diff --git a/gtk/gtkicontheme.c b/gtk/gtkicontheme.c
index 7fc76bf703..bf5a224e56 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkicontheme.c
+++ b/gtk/gtkicontheme.c
@@ -4193,7 +4193,7 @@ _gtk_icon_info_load_symbolic_internal (GtkIconInfo  *icon_info,
       css_error = gdk_color_to_css (&error_default_color);
     }
 
-  if (!g_file_load_contents (icon_info->icon_file, NULL, &file_data, &file_len, NULL, NULL))
+  if (!g_file_load_contents (icon_info->icon_file, NULL, &file_data, &file_len, NULL, error))
     return NULL;
 
   if (!icon_info->symbolic_pixbuf_size)