diff --git a/video/d3d11va.c b/video/d3d11va.c
index a9be571e9c..e27d7952cd 100644
--- a/video/d3d11va.c
+++ b/video/d3d11va.c
@@ -69,8 +69,8 @@ struct mp_image *d3d11va_new_ref(ID3D11VideoDecoderOutputView *view,
     ID3D11VideoDecoderOutputView_GetResource(
         surface->surface, (ID3D11Resource **)&surface->texture);
 
-    struct mp_image *mpi = mp_image_new_custom_ref(
-        &(struct mp_image){0}, surface, d3d11va_release_img);
+    struct mp_image *mpi =
+        mp_image_new_custom_ref(NULL, surface, d3d11va_release_img);
     if (!mpi)
         abort();
 
diff --git a/video/dxva2.c b/video/dxva2.c
index d6635ce0c6..cad3c54f72 100644
--- a/video/dxva2.c
+++ b/video/dxva2.c
@@ -72,8 +72,8 @@ struct mp_image *dxva2_new_ref(IDirectXVideoDecoder *decoder,
     surface->decoder = decoder;
     IDirectXVideoDecoder_AddRef(surface->decoder);
 
-    struct mp_image *mpi = mp_image_new_custom_ref(&(struct mp_image){0},
-                                                   surface, dxva2_release_img);
+    struct mp_image *mpi =
+        mp_image_new_custom_ref(NULL, surface, dxva2_release_img);
     if (!mpi)
         abort();
 
diff --git a/video/mp_image.c b/video/mp_image.c
index 0ca59c62c9..5adce213e5 100644
--- a/video/mp_image.c
+++ b/video/mp_image.c
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ struct mp_image *mp_image_new_dummy_ref(struct mp_image *img)
 {
     struct mp_image *new = talloc_ptrtype(NULL, new);
     talloc_set_destructor(new, mp_image_destructor);
-    *new = *img;
+    *new = img ? *img : (struct mp_image){0};
     for (int p = 0; p < MP_MAX_PLANES; p++)
         new->bufs[p] = NULL;
     new->hwctx = NULL;
diff --git a/video/out/vo_rpi.c b/video/out/vo_rpi.c
index 9d782fc9c5..7ba3e8ba68 100644
--- a/video/out/vo_rpi.c
+++ b/video/out/vo_rpi.c
@@ -435,8 +435,7 @@ static void draw_frame(struct vo *vo, struct vo_frame *frame)
         }
         mmal_buffer_header_reset(buffer);
 
-        struct mp_image *new_ref = mp_image_new_custom_ref(&(struct mp_image){0},
-                                                           buffer,
+        struct mp_image *new_ref = mp_image_new_custom_ref(NULL, buffer,
                                                            free_mmal_buffer);
         if (!new_ref) {
             mmal_buffer_header_release(buffer);
diff --git a/video/vdpau.c b/video/vdpau.c
index 9dfbc2bc6e..6398fa6e58 100644
--- a/video/vdpau.c
+++ b/video/vdpau.c
@@ -268,8 +268,7 @@ static struct mp_image *create_ref(struct mp_vdpau_ctx *ctx, int index)
     struct surface_ref *ref = talloc_ptrtype(NULL, ref);
     *ref = (struct surface_ref){ctx, index};
     struct mp_image *res =
-        mp_image_new_custom_ref(&(struct mp_image){0}, ref,
-                                release_decoder_surface);
+        mp_image_new_custom_ref(NULL, ref, release_decoder_surface);
     if (res) {
         mp_image_setfmt(res, e->rgb ? IMGFMT_VDPAU_OUTPUT : IMGFMT_VDPAU);
         mp_image_set_size(res, e->w, e->h);