diff --git a/video/decode/vdpau.c b/video/decode/vdpau.c
index 72e050b9f0..c69465094b 100644
--- a/video/decode/vdpau.c
+++ b/video/decode/vdpau.c
@@ -79,9 +79,7 @@ static int init(struct lavc_ctx *ctx)
     };
     ctx->hwdec_priv = p;
 
-    if (mp_vdpau_handle_preemption(p->mpvdp, &p->preemption_counter) < 1)
-        return -1;
-
+    mp_vdpau_handle_preemption(p->mpvdp, &p->preemption_counter);
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/video/vdpau.c b/video/vdpau.c
index 9db161426c..9dfbc2bc6e 100644
--- a/video/vdpau.c
+++ b/video/vdpau.c
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ static void mark_vdpau_objects_uninitialized(struct mp_vdpau_ctx *ctx)
         ctx->video_surfaces[i].allocated = false;
     }
     ctx->vdp_device = VDP_INVALID_HANDLE;
+    ctx->preemption_obj = VDP_INVALID_HANDLE;
 }
 
 static void preemption_callback(VdpDevice device, void *context)
@@ -167,6 +168,14 @@ static int win_x11_init_vdpau_procs(struct mp_vdpau_ctx *ctx, bool probing)
     ctx->vdp = vdp;
     ctx->get_proc_address = get_proc_address;
 
+    vdp_st = vdp.output_surface_create(ctx->vdp_device, VDP_RGBA_FORMAT_B8G8R8A8,
+                                       1, 1, &ctx->preemption_obj);
+    if (vdp_st != VDP_STATUS_OK) {
+        MP_ERR(ctx, "Could not create dummy object: %s",
+               vdp.get_error_string(vdp_st));
+        return -1;
+    }
+
     vdp.preemption_callback_register(ctx->vdp_device, preemption_callback, ctx);
     return 0;
 }
@@ -211,6 +220,11 @@ int mp_vdpau_handle_preemption(struct mp_vdpau_ctx *ctx, uint64_t *counter)
     int r = 1;
     pthread_mutex_lock(&ctx->preempt_lock);
 
+    const void *p[4] = {&(uint32_t){0}};
+    uint32_t stride[4] = {4};
+    VdpRect rc = {0};
+    ctx->vdp.output_surface_put_bits_native(ctx->preemption_obj, p, stride, &rc);
+
     // First time init
     if (counter && !*counter)
         *counter = ctx->preemption_counter;
@@ -425,6 +439,11 @@ void mp_vdpau_destroy(struct mp_vdpau_ctx *ctx)
         CHECK_VDP_WARNING(ctx, "Error when calling vdp_output_surface_destroy");
     }
 
+    if (ctx->preemption_obj != VDP_INVALID_HANDLE) {
+        vdp_st = vdp->output_surface_destroy(ctx->preemption_obj);
+        CHECK_VDP_WARNING(ctx, "Error when calling vdp_output_surface_destroy");
+    }
+
     if (vdp->device_destroy && ctx->vdp_device != VDP_INVALID_HANDLE) {
         vdp_st = vdp->device_destroy(ctx->vdp_device);
         CHECK_VDP_WARNING(ctx, "Error when calling vdp_device_destroy");
diff --git a/video/vdpau.h b/video/vdpau.h
index 2e9269a420..db73a87dd7 100644
--- a/video/vdpau.h
+++ b/video/vdpau.h
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ struct mp_vdpau_ctx {
     uint64_t preemption_counter;        // incremented after _restoring_
     bool preemption_user_notified;
     double last_preemption_retry_fail;
+    VdpOutputSurface preemption_obj;    // dummy for reliable preempt. check
 
     // Surface pool
     pthread_mutex_t pool_lock;