diff --git a/atom/browser/api/atom_api_web_contents.cc b/atom/browser/api/atom_api_web_contents.cc
index c4762c10b9..afb6f4ce9d 100644
--- a/atom/browser/api/atom_api_web_contents.cc
+++ b/atom/browser/api/atom_api_web_contents.cc
@@ -861,7 +861,7 @@ bool WebContents::Equal(const WebContents* web_contents) const {
 }
 
 void WebContents::LoadURL(const GURL& url, const mate::Dictionary& options) {
-  if (!url.is_valid()) {
+  if (!url.is_valid() || url.spec().size() > url::kMaxURLChars) {
     Emit("did-fail-load",
          static_cast<int>(net::ERR_INVALID_URL),
          net::ErrorToShortString(net::ERR_INVALID_URL),
@@ -900,14 +900,16 @@ void WebContents::LoadURL(const GURL& url, const mate::Dictionary& options) {
   // We have to call it right after LoadURL because the RenderViewHost is only
   // created after loading a page.
   const auto view = web_contents()->GetRenderWidgetHostView();
-  WebContentsPreferences* web_preferences =
-      WebContentsPreferences::FromWebContents(web_contents());
-  std::string color_name;
-  if (web_preferences->web_preferences()->GetString(options::kBackgroundColor,
-                                                    &color_name)) {
-    view->SetBackgroundColor(ParseHexColor(color_name));
-  } else {
-    view->SetBackgroundColor(SK_ColorTRANSPARENT);
+  if (view) {
+    WebContentsPreferences* web_preferences =
+        WebContentsPreferences::FromWebContents(web_contents());
+    std::string color_name;
+    if (web_preferences->web_preferences()->GetString(options::kBackgroundColor,
+                                                      &color_name)) {
+      view->SetBackgroundColor(ParseHexColor(color_name));
+    } else {
+      view->SetBackgroundColor(SK_ColorTRANSPARENT);
+    }
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/spec/api-browser-window-spec.js b/spec/api-browser-window-spec.js
index 5253d890ef..3942f81836 100644
--- a/spec/api-browser-window-spec.js
+++ b/spec/api-browser-window-spec.js
@@ -218,6 +218,17 @@ describe('BrowserWindow module', function () {
       w.loadURL('http://127.0.0.1:11111')
     })
 
+    it('should emit did-fail-load event for URL exceeding character limit', function (done) {
+      w.webContents.on('did-fail-load', function (event, code, desc, url, isMainFrame) {
+        assert.equal(desc, 'ERR_INVALID_URL')
+        assert.equal(code, -300)
+        assert.equal(isMainFrame, true)
+        done()
+      })
+      const data = new Buffer(2 * 1024 * 1024).toString('base64')
+      w.loadURL(`data:image/png;base64,${data}`)
+    })
+
     describe('POST navigations', function () {
       afterEach(() => {
         w.webContents.session.webRequest.onBeforeSendHeaders(null)