diff --git a/src/_cffi_src/openssl/err.py b/src/_cffi_src/openssl/err.py
index 5975135..b4d053c 100644
--- a/src/_cffi_src/openssl/err.py
+++ b/src/_cffi_src/openssl/err.py
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
 static const int ERR_LIB_SSL;
 static const int ERR_LIB_X509;
 
+static const int ERR_R_MALLOC_FAILURE;
+
 static const int ASN1_R_BOOLEAN_IS_WRONG_LENGTH;
 static const int ASN1_R_BUFFER_TOO_SMALL;
 static const int ASN1_R_CIPHER_HAS_NO_OBJECT_IDENTIFIER;
diff --git a/src/cryptography/hazmat/backends/openssl/backend.py b/src/cryptography/hazmat/backends/openssl/backend.py
index ae966cd..fda6293 100644
--- a/src/cryptography/hazmat/backends/openssl/backend.py
+++ b/src/cryptography/hazmat/backends/openssl/backend.py
@@ -2120,7 +2120,24 @@
             key_material, len(key_material), salt, len(salt), n, r, p,
             scrypt._MEM_LIMIT, buf, length
         )
-        self.openssl_assert(res == 1)
+        if res != 1:
+            errors = self._consume_errors()
+            if not self._lib.CRYPTOGRAPHY_OPENSSL_LESS_THAN_111:
+                # This error is only added to the stack in 1.1.1+
+                self.openssl_assert(
+                    errors[0]._lib_reason_match(
+                        self._lib.ERR_LIB_EVP,
+                        self._lib.ERR_R_MALLOC_FAILURE
+                    )
+                )
+
+            # memory required formula explained here:
+            # https://blog.filippo.io/the-scrypt-parameters/
+            min_memory = 128 * n * r // (1024**2)
+            raise MemoryError(
+                "Not enough memory to derive key. These parameters require"
+                " {} MB of memory.".format(min_memory)
+            )
         return self._ffi.buffer(buf)[:]
 
     def aead_cipher_supported(self, cipher):
diff --git a/tests/hazmat/primitives/test_scrypt.py b/tests/hazmat/primitives/test_scrypt.py
index 64abfe7..25d2c61 100644
--- a/tests/hazmat/primitives/test_scrypt.py
+++ b/tests/hazmat/primitives/test_scrypt.py
@@ -80,6 +80,20 @@
             Scrypt(salt, length, work_factor, block_size,
                    parallelization_factor, backend)
 
+    def test_scrypt_malloc_failure(self, backend):
+        password = b"NaCl"
+        work_factor = 1024 ** 3
+        block_size = 589824
+        parallelization_factor = 16
+        length = 64
+        salt = b"NaCl"
+
+        scrypt = Scrypt(salt, length, work_factor, block_size,
+                        parallelization_factor, backend)
+
+        with pytest.raises(MemoryError):
+            scrypt.derive(password)
+
     def test_password_not_bytes(self, backend):
         password = 1
         work_factor = 1024