diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/painting/image_cache.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/painting/image_cache.dart
index b9f802e2179..53442d88776 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/painting/image_cache.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/painting/image_cache.dart
@@ -126,7 +126,12 @@ class ImageCache {
   /// key is moved to the "most recently used" position.
   ///
   /// The arguments must not be null. The `loader` cannot return null.
-  ImageStreamCompleter putIfAbsent(Object key, ImageStreamCompleter loader()) {
+  ///
+  /// In the event that the loader throws an exception, it will be caught only if
+  /// `onError` is also provided. When an exception is caught resolving an image,
+  /// no completers are cached and `null` is returned instead of a new
+  /// completer.
+  ImageStreamCompleter putIfAbsent(Object key, ImageStreamCompleter loader(), { ImageErrorListener onError }) {
     assert(key != null);
     assert(loader != null);
     ImageStreamCompleter result = _pendingImages[key];
@@ -140,7 +145,16 @@ class ImageCache {
       _cache[key] = image;
       return image.completer;
     }
-    result = loader();
+    try {
+      result = loader();
+    } catch (error, stackTrace) {
+      if (onError != null) {
+        onError(error, stackTrace);
+        return null;
+      } else {
+        rethrow;
+      }
+    }
     void listener(ImageInfo info, bool syncCall) {
       // Images that fail to load don't contribute to cache size.
       final int imageSize = info?.image == null ? 0 : info.image.height * info.image.width * 4;
diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/painting/image_provider.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/painting/image_provider.dart
index d8c42771478..2b563966907 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/painting/image_provider.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/painting/image_provider.dart
@@ -262,27 +262,31 @@ abstract class ImageProvider<T> {
     assert(configuration != null);
     final ImageStream stream = ImageStream();
     T obtainedKey;
+    Future<void> handleError(dynamic exception, StackTrace stack) async {
+      await null; // wait an event turn in case a listener has been added to the image stream.
+      final _ErrorImageCompleter imageCompleter = _ErrorImageCompleter();
+      stream.setCompleter(imageCompleter);
+      imageCompleter.setError(
+        exception: exception,
+        stack: stack,
+        context: 'while resolving an image',
+        silent: true, // could be a network error or whatnot
+        informationCollector: (StringBuffer information) {
+          information.writeln('Image provider: $this');
+          information.writeln('Image configuration: $configuration');
+          if (obtainedKey != null) {
+            information.writeln('Image key: $obtainedKey');
+          }
+        }
+      );
+    }
     obtainKey(configuration).then<void>((T key) {
       obtainedKey = key;
-      stream.setCompleter(PaintingBinding.instance.imageCache.putIfAbsent(key, () => load(key)));
-    }).catchError(
-      (dynamic exception, StackTrace stack) async {
-        FlutterError.reportError(FlutterErrorDetails(
-          exception: exception,
-          stack: stack,
-          library: 'services library',
-          context: 'while resolving an image',
-          silent: true, // could be a network error or whatnot
-          informationCollector: (StringBuffer information) {
-            information.writeln('Image provider: $this');
-            information.writeln('Image configuration: $configuration');
-            if (obtainedKey != null)
-              information.writeln('Image key: $obtainedKey');
-          }
-        ));
-        return null;
+      final ImageStreamCompleter completer = PaintingBinding.instance.imageCache.putIfAbsent(key, () => load(key), onError: handleError);
+      if (completer != null) {
+        stream.setCompleter(completer);
       }
-    );
+    }).catchError(handleError);
     return stream;
   }
 
@@ -495,7 +499,7 @@ class NetworkImage extends ImageProvider<NetworkImage> {
     if (bytes.lengthInBytes == 0)
       throw Exception('NetworkImage is an empty file: $resolved');
 
-    return await PaintingBinding.instance.instantiateImageCodec(bytes);
+    return PaintingBinding.instance.instantiateImageCodec(bytes);
   }
 
   @override
@@ -773,3 +777,24 @@ class ExactAssetImage extends AssetBundleImageProvider {
   @override
   String toString() => '$runtimeType(name: "$keyName", scale: $scale, bundle: $bundle)';
 }
+
+// A completer used when resolving an image fails sync.
+class _ErrorImageCompleter extends ImageStreamCompleter {
+  _ErrorImageCompleter();
+
+  void setError({
+    String context,
+    dynamic exception,
+    StackTrace stack,
+    InformationCollector informationCollector,
+    bool silent = false,
+  }) {
+    reportError(
+      context: context,
+      exception: exception,
+      stack: stack,
+      informationCollector: informationCollector,
+      silent: silent,
+    );
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/flutter/test/painting/image_cache_test.dart b/packages/flutter/test/painting/image_cache_test.dart
index fd25ad6d068..cd554edb901 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/test/painting/image_cache_test.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/test/painting/image_cache_test.dart
@@ -128,5 +128,18 @@ void main() {
       expect(imageCache.currentSizeBytes, 256);
       expect(imageCache.maximumSizeBytes, 256 + 1000);
     });
+
+    test('Returns null if an error is caught resolving an image', () {
+      final ErrorImageProvider errorImage = ErrorImageProvider();
+      expect(() => imageCache.putIfAbsent(errorImage, () => errorImage.load(errorImage)), throwsA(isInstanceOf<Error>()));
+      bool caughtError = false;
+      final ImageStreamCompleter result = imageCache.putIfAbsent(errorImage, () => errorImage.load(errorImage), onError: (dynamic error, StackTrace stackTrace) {
+        caughtError = true;
+      });
+      expect(result, null);
+      expect(caughtError, true);
+    });
   });
 }
+
+
diff --git a/packages/flutter/test/painting/image_provider_test.dart b/packages/flutter/test/painting/image_provider_test.dart
index 67b8cfa9797..51e698e1ae2 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/test/painting/image_provider_test.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/test/painting/image_provider_test.dart
@@ -5,11 +5,13 @@
 import 'dart:async';
 import 'dart:typed_data';
 
+import 'package:flutter/foundation.dart';
 import 'package:flutter/painting.dart';
 import 'package:flutter_test/flutter_test.dart';
 
 import '../rendering/rendering_tester.dart';
 import 'image_data.dart';
+import 'mocks_for_image_cache.dart';
 
 void main() {
   TestRenderingFlutterBinding(); // initializes the imageCache
@@ -53,5 +55,20 @@ void main() {
       expect(otherCache.currentSize, 0);
       expect(imageCache.currentSize, 1);
     });
+
+    test('ImageProvider errors can always be caught', () async {
+      final ErrorImageProvider imageProvider = ErrorImageProvider();
+      final Completer<bool> caughtError = Completer<bool>();
+      FlutterError.onError = (FlutterErrorDetails details) {
+        caughtError.complete(false);
+      };
+      final ImageStream stream = imageProvider.resolve(ImageConfiguration.empty);
+      stream.addListener((ImageInfo info, bool syncCall) {
+        caughtError.complete(false);
+      }, onError: (dynamic error, StackTrace stackTrace) {
+        caughtError.complete(true);
+      });
+      expect(await caughtError.future, true);
+    });
   });
 }
diff --git a/packages/flutter/test/painting/mocks_for_image_cache.dart b/packages/flutter/test/painting/mocks_for_image_cache.dart
index 0c9fd4cc9e1..05fa6daa56a 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/test/painting/mocks_for_image_cache.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/test/painting/mocks_for_image_cache.dart
@@ -72,3 +72,15 @@ class TestImage implements ui.Image {
     throw UnimplementedError();
   }
 }
+
+class ErrorImageProvider extends ImageProvider<ErrorImageProvider> {
+  @override
+  ImageStreamCompleter load(ErrorImageProvider key) {
+    throw Error();
+  }
+
+  @override
+  Future<ErrorImageProvider> obtainKey(ImageConfiguration configuration) {
+    return SynchronousFuture<ErrorImageProvider>(this);
+  }
+}