diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index 6a0560f..365fecf 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -50,8 +50,10 @@ within an app.
 
 Lua text always uses one OpenFontRender TTF face: embedded Meslo by default, or one SD
 font selected by `gui.setFont(path)`. Sizes are per draw/measurement call and UI nodes use
-`fontSize`; never load a face per node. A new app restores the embedded face. Font 1 is
-reserved for C++ failure screens.
+`fontSize`; never load a face per node. A new app restores the embedded face and drops the
+previous glyph cache. OpenFontRender allocates C++ queues even for measurement: cache font
+heights, and keep the `std::bad_alloc` boundary in `gui.cpp` so low heap falls back to Font
+1 instead of aborting across Lua. Font 1 also serves C++ failure screens.
 
 ## Status Bar
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 468af4f..8231b2e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -87,8 +87,9 @@ local height = gui.getFontHeight(20)
 `gui.setFont("/fonts/MyFont.ttf")` replaces the selected face with a TTF from SD;
 `gui.setFont(nil)` restores Meslo. One face is retained at a time, SD fonts are capped at
 4MB, and every app starts on Meslo. UI text accepts `fontSize = 20` and defaults to 14.
-The embedded font contains printable ASCII and Latin-1; Font 1 remains compiled in only
-for C++ failure screens that must work when the renderer does not.
+The embedded font contains printable ASCII and Latin-1. Font 1 remains compiled as the
+allocation-free fallback for C++ failure screens and for individual draws when FreeType
+cannot allocate under severe heap pressure.
 
 ## Settings
 
diff --git a/sdcard/lib/statusbar.lua b/sdcard/lib/statusbar.lua
index 3d0ed9c..f8dfc3d 100644
--- a/sdcard/lib/statusbar.lua
+++ b/sdcard/lib/statusbar.lua
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ local PAD = 6
 -- often it calls draw().
 local M = {height = 44, interval = 1000}
 local BAR_H = M.height
-local WIFI_W = 17
+local WIFI_W = 11
 local GAP = 8
 local TITLE_FONT_SIZE = 14
 local INFO_FONT_SIZE = 10
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ local INFO_FONT_SIZE = 10
 -- What is currently on the panel. Every field repaints only when its value changes, so
 -- the once-a-second tick costs one clock rectangle instead of a whole bar.
 local shown = {}
+local geometry = {}
 
 local function clock()
   return sys.isClockSynced() and os.date("%H:%M:%S") or "--:--:--"
@@ -43,10 +44,7 @@ local function drawWifi(x, y, bars, color, muted)
     local h = i * 3
     gui.fillRect(x + (i - 1) * 4, y + 9 - h, 3, h, i <= bars and color or muted)
   end
-  if bars == 0 then
-    gui.drawLine(x + 12, y + 3, x + 16, y + 7, color)
-    gui.drawLine(x + 16, y + 3, x + 12, y + 7, color)
-  end
+
 end
 
 -- Fills the leading square of the bar, which is the rect the firmware treats as back.
@@ -73,25 +71,33 @@ end
 
 function M.draw(hasBack)
   local theme = ui.theme
-  local w = gui.getWidth()
-  local titleH = gui.getFontHeight(TITLE_FONT_SIZE)
-  local infoH = gui.getFontHeight(INFO_FONT_SIZE)
-  local titleY = (BAR_H - 1 - titleH) // 2
-  local topY, bottomY = PAD, BAR_H - 1 - PAD - infoH
-
-  -- Fixed slot widths keep the title and neighbouring fields still as values change.
-  local clockW = gui.getTextWidth("00:00:00", INFO_FONT_SIZE)
-  local memW = gui.getTextWidth("000kB", INFO_FONT_SIZE)
-  local clockX = w - PAD - clockW
-  local signalX = w - PAD - WIFI_W
-  local memX = signalX - GAP - memW
-  local rightX = math.min(clockX, memX)
+  local rotation, font = gui.getRotation(), gui.getFont()
+  local frameKey = rotation .. "|" .. font
+  if geometry.key ~= frameKey then
+    local w = gui.getWidth()
+    local titleH = gui.getFontHeight(TITLE_FONT_SIZE)
+    local infoH = gui.getFontHeight(INFO_FONT_SIZE)
+    local clockW = gui.getTextWidth("00:00:00", INFO_FONT_SIZE)
+    local memW = gui.getTextWidth("000kB", INFO_FONT_SIZE)
+    local clockX = w - PAD - clockW
+    local signalX = w - PAD - WIFI_W
+    local memX = signalX - GAP - memW
+    geometry = {
+      key = frameKey, w = w, titleY = (BAR_H - 1 - titleH) // 2,
+      topY = PAD, bottomY = BAR_H - 1 - PAD - infoH, infoH = infoH,
+      clockW = clockW, memW = memW, clockX = clockX, signalX = signalX,
+      memX = memX, rightX = math.min(clockX, memX),
+    }
+  end
+  local w, titleY, topY, bottomY = geometry.w, geometry.titleY, geometry.topY, geometry.bottomY
+  local infoH, clockW, memW = geometry.infoH, geometry.clockW, geometry.memW
+  local clockX, signalX, memX, rightX = geometry.clockX, geometry.signalX, geometry.memX, geometry.rightX
 
   -- Rotation moves every slot, the theme recolors them, and an app may rename itself at
   -- any time. A new app gets a fresh Lua state, so an empty cache already means "repaint
   -- everything".
   local name = sys.getAppName()
-  local key = gui.getRotation() .. "|" .. ui.themeName .. "|" .. gui.getFont() .. "|" .. name
+  local key = frameKey .. "|" .. ui.themeName .. "|" .. name
   if key ~= shown.key then
     shown = {key = key}
     gui.fillRect(0, 0, w, BAR_H, theme.bg)
@@ -112,8 +118,7 @@ function M.draw(hasBack)
   if mem ~= shown.mem then
     shown.mem = mem
     gui.fillRect(memX, bottomY, memW, infoH, theme.bg)
-    gui.drawText(mem, memX + memW - gui.getTextWidth(mem, INFO_FONT_SIZE), bottomY,
-                 theme.muted, theme.bg, INFO_FONT_SIZE)
+    gui.drawText(mem, memX, bottomY, theme.muted, theme.bg, INFO_FONT_SIZE)
   end
 
   local bars = signalBars()
diff --git a/src/lua/bindings/gui.cpp b/src/lua/bindings/gui.cpp
index c0f3655..bf84fad 100644
--- a/src/lua/bindings/gui.cpp
+++ b/src/lua/bindings/gui.cpp
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 #include <SD.h>
 #include <TFT_eSPI.h>
 
+#include <new>
+
 #include "../../gfx/round_rect.h"
 #include "../bindings.h"
 #include "../lua_app.h"
@@ -104,20 +106,35 @@ static unsigned fontSize(lua_State* L, int index) {
 }
 
 static int l_gui_fontHeight(lua_State* L) {
-  lua_pushinteger(L, app(L)->fontHeight(fontSize(L, 1)));
-  return 1;
+  try {
+    lua_pushinteger(L, app(L)->fontHeight(fontSize(L, 1)));
+    return 1;
+  } catch (const std::bad_alloc&) {
+    lua_pushinteger(L, fontSize(L, 1));
+    return 1;
+  }
 }
 
 static int l_gui_textWidth(lua_State* L) {
   const char* text = luaL_checkstring(L, 1);
-  lua_pushinteger(L, app(L)->textWidth(text, fontSize(L, 2)));
-  return 1;
+  unsigned size = fontSize(L, 2);
+  try {
+    lua_pushinteger(L, app(L)->textWidth(text, size));
+    return 1;
+  } catch (const std::bad_alloc&) {
+    lua_pushinteger(L, strlen(text) * size * 4 / 7);
+    return 1;
+  }
 }
 
 static int l_gui_setFont(lua_State* L) {
   if (lua_isnoneornil(L, 1)) {
-    if (!app(L)->setFont(nullptr)) return luaL_error(L, "default font unavailable");
-    return 0;
+    try {
+      if (!app(L)->setFont(nullptr)) return luaL_error(L, "default font unavailable");
+      return 0;
+    } catch (const std::bad_alloc&) {
+      return luaL_error(L, "out of memory loading font");
+    }
   }
 
   const char* path = luaL_checkstring(L, 1);
@@ -126,8 +143,12 @@ static int l_gui_setFont(lua_State* L) {
   size_t size = file.size();
   file.close();
   if (!size || size > MAX_FONT_FILE) return luaL_error(L, "font must be 1 byte to 4MB");
-  if (!app(L)->setFont(path)) return luaL_error(L, "invalid font: %s", path);
-  return 0;
+  try {
+    if (!app(L)->setFont(path)) return luaL_error(L, "invalid font: %s", path);
+    return 0;
+  } catch (const std::bad_alloc&) {
+    return luaL_error(L, "out of memory loading font");
+  }
 }
 
 static int l_gui_getFont(lua_State* L) {
@@ -141,7 +162,17 @@ static int l_gui_drawText(lua_State* L) {
   int y = luaL_checkinteger(L, 3);
   uint16_t fg = luaL_optinteger(L, 4, TFT_BLACK);
   uint16_t bg = luaL_optinteger(L, 5, TFT_WHITE);
-  app(L)->drawText(text, x, y, fg, bg, fontSize(L, 6));
+  try {
+    app(L)->drawText(text, x, y, fg, bg, fontSize(L, 6));
+  } catch (const std::bad_alloc&) {
+    // Text remains legible when FreeType cannot allocate its short-lived glyph queues.
+    // Font 1 is already in flash and allocates nothing, so low memory degrades instead of
+    // crossing the Lua C boundary as an uncaught C++ exception and aborting the device.
+    app(L)->tft.setTextFont(1);
+    app(L)->tft.setTextSize(1);
+    app(L)->tft.setTextColor(fg, bg);
+    app(L)->tft.drawString(text, x, y);
+  }
   return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/lua/lua_app.cpp b/src/lua/lua_app.cpp
index 11fd16e..3590b13 100644
--- a/src/lua/lua_app.cpp
+++ b/src/lua/lua_app.cpp
@@ -84,11 +84,14 @@ void LuaApp::resetFontRenderer() {
   font->setDrawer(tft);
   fontLoaded = false;
   currentFont = "";
+  std::fill(fontHeightCache, fontHeightCache + 97, 0);
 }
 
 bool LuaApp::setFont(const char* path) {
   String requested = path ? path : "builtin:MesloLGS-Regular";
-  if (fontLoaded && requested == currentFont) return true;
+  // Reload the embedded face for every app so FreeType's glyph cache belongs to the app
+  // that populated it and is released at the same lifecycle boundary as the Lua state.
+  if (path && fontLoaded && requested == currentFont) return true;
   resetFontRenderer();
 
   FT_Error error = path ? font->loadFont(path) : font->loadFont(mesloStart, mesloEnd - mesloStart);
@@ -117,8 +120,9 @@ int LuaApp::textWidth(const char* text, unsigned size) {
 }
 
 int LuaApp::fontHeight(unsigned size) {
+  if (fontHeightCache[size]) return fontHeightCache[size];
   font->setFontSize(size);
-  return font->getTextHeight("Mg");
+  return fontHeightCache[size] = font->getTextHeight("Mg");
 }
 
 void LuaApp::drawText(const char* text, int x, int y, uint16_t fg, uint16_t bg, unsigned size) {
diff --git a/src/lua/lua_app.h b/src/lua/lua_app.h
index c689a81..cf45689 100644
--- a/src/lua/lua_app.h
+++ b/src/lua/lua_app.h
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ class LuaApp {
   OpenFontRender* font = nullptr;
   String currentFont;
   bool fontLoaded = false;
+  int fontHeightCache[97] = {};
   // One strike: a bar that failed once fails identically every second, and the serial
   // log is the only place anyone would see it. The strip stays reserved either way, so a
   // bar that dies mid-run never resizes the app underneath it.