diff --git a/src/h3/_cy/to_multipoly.pyx b/src/h3/_cy/to_multipoly.pyx
index db29baa5..d24e2c3e 100644
--- a/src/h3/_cy/to_multipoly.pyx
+++ b/src/h3/_cy/to_multipoly.pyx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 cimport h3lib
 from h3lib cimport H3int
 from .util cimport check_cell, coord2deg
+from .error_system cimport check_for_error
 
 
 # todo: it's driving me crazy that these three functions are all essentially the same linked list walker...
@@ -39,7 +40,9 @@ def _to_multi_polygon(const H3int[:] cells):
     for h in cells:
         check_cell(h)
 
-    h3lib.cellsToLinkedMultiPolygon(&cells[0], len(cells), &polygon)
+    check_for_error(
+        h3lib.cellsToLinkedMultiPolygon(&cells[0], len(cells), &polygon)
+    )
 
     out = walk_polys(&polygon)
 
diff --git a/tests/test_lib/polyfill/test_to_multipoly.py b/tests/test_lib/polyfill/test_to_multipoly.py
index 61f77f63..311c8ca0 100644
--- a/tests/test_lib/polyfill/test_to_multipoly.py
+++ b/tests/test_lib/polyfill/test_to_multipoly.py
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
-import h3
+import pytest
 
+import h3
+from h3._cy.error_system import H3FailedError
 
 from .. import util as u
 
@@ -47,3 +49,55 @@ def test_2_polys():
         cells
     )
     assert set(map(len, out)) == {1, 12}
+
+
+def test_cells_to_h3shape_transmeridian_error():
+    """
+    Test for https://github.com/uber/h3-py/issues/476
+
+    Cells along the equator and meridian trigger an error in the C library's
+    normalizeMultiPolygon. Previously this caused a segfault because the error
+    code wasn't checked. Now it should raise H3FailedError.
+    """
+    cells = [
+        '81007ffffffffff', '81017ffffffffff', '81033ffffffffff',
+        '81047ffffffffff', '81057ffffffffff', '81093ffffffffff',
+        '81097ffffffffff', '8109bffffffffff', '810cbffffffffff',
+        '810dbffffffffff', '81167ffffffffff', '81177ffffffffff',
+        '81187ffffffffff', '81197ffffffffff', '81227ffffffffff',
+        '8132bffffffffff', '8133bffffffffff', '81383ffffffffff',
+        '8138bffffffffff', '81397ffffffffff', '8147bffffffffff',
+        '8158bffffffffff', '81593ffffffffff', '8159bffffffffff',
+        '815abffffffffff', '815bbffffffffff', '815f3ffffffffff',
+        '81617ffffffffff', '81657ffffffffff', '8166fffffffffff',
+        '8168bffffffffff', '8168fffffffffff', '816abffffffffff',
+        '816afffffffffff', '816c7ffffffffff', '816cfffffffffff',
+        '816f3ffffffffff', '816f7ffffffffff', '816fbffffffffff',
+        '81707ffffffffff', '8170bffffffffff', '8170fffffffffff',
+        '8171bffffffffff', '8172bffffffffff', '8172fffffffffff',
+        '8173bffffffffff', '81743ffffffffff', '8174bffffffffff',
+        '81753ffffffffff', '81757ffffffffff', '81763ffffffffff',
+        '81767ffffffffff', '8177bffffffffff', '81783ffffffffff',
+        '81787ffffffffff', '8179bffffffffff', '817a3ffffffffff',
+        '817a7ffffffffff', '817bbffffffffff', '817c3ffffffffff',
+        '817c7ffffffffff', '817cbffffffffff', '817e3ffffffffff',
+        '817ebffffffffff', '817efffffffffff', '817f7ffffffffff',
+        '817fbffffffffff', '81807ffffffffff', '8180bffffffffff',
+        '8180fffffffffff', '81827ffffffffff', '8182bffffffffff',
+        '8182fffffffffff', '81853ffffffffff', '81857ffffffffff',
+        '8186bffffffffff', '8186fffffffffff', '8188bffffffffff',
+        '8188fffffffffff', '818a7ffffffffff', '818afffffffffff',
+        '818cbffffffffff', '818cfffffffffff', '818f3ffffffffff',
+        '81933ffffffffff', '81987ffffffffff', '81997ffffffffff',
+        '819a7ffffffffff', '819b7ffffffffff', '81ac7ffffffffff',
+        '81ba3ffffffffff', '81bafffffffffff', '81bb3ffffffffff',
+        '81c07ffffffffff', '81c17ffffffffff', '81d0bffffffffff',
+        '81d1bffffffffff', '81db3ffffffffff', '81dbbffffffffff',
+        '81dcbffffffffff', '81ddbffffffffff', '81e67ffffffffff',
+        '81eabffffffffff', '81eafffffffffff', '81ed7ffffffffff',
+        '81eebffffffffff', '81efbffffffffff', '81f17ffffffffff',
+        '81f2bffffffffff', '81f33ffffffffff', '81f3bffffffffff',
+    ]
+
+    with pytest.raises(H3FailedError):
+        h3.cells_to_h3shape(cells)