diff --git a/runtime/gc/space/image_space.cc b/runtime/gc/space/image_space.cc
index c2e2a1e..8d406b3 100644
--- a/runtime/gc/space/image_space.cc
+++ b/runtime/gc/space/image_space.cc
@@ -529,6 +529,17 @@
                                error_msg);
     }
     if (space != nullptr) {
+      // Check whether there is enough space left over in the data partition. Even if we can load
+      // the image, we need to be conservative, as some parts of the platform are not very tolerant
+      // of space constraints.
+      // ImageSpace doesn't know about the data partition per se, it relies on the FindImageFilename
+      // helper (which relies on GetDalvikCache). So for now, if we load an image out of /system,
+      // ignore the check (as it would test for free space in /system instead).
+      if (!is_system && !CheckSpace(*image_filename, error_msg)) {
+        // No. Delete the generated image and try to run out of the dex files.
+        PruneDalvikCache(image_isa);
+        return nullptr;
+      }
       return space;
     }
 
diff --git a/runtime/gc/space/image_space_fs.h b/runtime/gc/space/image_space_fs.h
index eac52f7..4d539d2 100644
--- a/runtime/gc/space/image_space_fs.h
+++ b/runtime/gc/space/image_space_fs.h
@@ -223,8 +223,21 @@
     file.reset(OS::CreateEmptyFile(file_name));
 
     if (file.get() == nullptr) {
+      int saved_errno = errno;
       PLOG(WARNING) << "Failed to create boot marker.";
-      return;
+      if (saved_errno != ENOSPC) {
+        return;
+      }
+
+      LOG(WARNING) << "Pruning dalvik cache because of low-memory situation.";
+      impl::DeleteDirectoryContents(isa_subdir, false);
+
+      // Try once more.
+      file.reset(OS::OpenFileReadWrite(file_name));
+      if (file == nullptr) {
+        PLOG(WARNING) << "Failed to create boot marker.";
+        return;
+      }
     }
   } else {
     if (!file->ReadFully(&num_failed_boots, sizeof(num_failed_boots))) {