diff --git a/src/obj.js b/src/obj.js
index 9df41af1c..a106896e5 100644
--- a/src/obj.js
+++ b/src/obj.js
@@ -244,6 +244,18 @@ var Catalog = (function CatalogClosure() {
       return shadow(this, 'toplevelPagesDict', pagesObj);
     },
     get documentOutline() {
+      var obj = null;
+      try {
+        obj = this.readDocumentOutline();
+      } catch (ex) {
+        if (ex instanceof MissingDataException) {
+          throw ex;
+        }
+        warn('Unable to read document outline');
+      }
+      return shadow(this, 'documentOutline', obj);
+    },
+    readDocumentOutline: function Catalog_readDocumentOutline() {
       var xref = this.xref;
       var obj = this.catDict.get('Outlines');
       var root = { items: [] };
@@ -294,8 +306,7 @@ var Catalog = (function CatalogClosure() {
           }
         }
       }
-      obj = root.items.length > 0 ? root.items : null;
-      return shadow(this, 'documentOutline', obj);
+      return root.items.length > 0 ? root.items : null;
     },
     get numPages() {
       var obj = this.toplevelPagesDict.get('Count');