diff --git a/crates/layout/src/para.rs b/crates/layout/src/para.rs
index 46b9a7e45..9aad1bdfb 100644
--- a/crates/layout/src/para.rs
+++ b/crates/layout/src/para.rs
@@ -694,7 +694,8 @@ pub fn layout_para(p: &Paragraph, env: &ParaEnv) -> ParaLayout {
             let lines = rp.drop_cap as f32;
             // Capital height is ~0.7 em: the letter's cap spans from line 1's caps to line N's baseline.
             let mut big = (*rc).clone();
-            big.size = (((lines - 1.0) * line_h + rc.size * 0.7) / 0.7).clamp(rc.size, 1000.0);
+            // `clamp` would panic here when the text itself is larger than 1000 pt.
+            big.size = (((lines - 1.0) * line_h + rc.size * 0.7) / 0.7).min(1000.0).max(rc.size);
             let before = b.clusters.len();
             b.shape(first, 0, &Arc::new(big), None);
             let w: f32 = b.clusters.get(before..).map(|c| c.iter().map(|c| c.adv).sum()).unwrap_or(0.0);
diff --git a/crates/layout/src/tests.rs b/crates/layout/src/tests.rs
index 2a509fb31..30a83b1c7 100644
--- a/crates/layout/src/tests.rs
+++ b/crates/layout/src/tests.rs
@@ -1282,6 +1282,24 @@ fn repeated_header_is_followed_by_the_next_row_even_when_it_overflows() {
     assert!(pages.iter().all(|p| p.first() == Some(&0)), "{pages:?}");
 }
 
+/// A drop-cap paragraph in a font larger than 1000 pt used to panic in layout (`clamp` with min > max).
+#[test]
+fn drop_cap_with_a_huge_font_lays_out() {
+    for size in [999.0, 1000.0, 1001.0, 1638.0] {
+        let cp = wordcraft_doc::CharProps { size: Some(size), ..Default::default() };
+        let mut p = wordcraft_doc::Paragraph::with_text("Hello drop cap world", cp);
+        p.props.drop_cap = Some(3);
+        let mut d = Document::from_text("x");
+        d.body = vec![wordcraft_doc::para_block(p)];
+        let l = lay(&d);
+        let Some(pl) = l.pages[0].items.iter().find_map(|i| if let Placed::Lines { para, .. } = i { Some(para.clone()) } else { None }) else {
+            panic!("no lines at size {size}")
+        };
+        let (nc, lines, _) = pl.drop_cap.unwrap_or((0, 0, 0.0));
+        assert_eq!((nc, lines), (1, 3), "size {size}");
+    }
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn drop_cap_indents_its_lines() {
     let mut p =