diff --git a/tests/checkasm/checkasm.c b/tests/checkasm/checkasm.c
index ba366ba3a8..87f24c77ca 100644
--- a/tests/checkasm/checkasm.c
+++ b/tests/checkasm/checkasm.c
@@ -757,6 +757,14 @@ static int bench_init_kperf(void)
 static int bench_init_ffmpeg(void)
 {
 #ifdef AV_READ_TIME
+    if (!checkasm_save_context()) {
+        checkasm_set_signal_handler_state(1);
+        AV_READ_TIME();
+        checkasm_set_signal_handler_state(0);
+    } else {
+        fprintf(stderr, "checkasm: unable to execute platform specific timer\n");
+        return -1;
+    }
     printf("benchmarking with native FFmpeg timers\n");
     return 0;
 #else
@@ -930,7 +938,9 @@ int checkasm_bench_func(void)
 /* Indicate that the current test has failed */
 void checkasm_fail_func(const char *msg, ...)
 {
-    if (state.current_func_ver->cpu && state.current_func_ver->ok) {
+    if (state.current_func_ver && state.current_func_ver->cpu &&
+        state.current_func_ver->ok)
+    {
         va_list arg;
 
         print_cpu_name();