb_context()?;
         let xkb_device_id = xkbc::x11::get_core_keyboard_device_id(&xcb_connection);
         let xkb_state = {
             let xkb_keymap = xkbc::x11::keymap_new_from_device(
@@ -2811,7 +2812,7 @@ mod tests {
     }
 
     fn test_keymap_with_variant(layouts: &str, variant: &str) -> xkbc::Keymap {
-        let context = xkbc::Context::new(xkbc::CONTEXT_NO_FLAGS);
+        let context = new_xkb_context().expect("test XKB context should initialize");
         xkbc::Keymap::new_from_names(
             &context,
             "",