diff --git a/fuzzers/common.h b/fuzzers/common.h
index 2a9448496a..2cc20308a0 100644
--- a/fuzzers/common.h
+++ b/fuzzers/common.h
@@ -43,3 +43,29 @@ static inline bool str_startswith(const char *str, size_t str_len,
         return false;
     return !memcmp(str, prefix, prefix_len);
 }
+
+#ifndef PLAYBACK_TIME_LIMIT
+#define PLAYBACK_TIME_LIMIT 5
+#endif
+
+static inline void player_loop(mpv_handle *ctx)
+{
+    bool playing = false;
+    bool loaded = false;
+    int timeout = -1;
+    while (1) {
+        mpv_event *event = mpv_wait_event(ctx, timeout);
+        if (timeout == PLAYBACK_TIME_LIMIT && event->event_id == MPV_EVENT_NONE)
+            break;
+        if (event->event_id == MPV_EVENT_START_FILE)
+            loaded = playing = true;
+        if (event->event_id == MPV_EVENT_END_FILE) {
+            playing = false;
+            timeout = -1;
+        }
+        if (playing && event->event_id == MPV_EVENT_PLAYBACK_RESTART)
+            timeout = PLAYBACK_TIME_LIMIT;
+        if (loaded && event->event_id == MPV_EVENT_IDLE)
+            break;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/fuzzers/fuzzer_load.c b/fuzzers/fuzzer_load.c
index 0024f5e6e8..7621c03211 100644
--- a/fuzzers/fuzzer_load.c
+++ b/fuzzers/fuzzer_load.c
@@ -81,14 +81,7 @@ int LLVMFuzzerTestOneInput(const uint8_t *data, size_t size)
     check_error(mpv_command(ctx, cmd));
 
 #ifdef MPV_LOADFILE
-    bool loaded = false;
-    while (1) {
-        mpv_event *event = mpv_wait_event(ctx, -1);
-        if (event->event_id == MPV_EVENT_START_FILE)
-            loaded = true;
-        if (loaded && event->event_id == MPV_EVENT_IDLE)
-            break;
-    }
+    player_loop(ctx);
 #endif
 
     mpv_terminate_destroy(ctx);
diff --git a/fuzzers/fuzzer_loadfile_direct.c b/fuzzers/fuzzer_loadfile_direct.c
index 506670d9d4..fcc7f74539 100644
--- a/fuzzers/fuzzer_loadfile_direct.c
+++ b/fuzzers/fuzzer_loadfile_direct.c
@@ -75,14 +75,7 @@ int LLVMFuzzerTestOneInput(const uint8_t *data, size_t size)
     const char *cmd[] = {"loadfile", data, NULL};
     check_error(mpv_command(ctx, cmd));
 
-    bool loaded = false;
-    while (1) {
-        mpv_event *event = mpv_wait_event(ctx, -1);
-        if (event->event_id == MPV_EVENT_START_FILE)
-            loaded = true;
-        if (loaded && event->event_id == MPV_EVENT_IDLE)
-            break;
-    }
+    player_loop(ctx);
 
     mpv_terminate_destroy(ctx);
 
diff --git a/fuzzers/fuzzer_set_property.c b/fuzzers/fuzzer_set_property.c
index 6487697b96..c18fd48ff5 100644
--- a/fuzzers/fuzzer_set_property.c
+++ b/fuzzers/fuzzer_set_property.c
@@ -105,14 +105,7 @@ int LLVMFuzzerTestOneInput(const uint8_t *data, size_t size)
     const char *cmd[] = {"loadfile", "av://lavfi:yuvtestsrc=d=0.1", NULL};
     check_error(mpv_command(ctx, cmd));
 
-    bool loaded = false;
-    while (1) {
-        mpv_event *event = mpv_wait_event(ctx, -1);
-        if (event->event_id == MPV_EVENT_START_FILE)
-            loaded = true;
-        if (loaded && event->event_id == MPV_EVENT_IDLE)
-            break;
-    }
+    player_loop(ctx);
 #endif
 
 done: