diff --git a/PowerEditor/src/MISC/Common/Common.cpp b/PowerEditor/src/MISC/Common/Common.cpp
index 845aeaf91..a3edd4a90 100644
--- a/PowerEditor/src/MISC/Common/Common.cpp
+++ b/PowerEditor/src/MISC/Common/Common.cpp
@@ -50,26 +50,53 @@ wstring commafyInt(size_t n)
 	return ss.str();
 }
 
-std::string getFileContent(const wchar_t *file2read)
+std::string getFileContent(const wchar_t* file2read, bool* pbFailed)
 {
+	if (pbFailed)
+		*pbFailed = false; // reset
+
 	if (!doesFileExist(file2read))
-		return "";
-
-	const size_t blockSize = 1024;
-	char data[blockSize];
-	std::string wholeFileContent = "";
-	FILE *fp = _wfopen(file2read, L"rb");
-	if (!fp)
-		return "";
-
-	size_t lenFile = 0;
-	do
 	{
-		lenFile = fread(data, 1, blockSize, fp);
-		if (lenFile == 0) break;
-		wholeFileContent.append(data, lenFile);
+		if (pbFailed)
+			*pbFailed = true;
+		return "";
+	}
+
+	FILE* fp = _wfopen(file2read, L"rb");
+	if (!fp)
+	{
+		if (pbFailed)
+			*pbFailed = true;
+		return "";
+	}
+	
+	static constexpr size_t blockSize = 1024 * 4; // 4K is optimal chunk for memory, cache, disk or network
+	char data[blockSize];
+	std::string wholeFileContent;
+	size_t lenFile = 0;
+	try
+	{
+		do
+		{
+			lenFile = fread(data, 1, blockSize, fp);
+			if (lenFile == 0) break;
+			wholeFileContent.append(data, lenFile);
+		} while (lenFile > 0);
+	}
+	catch ([[maybe_unused]] const std::bad_alloc& ex)
+	{
+		if (pbFailed)
+			*pbFailed = true;
+		std::string().swap(wholeFileContent); // to immediately release all the allocated memory
+		::MessageBoxW(NULL, L"std::bad_alloc exception caught!\n\nProbably not enough contiguous memory to complete the operation.",
+			L"Notepad++ - getFileContent", MB_OK | MB_ICONWARNING | MB_APPLMODAL);
+	}
+	catch (...)
+	{
+		if (pbFailed)
+			*pbFailed = true;
+		std::string().swap(wholeFileContent); // to immediately release all the allocated memory
 	}
-	while (lenFile > 0);
 
 	fclose(fp);
 	return wholeFileContent;
diff --git a/PowerEditor/src/MISC/Common/Common.h b/PowerEditor/src/MISC/Common/Common.h
index 54bed0dd6..c13ae75ef 100644
--- a/PowerEditor/src/MISC/Common/Common.h
+++ b/PowerEditor/src/MISC/Common/Common.h
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ std::string wstring2string(const std::wstring & rwString, UINT codepage);
 bool isInList(const wchar_t *token, const wchar_t *list);
 std::wstring BuildMenuFileName(int filenameLen, unsigned int pos, const std::wstring &filename, bool ordinalNumber = true);
 
-std::string getFileContent(const wchar_t *file2read);
+std::string getFileContent(const wchar_t* file2read, bool* pbFailed = nullptr);
 std::wstring relativeFilePathToFullFilePath(const wchar_t *relativeFilePath);
 void writeFileContent(const wchar_t *file2write, const char *content2write);
 bool matchInList(const wchar_t *fileName, const std::vector<std::wstring> & patterns);
diff --git a/PowerEditor/src/MISC/Common/verifySignedfile.cpp b/PowerEditor/src/MISC/Common/verifySignedfile.cpp
index da2a2121c..e7f9d028f 100644
--- a/PowerEditor/src/MISC/Common/verifySignedfile.cpp
+++ b/PowerEditor/src/MISC/Common/verifySignedfile.cpp
@@ -72,7 +72,11 @@ bool SecurityGuard::checkSha256(const std::wstring& filePath, NppModule module2c
 		return true;
 	*/
 
-	std::string content = getFileContent(filePath.c_str());
+	bool bLoadingFailed = false;
+	std::string content = getFileContent(filePath.c_str(), &bLoadingFailed);
+	if (bLoadingFailed)
+		return false;
+
 	uint8_t sha2hash[32];
 	calc_sha_256(sha2hash, reinterpret_cast<const uint8_t*>(content.c_str()), content.length());
 
diff --git a/PowerEditor/src/MISC/md5/md5Dlgs.cpp b/PowerEditor/src/MISC/md5/md5Dlgs.cpp
index bf43d1d11..19876e610 100644
--- a/PowerEditor/src/MISC/md5/md5Dlgs.cpp
+++ b/PowerEditor/src/MISC/md5/md5Dlgs.cpp
@@ -148,7 +148,10 @@ intptr_t CALLBACK HashFromFilesDlg::run_dlgProc(UINT message, WPARAM wParam, LPA
 							}
 							else
 							{
-								std::string content = getFileContent(it.c_str());
+								bool bLoadingFailed = false;
+								std::string content = getFileContent(it.c_str(), &bLoadingFailed);
+								if (bLoadingFailed)
+									return FALSE;
 
 								uint8_t hash[HASH_MAX_LENGTH]{};
 								wchar_t hashStr[HASH_STR_MAX_LENGTH]{};
diff --git a/PowerEditor/src/Notepad_plus_Window.cpp b/PowerEditor/src/Notepad_plus_Window.cpp
index b23b1aa46..e20833c63 100644
--- a/PowerEditor/src/Notepad_plus_Window.cpp
+++ b/PowerEditor/src/Notepad_plus_Window.cpp
@@ -376,24 +376,28 @@ void Notepad_plus_Window::init(HINSTANCE hInst, HWND parent, const wchar_t *cmdL
 		{
 			if (doesFileExist(cmdLineParams->_easterEggName.c_str()))
 			{
-				std::string content = getFileContent(cmdLineParams->_easterEggName.c_str());
-				WcharMbcsConvertor& wmc = WcharMbcsConvertor::getInstance();
-				_userQuote = wmc.char2wchar(content.c_str(), SC_CP_UTF8);
-				if (!_userQuote.empty())
+				bool bLoadingFailed = false;
+				std::string content = getFileContent(cmdLineParams->_easterEggName.c_str(), &bLoadingFailed);
+				if (!bLoadingFailed)
 				{
-					_quoteParams.reset();
-					_quoteParams._quote = _userQuote.c_str();
-					_quoteParams._quoter = L"Anonymous #999";
-					_quoteParams._shouldBeTrolling = false;
-					_quoteParams._lang = cmdLineParams->_langType;
-					if (cmdLineParams->_ghostTypingSpeed == 1)
-						_quoteParams._speed = QuoteParams::slow;
-					else if (cmdLineParams->_ghostTypingSpeed == 2)
-						_quoteParams._speed = QuoteParams::rapid;
-					else if (cmdLineParams->_ghostTypingSpeed == 3)
-						_quoteParams._speed = QuoteParams::speedOfLight;
+					WcharMbcsConvertor& wmc = WcharMbcsConvertor::getInstance();
+					_userQuote = wmc.char2wchar(content.c_str(), SC_CP_UTF8);
+					if (!_userQuote.empty())
+					{
+						_quoteParams.reset();
+						_quoteParams._quote = _userQuote.c_str();
+						_quoteParams._quoter = L"Anonymous #999";
+						_quoteParams._shouldBeTrolling = false;
+						_quoteParams._lang = cmdLineParams->_langType;
+						if (cmdLineParams->_ghostTypingSpeed == 1)
+							_quoteParams._speed = QuoteParams::slow;
+						else if (cmdLineParams->_ghostTypingSpeed == 2)
+							_quoteParams._speed = QuoteParams::rapid;
+						else if (cmdLineParams->_ghostTypingSpeed == 3)
+							_quoteParams._speed = QuoteParams::speedOfLight;
 
-					_notepad_plus_plus_core.showQuote(&_quoteParams);
+						_notepad_plus_plus_core.showQuote(&_quoteParams);
+					}
 				}
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/PowerEditor/src/Parameters.cpp b/PowerEditor/src/Parameters.cpp
index 16e2a8292..36e9a82eb 100644
--- a/PowerEditor/src/Parameters.cpp
+++ b/PowerEditor/src/Parameters.cpp
@@ -1238,10 +1238,14 @@ bool NppParameters::load()
 	if (_isCloud)
 	{
 		// Read cloud choice
-		std::string cloudChoiceStr = getFileContent(cloudChoicePath.c_str());
-		WcharMbcsConvertor& wmc = WcharMbcsConvertor::getInstance();
-		std::wstring cloudChoiceStrW = wmc.char2wchar(cloudChoiceStr.c_str(), SC_CP_UTF8);
-
+		std::wstring cloudChoiceStrW = L"";
+		bool bLoadingFailed = false;
+		std::string cloudChoiceStr = getFileContent(cloudChoicePath.c_str(), &bLoadingFailed);
+		if (!bLoadingFailed)
+		{
+			WcharMbcsConvertor& wmc = WcharMbcsConvertor::getInstance();
+			cloudChoiceStrW = wmc.char2wchar(cloudChoiceStr.c_str(), SC_CP_UTF8);
+		}
 		if (!cloudChoiceStrW.empty() && doesDirectoryExist(cloudChoiceStrW.c_str()))
 		{
 			_userPath = cloudChoiceStrW;