diff --git a/libavcodec/libmp3lame.c b/libavcodec/libmp3lame.c
index 873b390c0c..5642264a4a 100644
--- a/libavcodec/libmp3lame.c
+++ b/libavcodec/libmp3lame.c
@@ -246,11 +246,12 @@ static int mp3lame_encode_frame(AVCodecContext *avctx, AVPacket *avpkt,
     if (s->buffer_index < 4)
         return 0;
     h = AV_RB32(s->buffer);
-    if (ff_mpa_check_header(h) < 0) {
+
+    ret = avpriv_mpegaudio_decode_header(&hdr, h);
+    if (ret < 0) {
         av_log(avctx, AV_LOG_ERROR, "Invalid mp3 header at start of buffer\n");
         return AVERROR_BUG;
-    }
-    if (avpriv_mpegaudio_decode_header(&hdr, h)) {
+    } else if (ret) {
         av_log(avctx, AV_LOG_ERROR, "free format output not supported\n");
         return -1;
     }
diff --git a/libavcodec/mpegaudiodec_template.c b/libavcodec/mpegaudiodec_template.c
index f681ef7a57..d2420c1386 100644
--- a/libavcodec/mpegaudiodec_template.c
+++ b/libavcodec/mpegaudiodec_template.c
@@ -1672,12 +1672,11 @@ static int decode_frame(AVCodecContext * avctx, void *data, int *got_frame_ptr,
         av_log(avctx, AV_LOG_DEBUG, "discarding ID3 tag\n");
         return buf_size;
     }
-    if (ff_mpa_check_header(header) < 0) {
+    ret = avpriv_mpegaudio_decode_header((MPADecodeHeader *)s, header);
+    if (ret < 0) {
         av_log(avctx, AV_LOG_ERROR, "Header missing\n");
         return AVERROR_INVALIDDATA;
-    }
-
-    if (avpriv_mpegaudio_decode_header((MPADecodeHeader *)s, header) == 1) {
+    } else if (ret == 1) {
         /* free format: prepare to compute frame size */
         s->frame_size = -1;
         return AVERROR_INVALIDDATA;
@@ -1758,12 +1757,11 @@ static int decode_frame_adu(AVCodecContext *avctx, void *data,
     // Get header and restore sync word
     header = AV_RB32(buf) | 0xffe00000;
 
-    if (ff_mpa_check_header(header) < 0) { // Bad header, discard frame
+    ret = avpriv_mpegaudio_decode_header((MPADecodeHeader *)s, header);
+    if (ret < 0) {
         av_log(avctx, AV_LOG_ERROR, "Invalid frame header\n");
-        return AVERROR_INVALIDDATA;
+        return ret;
     }
-
-    avpriv_mpegaudio_decode_header((MPADecodeHeader *)s, header);
     /* update codec info */
     avctx->sample_rate = s->sample_rate;
     avctx->channels    = s->nb_channels;
@@ -1954,13 +1952,12 @@ static int decode_frame_mp3on4(AVCodecContext *avctx, void *data,
         }
         header = (AV_RB32(buf) & 0x000fffff) | s->syncword; // patch header
 
-        if (ff_mpa_check_header(header) < 0) {
+        ret = avpriv_mpegaudio_decode_header((MPADecodeHeader *)m, header);
+        if (ret < 0) {
             av_log(avctx, AV_LOG_ERROR, "Bad header, discard block\n");
             return AVERROR_INVALIDDATA;
         }
 
-        avpriv_mpegaudio_decode_header((MPADecodeHeader *)m, header);
-
         if (ch + m->nb_channels > avctx->channels ||
             s->coff[fr] + m->nb_channels > avctx->channels) {
             av_log(avctx, AV_LOG_ERROR, "frame channel count exceeds codec "
diff --git a/libavcodec/mpegaudiodecheader.c b/libavcodec/mpegaudiodecheader.c
index d522c064ac..30033fb2a2 100644
--- a/libavcodec/mpegaudiodecheader.c
+++ b/libavcodec/mpegaudiodecheader.c
@@ -37,6 +37,12 @@ int avpriv_mpegaudio_decode_header(MPADecodeHeader *s, uint32_t header)
 {
     int sample_rate, frame_size, mpeg25, padding;
     int sample_rate_index, bitrate_index;
+    int ret;
+
+    ret = ff_mpa_check_header(header);
+    if (ret < 0)
+        return ret;
+
     if (header & (1<<20)) {
         s->lsf = (header & (1<<19)) ? 0 : 1;
         mpeg25 = 0;
@@ -117,9 +123,6 @@ int avpriv_mpa_decode_header2(uint32_t head, int *sample_rate, int *channels, in
 {
     MPADecodeHeader s1, *s = &s1;
 
-    if (ff_mpa_check_header(head) != 0)
-        return -1;
-
     if (avpriv_mpegaudio_decode_header(s, head) != 0) {
         return -1;
     }
diff --git a/libavformat/mp3dec.c b/libavformat/mp3dec.c
index 95b70f7c29..8d41657058 100644
--- a/libavformat/mp3dec.c
+++ b/libavformat/mp3dec.c
@@ -82,9 +82,6 @@ static int mp3_read_probe(AVProbeData *p)
 
     for(; buf < end; buf= buf2+1) {
         buf2 = buf;
-        if(ff_mpa_check_header(AV_RB32(buf2)))
-            continue;
-
         for(frames = 0; buf2 < end; frames++) {
             int dummy;
             header = AV_RB32(buf2);
@@ -302,14 +299,16 @@ static int mp3_parse_vbr_tags(AVFormatContext *s, AVStream *st, int64_t base)
     MPADecodeHeader c;
     int vbrtag_size = 0;
     MP3DecContext *mp3 = s->priv_data;
+    int ret;
 
     ffio_init_checksum(s->pb, ff_crcA001_update, 0);
 
     v = avio_rb32(s->pb);
-    if(ff_mpa_check_header(v) < 0)
-      return -1;
 
-    if (avpriv_mpegaudio_decode_header(&c, v) == 0)
+    ret = avpriv_mpegaudio_decode_header(&c, v);
+    if (ret < 0)
+        return ret;
+    else if (ret == 0)
         vbrtag_size = c.frame_size;
     if(c.layer != 3)
         return -1;
diff --git a/libavformat/mp3enc.c b/libavformat/mp3enc.c
index 40f0672507..7296234c20 100644
--- a/libavformat/mp3enc.c
+++ b/libavformat/mp3enc.c
@@ -309,12 +309,13 @@ static int mp3_write_audio_packet(AVFormatContext *s, AVPacket *pkt)
 
     if (pkt->data && pkt->size >= 4) {
         MPADecodeHeader mpah;
+        int ret;
         int av_unused base;
         uint32_t h;
 
         h = AV_RB32(pkt->data);
-        if (ff_mpa_check_header(h) == 0) {
-            avpriv_mpegaudio_decode_header(&mpah, h);
+        ret = avpriv_mpegaudio_decode_header(&mpah, h);
+        if (ret >= 0) {
             if (!mp3->initial_bitrate)
                 mp3->initial_bitrate = mpah.bit_rate;
             if ((mpah.bit_rate == 0) || (mp3->initial_bitrate != mpah.bit_rate))