diff --git a/src/Workspaces/Core/Portable/Execution/AbstractReferenceSerializationService.cs b/src/Workspaces/Core/Portable/Execution/AbstractReferenceSerializationService.cs
index 70e3926ce4c90b099cc9b9d6837b530fbd50057a..c35380ed573ad461c3b57c3de0e8474c6d7fa3b9 100644
--- a/src/Workspaces/Core/Portable/Execution/AbstractReferenceSerializationService.cs
+++ b/src/Workspaces/Core/Portable/Execution/AbstractReferenceSerializationService.cs
@@ -304,9 +304,14 @@ private void WriteMvidsTo(Metadata metadata, ObjectWriter writer, CancellationTo
 
             if (metadata is AssemblyMetadata assemblyMetadata)
             {
+                if (!TryGetModules(assemblyMetadata, out var modules))
+                {
+                    // Gracefully bail out without writing anything to the writer.
+                    return;
+                }
+
                 writer.WriteInt32((int)assemblyMetadata.Kind);
 
-                var modules = assemblyMetadata.GetModules();
                 writer.WriteInt32(modules.Length);
 
                 foreach (var module in modules)
@@ -320,6 +325,23 @@ private void WriteMvidsTo(Metadata metadata, ObjectWriter writer, CancellationTo
             WriteMvidTo((ModuleMetadata)metadata, writer, cancellationToken);
         }
 
+        private static bool TryGetModules(AssemblyMetadata assemblyMetadata, out ImmutableArray<ModuleMetadata> modules)
+        {
+            // Gracefully handle documented exceptions from 'GetModules' invocation.
+            try
+            {
+                modules = assemblyMetadata.GetModules();
+                return true;
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex) when (ex is BadImageFormatException ||
+                                       ex is IOException ||
+                                       ex is ObjectDisposedException)
+            {
+                modules = default;
+                return false;
+            }
+        }
+
         private void WriteMvidTo(ModuleMetadata metadata, ObjectWriter writer, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
         {
             cancellationToken.ThrowIfCancellationRequested();
@@ -411,9 +433,15 @@ private void WriteTo(Metadata metadata, ObjectWriter writer, CancellationToken c
 
             if (metadata is AssemblyMetadata assemblyMetadata)
             {
+                if (!TryGetModules(assemblyMetadata, out var modules))
+                {
+                    // Gracefully handle error case where unable to get modules.
+                    writer.WriteInt32(MetadataFailed);
+                    return;
+                }
+
                 writer.WriteInt32((int)assemblyMetadata.Kind);
 
-                var modules = assemblyMetadata.GetModules();
                 writer.WriteInt32(modules.Length);
 
                 foreach (var module in modules)