diff --git a/libavutil/pixdesc.c b/libavutil/pixdesc.c
index d3cec170ea..c03964faef 100644
--- a/libavutil/pixdesc.c
+++ b/libavutil/pixdesc.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
+#include "avassert.h"
 #include "common.h"
 #include "pixfmt.h"
 #include "pixdesc.h"
@@ -1828,3 +1829,27 @@ int av_pix_fmt_count_planes(enum AVPixelFormat pix_fmt)
         ret += planes[i];
     return ret;
 }
+
+void ff_check_pixfmt_descriptors(void){
+    int i, j;
+
+    for (i=0; i<FF_ARRAY_ELEMS(av_pix_fmt_descriptors); i++) {
+        const AVPixFmtDescriptor *d = &av_pix_fmt_descriptors[i];
+
+        if (!d->name && !d->nb_components && !d->log2_chroma_w && !d->log2_chroma_h && !d->flags)
+            continue;
+//         av_log(NULL, AV_LOG_DEBUG, "Checking: %s\n", d->name);
+        av_assert0(d->log2_chroma_w <= 3);
+        av_assert0(d->log2_chroma_h <= 3);
+        av_assert0(d->nb_components <= 4);
+        av_assert0(d->name && d->name[0]);
+        av_assert0((d->nb_components==4 || d->nb_components==2) == !!(d->flags & PIX_FMT_ALPHA));
+        av_assert2(av_get_pix_fmt(d->name) == i);
+
+        for (j=0; j<FF_ARRAY_ELEMS(d->comp); j++) {
+            const AVComponentDescriptor *c = &d->comp[j];
+            if(j>=d->nb_components)
+                av_assert0(!c->plane && !c->step_minus1 && !c->offset_plus1 && !c->shift && !c->depth_minus1);
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/libavutil/pixdesc.h b/libavutil/pixdesc.h
index 0947fd1f88..538e6a55d2 100644
--- a/libavutil/pixdesc.h
+++ b/libavutil/pixdesc.h
@@ -239,5 +239,6 @@ int av_pix_fmt_get_chroma_sub_sample(enum AVPixelFormat pix_fmt,
  */
 int av_pix_fmt_count_planes(enum AVPixelFormat pix_fmt);
 
+void ff_check_pixfmt_descriptors(void);
 
 #endif /* AVUTIL_PIXDESC_H */
diff --git a/libavutil/utils.c b/libavutil/utils.c
index 291c736454..8f83c02d83 100644
--- a/libavutil/utils.c
+++ b/libavutil/utils.c
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include "avutil.h"
 #include "avassert.h"
 #include "samplefmt.h"
+#include "pixdesc.h"
 
 /**
  * @file
@@ -40,6 +41,8 @@ unsigned avutil_version(void)
         abort();
     }
 
+    ff_check_pixfmt_descriptors();
+
     return LIBAVUTIL_VERSION_INT;
 }