diff --git a/target/i386/latx/translator/reg-alloc.c b/target/i386/latx/translator/reg-alloc.c
index 33c59d752a..9ecdc0eb75 100644
--- a/target/i386/latx/translator/reg-alloc.c
+++ b/target/i386/latx/translator/reg-alloc.c
@@ -298,6 +298,17 @@ IR2_OPND ra_alloc_itemp(void)
     int itemp_reg_num;
 
     itemp_reg_num = ra_alloc_itemp_num();
+    if (unlikely(itemp_reg_num < 0)) {
+        /*
+         * Do not let a failed allocation propagate as register number -1
+         * into the immediate cache lookup or IR2 operand construction.  It
+         * would otherwise cause undefined behavior or corrupt generated code.
+         */
+        fprintf(stderr,
+                "[LATX] itemp register exhausted, status=0x%x\n",
+                lsenv->tr_data->itemp_status);
+        abort();
+    }
 #ifdef CONFIG_LATX_IMM_REG
     if (option_imm_reg) {
         int itemp_num = reg_itemp_reverse_map[itemp_reg_num];