diff --git a/crates/pdf/src/pages.rs b/crates/pdf/src/pages.rs
index 17618280e..7bc47c9bd 100644
--- a/crates/pdf/src/pages.rs
+++ b/crates/pdf/src/pages.rs
@@ -46,6 +46,11 @@ const MAX_LINKS: usize = 16;
 /// The application's calculator-procedure depth policy, layered over the shared reader's limits.
 const MAX_PROCEDURES: usize = 64;
 
+/// The values of `d` that the reader can parse (`Dict::entries` panics on one it can't).
+fn values<'a>(d: &Dict<'a>) -> impl Iterator<Item = MaybeRef<Object<'a>>> {
+    d.keys().filter_map(|k| d.get_raw::<Object<'a>>(k.as_ref()))
+}
+
 /// What the function or colour space `o` is built on: the functions a stitching function joins;
 /// the base, alternate and tint of a colour space; the alternate of a colour profile. Nothing for
 /// any other object.
@@ -144,7 +149,7 @@ fn nests_without_end(pdf: &Pdf) -> bool {
         }
         match &o {
             Object::Array(a) => pending.extend(a.raw_iter().filter_map(direct)),
-            _ => pending.extend(dict_or_stream(&o).into_iter().flat_map(|(d, _)| d.entries()).filter_map(|(_, v)| direct(v))),
+            _ => pending.extend(dict_or_stream(&o).into_iter().flat_map(|(d, _)| values(d)).filter_map(direct)),
         }
     }
     false
diff --git a/crates/pdf/src/tests.rs b/crates/pdf/src/tests.rs
index a868dec79..28e02d633 100644
--- a/crates/pdf/src/tests.rs
+++ b/crates/pdf/src/tests.rs
@@ -796,3 +796,26 @@ fn functions_and_colour_spaces_built_on_themselves_are_refused() {
         assert!(d.layers.iter().any(|l| l.children().is_some_and(|c| !c.is_empty())), "{what}: its art is read");
     }
 }
+
+/// A dictionary value the reader can't parse (a name with a broken `#` escape, a number with a
+/// stray `-`) is left out of the nesting check, which goes on with the rest of the file: a file
+/// whose shading has a plain function is read, and one whose function stitches itself is refused.
+#[test]
+fn dictionary_values_the_reader_cannot_parse_are_skipped() {
+    use vectorcraft_testkit::pdf::{PdfPage, first_extra, pdf_with};
+    let me = format!("{} 0 R", first_extra(1));
+    let shaded = PdfPage {
+        resources: format!("/Shading << /S << /ShadingType 2 /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB /Coords [0 0 100 0] /Function {me} >> >>"),
+        ..PdfPage::new(100.0, 100.0, "/S sh")
+    };
+    let ramp = "<< /FunctionType 2 /Domain [0 1] /C0 [1 0 0] /C1 [0 0 1] /N 1 >>";
+    let stitch = format!("<< /FunctionType 3 /Domain [0 1] /Functions [{me}] /Bounds [] /Encode [0 1] >>");
+    for junk in ["<< /A /#zz >>", "<< /A 12-.5 >>"] {
+        let [plain, looped] = [ramp, stitch.as_str()].map(|f| pdf_with(std::slice::from_ref(&shaded), &[f, junk], None));
+        assert_eq!(info(&plain, None).map(|i| i.pages.len()).ok(), Some(1), "{junk}");
+        let d = import(&plain).unwrap_or_else(|e| panic!("{junk}: {e}"));
+        assert!(d.layers.iter().any(|l| l.children().is_some_and(|c| !c.is_empty())), "{junk}: its art is read");
+        let e = import(&looped).err().map(|e| e.to_string());
+        assert!(e.as_deref().is_some_and(|e| e.contains("built on one another without end")), "{junk}: {e:?}");
+    }
+}