diff --git a/src/emu/digfx.c b/src/emu/digfx.c
index fd2aadda3ed..935786189e4 100644
--- a/src/emu/digfx.c
+++ b/src/emu/digfx.c
@@ -189,32 +189,6 @@ void device_gfx_interface::decode_gfx(const gfx_decode_entry *gfxdecodeinfo)
 		// copy the layout into our temporary variable
 		memcpy(&glcopy, gfx.gfxlayout, sizeof(gfx_layout));
 
-		// copy the X and Y offsets into our temporary arrays
-		extxoffs.resize(glcopy.width * xscale);
-		extyoffs.resize(glcopy.height * yscale);
-		assert(glcopy.extxoffs != NULL || glcopy.width <= MAX_GFX_SIZE);
-		memcpy(&extxoffs[0], (glcopy.extxoffs != NULL) ? glcopy.extxoffs : glcopy.xoffset, glcopy.width * sizeof(UINT32));
-		assert(glcopy.extyoffs != NULL || glcopy.height <= MAX_GFX_SIZE);
-		memcpy(&extyoffs[0], (glcopy.extyoffs != NULL) ? glcopy.extyoffs : glcopy.yoffset, glcopy.height * sizeof(UINT32));
-
-		// always use the extended offsets here
-		glcopy.extxoffs = extxoffs;
-		glcopy.extyoffs = extyoffs;
-
-		// expand X and Y by the scale factors
-		if (xscale > 1)
-		{
-			glcopy.width *= xscale;
-			for (int j = glcopy.width - 1; j >= 0; j--)
-				extxoffs[j] = extxoffs[j / xscale];
-		}
-		if (yscale > 1)
-		{
-			glcopy.height *= yscale;
-			for (int j = glcopy.height - 1; j >= 0; j--)
-				extyoffs[j] = extyoffs[j / yscale];
-		}
-
 		// if the character count is a region fraction, compute the effective total
 		if (IS_FRAC(glcopy.total))
 		{
@@ -225,6 +199,30 @@ void device_gfx_interface::decode_gfx(const gfx_decode_entry *gfxdecodeinfo)
 		// for non-raw graphics, decode the X and Y offsets
 		if (glcopy.planeoffset[0] != GFX_RAW)
 		{
+			// copy the X and Y offsets into our temporary arrays
+			extxoffs.resize(glcopy.width * xscale);
+			extyoffs.resize(glcopy.height * yscale);
+			memcpy(&extxoffs[0], (glcopy.extxoffs != NULL) ? glcopy.extxoffs : glcopy.xoffset, glcopy.width * sizeof(UINT32));
+			memcpy(&extyoffs[0], (glcopy.extyoffs != NULL) ? glcopy.extyoffs : glcopy.yoffset, glcopy.height * sizeof(UINT32));
+
+			// always use the extended offsets here
+			glcopy.extxoffs = extxoffs;
+			glcopy.extyoffs = extyoffs;
+
+			// expand X and Y by the scale factors
+			if (xscale > 1)
+			{
+				glcopy.width *= xscale;
+				for (int j = glcopy.width - 1; j >= 0; j--)
+					extxoffs[j] = extxoffs[j / xscale];
+			}
+			if (yscale > 1)
+			{
+				glcopy.height *= yscale;
+				for (int j = glcopy.height - 1; j >= 0; j--)
+					extyoffs[j] = extyoffs[j / yscale];
+			}
+
 			// loop over all the planes, converting fractions
 			for (int j = 0; j < glcopy.planes; j++)
 			{
@@ -360,16 +358,21 @@ void device_gfx_interface::interface_validity_check(validity_checker &valid) con
 		if (layout.planeoffset[0] == GFX_RAW)
 		{
 			if (layout.total != RGN_FRAC(1,1))
-				osd_printf_error("gfx[%d] with unsupported layout total\n", gfxnum);
+				osd_printf_error("gfx[%d] RAW layouts can only be RGN_FRAC(1,1)\n", gfxnum);
 			if (xscale != 1 || yscale != 1)
-				osd_printf_error("gfx[%d] with unsupported xscale/yscale\n", gfxnum);
+				osd_printf_error("gfx[%d] RAW layouts do not support xscale/yscale\n", gfxnum);
 		}
 
-		// verify traditional decode doesn't have too many planes
+		// verify traditional decode doesn't have too many planes,
+		// and has extended offset arrays if its width and/or height demand them
 		else
 		{
 			if (layout.planes > MAX_GFX_PLANES)
-				osd_printf_error("gfx[%d] with invalid planes\n", gfxnum);
+				osd_printf_error("gfx[%d] planes > %d\n", gfxnum, MAX_GFX_PLANES);
+			if (layout.width > MAX_GFX_SIZE && layout.extxoffs == NULL)
+				osd_printf_error("gfx[%d] width > %d but missing extended xoffset info\n", gfxnum, MAX_GFX_SIZE);
+			if (layout.height > MAX_GFX_SIZE && layout.extyoffs == NULL)
+				osd_printf_error("gfx[%d] width > %d but missing extended yoffset info\n", gfxnum, MAX_GFX_SIZE);
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/emu/digfx.h b/src/emu/digfx.h
index ec693f4cc68..86ff9ffd859 100644
--- a/src/emu/digfx.h
+++ b/src/emu/digfx.h
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ const gfx_layout name = { width, height, RGN_FRAC(1,1), 8, { GFX_RAW }, { 0 }, {
 // When planeoffset[0] is set to GFX_RAW, the gfx data is left as-is, with no conversion.
 // No buffer is allocated for the decoded data, and gfxdata is set to point to the source
 // data.
-// xoffset[0] is an optional displacement (*8) from the beginning of the source data, while
 // yoffset[0] is the line modulo (*8) and charincrement the char modulo (*8). They are *8
 // for consistency with the usual behaviour, but the bottom 3 bits are not used.
 //
diff --git a/src/emu/drawgfx.c b/src/emu/drawgfx.c
index 44701cc261f..4e5bd6698c9 100644
--- a/src/emu/drawgfx.c
+++ b/src/emu/drawgfx.c
@@ -183,20 +183,22 @@ void gfx_element::set_layout(const gfx_layout &gl, const UINT8 *srcdata)
 	m_layout_is_raw = (gl.planeoffset[0] == GFX_RAW);
 	m_layout_planes = gl.planes;
 	m_layout_charincrement = gl.charincrement;
-	m_layout_planeoffset.resize(m_layout_planes);
-	m_layout_xoffset.resize(m_width);
-	m_layout_yoffset.resize(m_height);
 
 	// raw graphics case
 	if (m_layout_is_raw)
 	{
+		// RAW layouts don't need these arrays
+		m_layout_planeoffset.reset();
+		m_layout_xoffset.reset();
+		m_layout_yoffset.reset();
+		m_gfxdata_allocated.reset();
+
 		// modulos are determined for us by the layout
 		m_line_modulo = gl.yoffs(0) / 8;
 		m_char_modulo = gl.charincrement / 8;
 
 		// RAW graphics must have a pointer up front
 		assert(srcdata != NULL);
-		m_gfxdata_allocated.reset();
 		m_gfxdata = const_cast<UINT8 *>(m_srcdata);
 	}
 
@@ -204,6 +206,10 @@ void gfx_element::set_layout(const gfx_layout &gl, const UINT8 *srcdata)
 	else
 	{
 		// copy offsets
+		m_layout_planeoffset.resize(m_layout_planes);
+		m_layout_xoffset.resize(m_width);
+		m_layout_yoffset.resize(m_height);
+
 		for (int p = 0; p < m_layout_planes; p++)
 			m_layout_planeoffset[p] = gl.planeoffset[p];
 		for (int y = 0; y < m_height; y++)