diff --git a/AsyncDisplayKit/ASDisplayNode.mm b/AsyncDisplayKit/ASDisplayNode.mm
index d9fe7520bd..9354ecdeac 100644
--- a/AsyncDisplayKit/ASDisplayNode.mm
+++ b/AsyncDisplayKit/ASDisplayNode.mm
@@ -64,6 +64,22 @@ void ASDisplayNodePerformBlockOnMainThread(void (^block)())
   }
 }
 
+void ASDisplayNodeRespectThreadAffinityOfNode(ASDisplayNode *node, void (^block)())
+{
+  ASDisplayNodeCAssertNotNil(block, @"block is required");
+  if (!block) {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  if (node.nodeLoaded) {
+    ASDisplayNodePerformBlockOnMainThread(^{
+      block();
+    });
+  } else {
+    block();
+  }
+}
+
 + (void)initialize
 {
   if (self == [ASDisplayNode class]) {
diff --git a/AsyncDisplayKit/ASTextNode.mm b/AsyncDisplayKit/ASTextNode.mm
index 0206040c07..e5d4ac2348 100644
--- a/AsyncDisplayKit/ASTextNode.mm
+++ b/AsyncDisplayKit/ASTextNode.mm
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #import <AsyncDisplayKit/_ASDisplayLayer.h>
 #import <AsyncDisplayKit/ASAssert.h>
 #import <AsyncDisplayKit/ASDisplayNode+Subclasses.h>
+#import <AsyncDisplayKit/ASDisplayNodeInternal.h>
 #import <AsyncDisplayKit/ASHighlightOverlayLayer.h>
 #import <AsyncDisplayKit/ASTextNodeCoreTextAdditions.h>
 #import <AsyncDisplayKit/ASTextNodeTextKitHelpers.h>
@@ -202,7 +203,9 @@ ASDISPLAYNODE_INLINE CGFloat ceilPixelValue(CGFloat f)
 
   _constrainedSize = constrainedSizeForText;
   [self _invalidateRenderer];
-  [self setNeedsDisplay];
+  ASDisplayNodeRespectThreadAffinityOfNode(self, ^{
+    [self setNeedsDisplay];
+  });
   CGSize rendererSize = [[self _renderer] size];
 
   // Add shadow padding back
@@ -337,19 +340,21 @@ ASDISPLAYNODE_INLINE CGFloat ceilPixelValue(CGFloat f)
   // We need an entirely new renderer
   [self _invalidateRenderer];
 
-  // Tell the display node superclasses that the cached layout is incorrect now
-  [self invalidateCalculatedLayout];
+  ASDisplayNodeRespectThreadAffinityOfNode(self, ^{
+    // Tell the display node superclasses that the cached layout is incorrect now
+    [self invalidateCalculatedLayout];
 
-  [self setNeedsDisplay];
+    [self setNeedsDisplay];
 
-  self.accessibilityLabel = _attributedString.string;
+    self.accessibilityLabel = _attributedString.string;
 
-  if (_attributedString.length == 0) {
-    // We're not an accessibility element by default if there is no string.
-    self.isAccessibilityElement = NO;
-  } else {
-    self.isAccessibilityElement = YES;
-  }
+    if (_attributedString.length == 0) {
+      // We're not an accessibility element by default if there is no string.
+      self.isAccessibilityElement = NO;
+    } else {
+      self.isAccessibilityElement = YES;
+    }
+  });
 }
 
 #pragma mark - Text Layout
@@ -360,7 +365,9 @@ ASDISPLAYNODE_INLINE CGFloat ceilPixelValue(CGFloat f)
     _exclusionPaths = exclusionPaths;
     [self _invalidateRenderer];
     [self invalidateCalculatedLayout];
-    [self setNeedsDisplay];
+    ASDisplayNodeRespectThreadAffinityOfNode(self, ^{
+      [self setNeedsDisplay];
+    });
   }
 }
 
@@ -897,7 +904,9 @@ ASDISPLAYNODE_INLINE CGFloat ceilPixelValue(CGFloat f)
     }
     _shadowColor = shadowColor;
     [self _invalidateShadower];
-    [self setNeedsDisplay];
+    ASDisplayNodeRespectThreadAffinityOfNode(self, ^{
+      [self setNeedsDisplay];
+    });
   }
 }
 
@@ -911,7 +920,9 @@ ASDISPLAYNODE_INLINE CGFloat ceilPixelValue(CGFloat f)
   if (!CGSizeEqualToSize(_shadowOffset, shadowOffset)) {
     _shadowOffset = shadowOffset;
     [self _invalidateShadower];
-    [self setNeedsDisplay];
+    ASDisplayNodeRespectThreadAffinityOfNode(self, ^{
+      [self setNeedsDisplay];
+    });
   }
 }
 
@@ -925,7 +936,9 @@ ASDISPLAYNODE_INLINE CGFloat ceilPixelValue(CGFloat f)
   if (_shadowOpacity != shadowOpacity) {
     _shadowOpacity = shadowOpacity;
     [self _invalidateShadower];
-    [self setNeedsDisplay];
+    ASDisplayNodeRespectThreadAffinityOfNode(self, ^{
+      [self setNeedsDisplay];
+    });
   }
 }
 
@@ -939,7 +952,9 @@ ASDISPLAYNODE_INLINE CGFloat ceilPixelValue(CGFloat f)
   if (_shadowRadius != shadowRadius) {
     _shadowRadius = shadowRadius;
     [self _invalidateShadower];
-    [self setNeedsDisplay];
+    ASDisplayNodeRespectThreadAffinityOfNode(self, ^{
+      [self setNeedsDisplay];
+    });
   }
 }
 
@@ -981,7 +996,9 @@ ASDISPLAYNODE_INLINE CGFloat ceilPixelValue(CGFloat f)
   if (_truncationMode != truncationMode) {
     _truncationMode = truncationMode;
     [self _invalidateRenderer];
-    [self setNeedsDisplay];
+    ASDisplayNodeRespectThreadAffinityOfNode(self, ^{
+      [self setNeedsDisplay];
+    });
   }
 }
 
@@ -994,8 +1011,10 @@ ASDISPLAYNODE_INLINE CGFloat ceilPixelValue(CGFloat f)
 {
     if (_maximumLineCount != maximumLineCount) {
         _maximumLineCount = maximumLineCount;
-        [self _invalidateRenderer];
+      [self _invalidateRenderer];
+      ASDisplayNodeRespectThreadAffinityOfNode(self, ^{
         [self setNeedsDisplay];
+      });
     }
 }
 
@@ -1010,7 +1029,9 @@ ASDISPLAYNODE_INLINE CGFloat ceilPixelValue(CGFloat f)
 {
   _composedTruncationString = [self _prepareTruncationStringForDrawing:[self _composedTruncationString]];
   [self _invalidateRenderer];
-  [self setNeedsDisplay];
+  ASDisplayNodeRespectThreadAffinityOfNode(self, ^{
+    [self setNeedsDisplay];
+  });
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/AsyncDisplayKit/Details/ASTextNodeCoreTextAdditions.m b/AsyncDisplayKit/Details/ASTextNodeCoreTextAdditions.m
index 3ea9d596f2..55efebdce8 100644
--- a/AsyncDisplayKit/Details/ASTextNodeCoreTextAdditions.m
+++ b/AsyncDisplayKit/Details/ASTextNodeCoreTextAdditions.m
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
 #import <CoreText/CTFont.h>
 #import <CoreText/CTStringAttributes.h>
 
+#import "ASAssert.h"
+
 #pragma mark - Public
 BOOL ASAttributeWithNameIsUnsupportedCoreTextAttribute(NSString *attributeName)
 {
@@ -65,8 +67,13 @@ NSDictionary *NSAttributedStringAttributesForCoreTextAttributes(NSDictionary *co
       CTFontRef coreTextFont = (__bridge CTFontRef)coreTextValue;
       NSString *fontName = (__bridge_transfer NSString *)CTFontCopyPostScriptName(coreTextFont);
       CGFloat fontSize = CTFontGetSize(coreTextFont);
-
-      cleanAttributes[NSFontAttributeName] = [UIFont fontWithName:fontName size:fontSize];
+      UIFont *font = [UIFont fontWithName:fontName size:fontSize];
+      ASDisplayNodeCAssertNotNil(font, @"unable to load font %@ with size %f", fontName, fontSize);
+      if (font == nil) {
+        // Gracefully fail if we were unable to load the font.
+        font = [UIFont systemFontOfSize:fontSize];
+      }
+      cleanAttributes[NSFontAttributeName] = font;
     }
     // kCTKernAttributeName -> NSKernAttributeName
     else if ([coreTextKey isEqualToString:(NSString *)kCTKernAttributeName]) {
diff --git a/AsyncDisplayKit/Private/ASDisplayNodeInternal.h b/AsyncDisplayKit/Private/ASDisplayNodeInternal.h
index b59c34d754..c3e476a441 100644
--- a/AsyncDisplayKit/Private/ASDisplayNodeInternal.h
+++ b/AsyncDisplayKit/Private/ASDisplayNodeInternal.h
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 
 BOOL ASDisplayNodeSubclassOverridesSelector(Class subclass, SEL selector);
 void ASDisplayNodePerformBlockOnMainThread(void (^block)());
+void ASDisplayNodeRespectThreadAffinityOfNode(ASDisplayNode *node, void (^block)());
 
 typedef NS_OPTIONS(NSUInteger, ASDisplayNodeMethodOverrides) {
   ASDisplayNodeMethodOverrideNone = 0,
diff --git a/AsyncDisplayKitTests/ASTextNodeWordKernerTests.mm b/AsyncDisplayKitTests/ASTextNodeWordKernerTests.mm
index dc683fd677..4768197ce0 100644
--- a/AsyncDisplayKitTests/ASTextNodeWordKernerTests.mm
+++ b/AsyncDisplayKitTests/ASTextNodeWordKernerTests.mm
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@
   CGFloat expectedWidth = [@" " sizeWithAttributes:@{ NSFontAttributeName : font }].width;
 
   CGRect boundingBox = [_layoutManagerDelegate layoutManager:_components.layoutManager boundingBoxForControlGlyphAtIndex:0 forTextContainer:_components.textContainer proposedLineFragment:CGRectZero glyphPosition:CGPointZero characterIndex:0];
-    
+
   XCTAssertEqualWithAccuracy(boundingBox.size.width, expectedWidth, FLT_EPSILON, @"Word kerning shouldn't alter the default width of %f. Encountered space width was %f", expectedWidth, boundingBox.size.width);
 }
 
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@
   }
   NSGlyphProperty *glyphProperties = (NSGlyphProperty *)malloc(sizeof(NSGlyphProperty) * glyphCount);
   CGGlyph *glyphs = (CGGlyph *)malloc(sizeof(CGGlyph) * glyphCount);
-  NSInteger glyphsToChange = [_layoutManagerDelegate layoutManager:_components.layoutManager shouldGenerateGlyphs:glyphs properties:glyphProperties characterIndexes:characterIndexes font:NULL forGlyphRange:stringRange];
+  NSInteger glyphsToChange = [_layoutManagerDelegate layoutManager:_components.layoutManager shouldGenerateGlyphs:glyphs properties:glyphProperties characterIndexes:characterIndexes font:[UIFont systemFontOfSize:12.0] forGlyphRange:stringRange];
   free(characterIndexes);
   free(glyphProperties);
   free(glyphs);