diff --git a/ffmpeg.c b/ffmpeg.c
index 105efbcb22..6411ce3039 100644
--- a/ffmpeg.c
+++ b/ffmpeg.c
@@ -1807,19 +1807,23 @@ static int transcode_subtitles(InputStream *ist, AVPacket *pkt, int *got_output)
     }
 
     if (ist->fix_sub_duration) {
+        int end = 1;
         if (ist->prev_sub.got_output) {
-            int end = av_rescale(subtitle.pts - ist->prev_sub.subtitle.pts,
-                                 1000, AV_TIME_BASE);
+            end = av_rescale(subtitle.pts - ist->prev_sub.subtitle.pts,
+                             1000, AV_TIME_BASE);
             if (end < ist->prev_sub.subtitle.end_display_time) {
                 av_log(ist->st->codec, AV_LOG_DEBUG,
-                       "Subtitle duration reduced from %d to %d\n",
-                       ist->prev_sub.subtitle.end_display_time, end);
+                       "Subtitle duration reduced from %d to %d%s\n",
+                       ist->prev_sub.subtitle.end_display_time, end,
+                       end <= 0 ? ", dropping it" : "");
                 ist->prev_sub.subtitle.end_display_time = end;
             }
         }
         FFSWAP(int,        *got_output, ist->prev_sub.got_output);
         FFSWAP(int,        ret,         ist->prev_sub.ret);
         FFSWAP(AVSubtitle, subtitle,    ist->prev_sub.subtitle);
+        if (end <= 0)
+            goto out;
     }
 
     if (!*got_output)