diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 3ab7038f06d..94677f085e8 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ Blocks of changes will separated by version increments.
 ## **[Unreleased]**
 
 - [#832](https://github.com/wasmerio/wasmer/pull/832) Delete unused runtime ABI
+- [#809](https://github.com/wasmerio/wasmer/pull/809) Fix bugs leading to panics in `LocalBacking`.
 - [#822](https://github.com/wasmerio/wasmer/pull/822) Update Cranelift fork version to `0.43.1`
 - [#829](https://github.com/wasmerio/wasmer/pull/829) Fix deps on `make bench-*` commands; benchmarks don't compile other backends now
 - [#807](https://github.com/wasmerio/wasmer/pull/807) Implement Send for `Instance`, breaking change on `ImportObject`, remove method `get_namespace` replaced with `with_namespace` and `maybe_with_namespace`
diff --git a/lib/runtime-core/src/backing.rs b/lib/runtime-core/src/backing.rs
index ef43bd58c64..fb9cb571484 100644
--- a/lib/runtime-core/src/backing.rs
+++ b/lib/runtime-core/src/backing.rs
@@ -152,6 +152,11 @@ impl LocalBacking {
                     }]);
                 }
                 Initializer::GetGlobal(import_global_index) => {
+                    if import_global_index.index() >= imports.globals.len() {
+                        return Err(vec![LinkError::Generic {
+                            message: "incorrect global index for initializer".to_string(),
+                        }]);
+                    }
                     if let Value::I32(x) = imports.globals[import_global_index].get() {
                         x as u32
                     } else {
@@ -208,6 +213,11 @@ impl LocalBacking {
                     }]);
                 }
                 Initializer::GetGlobal(import_global_index) => {
+                    if import_global_index.index() >= imports.globals.len() {
+                        return Err(vec![LinkError::Generic {
+                            message: "incorrect global index for initializer".to_string(),
+                        }]);
+                    }
                     if let Value::I32(x) = imports.globals[import_global_index].get() {
                         x as u32
                     } else {
@@ -276,6 +286,11 @@ impl LocalBacking {
                     }]);
                 }
                 Initializer::GetGlobal(import_global_index) => {
+                    if import_global_index.index() >= imports.globals.len() {
+                        return Err(vec![LinkError::Generic {
+                            message: "incorrect global index for initializer".to_string(),
+                        }]);
+                    }
                     if let Value::I32(x) = imports.globals[import_global_index].get() {
                         x as u32
                     } else {
@@ -329,6 +344,11 @@ impl LocalBacking {
                     }]);
                 }
                 Initializer::GetGlobal(import_global_index) => {
+                    if import_global_index.index() >= imports.globals.len() {
+                        return Err(vec![LinkError::Generic {
+                            message: "incorrect global index for initializer".to_string(),
+                        }]);
+                    }
                     if let Value::I32(x) = imports.globals[import_global_index].get() {
                         x as u32
                     } else {