diff --git a/mysql-test/r/partition_error.result b/mysql-test/r/partition_error.result
index e1e284556dd..16428fba4d9 100644
--- a/mysql-test/r/partition_error.result
+++ b/mysql-test/r/partition_error.result
@@ -1,5 +1,21 @@
 drop table if exists t1;
 #
+# Bug#49161: Out of memory; restart server and try again (needed 2 bytes)
+#
+CREATE TABLE t1 (a INT) PARTITION BY HASH (a);
+FLUSH TABLES;
+CHECK TABLE t1;
+Table	Op	Msg_type	Msg_text
+test.t1	check	Error	Failed to read from the .par file
+test.t1	check	Error	Incorrect information in file: './test/t1.frm'
+test.t1	check	error	Corrupt
+SELECT * FROM t1;
+ERROR HY000: Failed to read from the .par file
+# Note that it is currently impossible to drop a partitioned table
+# without the .par file
+DROP TABLE t1;
+ERROR 42S02: Unknown table 't1'
+#
 # Bug#49477: Assertion `0' failed in ha_partition.cc:5530
 # with temporary table and partitions
 #
diff --git a/mysql-test/t/partition_error.test b/mysql-test/t/partition_error.test
index dbc67032a42..7f733df701b 100644
--- a/mysql-test/t/partition_error.test
+++ b/mysql-test/t/partition_error.test
@@ -7,7 +7,26 @@
 --disable_warnings
 drop table if exists t1;
 --enable_warnings
- 
+
+let $MYSQLD_DATADIR= `SELECT @@datadir`;
+
+--echo #
+--echo # Bug#49161: Out of memory; restart server and try again (needed 2 bytes)
+--echo #
+CREATE TABLE t1 (a INT) PARTITION BY HASH (a);
+FLUSH TABLES;
+--remove_file $MYSQLD_DATADIR/test/t1.par
+CHECK TABLE t1;
+--error ER_UNKNOWN_ERROR
+SELECT * FROM t1;
+--echo # Note that it is currently impossible to drop a partitioned table
+--echo # without the .par file
+--error ER_BAD_TABLE_ERROR
+DROP TABLE t1;
+--remove_file $MYSQLD_DATADIR/test/t1.frm
+--remove_file $MYSQLD_DATADIR/test/t1#P#p0.MYI
+--remove_file $MYSQLD_DATADIR/test/t1#P#p0.MYD
+
 --echo #
 --echo # Bug#49477: Assertion `0' failed in ha_partition.cc:5530
 --echo # with temporary table and partitions
@@ -167,7 +186,6 @@ partitions 3
  partition x2 tablespace ts2,
  partition x3 tablespace ts3);
 
-let $MYSQLD_DATADIR= `select @@datadir`;
 select load_file('$MYSQLD_DATADIR/test/t1.par');
 #
 # Partition by hash, invalid field in function
diff --git a/sql/ha_partition.cc b/sql/ha_partition.cc
index 4fc3b2c9908..60722f0100e 100644
--- a/sql/ha_partition.cc
+++ b/sql/ha_partition.cc
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ bool ha_partition::initialize_partition(MEM_ROOT *mem_root)
   }
   else if (get_from_handler_file(table_share->normalized_path.str, mem_root))
   {
-    mem_alloc_error(2);
+    my_message(ER_UNKNOWN_ERROR, "Failed to read from the .par file", MYF(0));
     DBUG_RETURN(1);
   }
   /*