diff --git a/video/image_writer.c b/video/image_writer.c
index 03f164bf91..ff321cfd1f 100644
--- a/video/image_writer.c
+++ b/video/image_writer.c
@@ -296,7 +296,11 @@ int write_image(struct mp_image *image, const struct image_writer_opts *opts,
         }
         mp_image_copy_attributes(dst, image);
 
-        mp_image_swscale(dst, image, mp_sws_hq_flags);
+        if (mp_image_swscale(dst, image, mp_sws_hq_flags) < 0) {
+            mp_err(log, "Error when converting image.\n");
+            talloc_free(dst);
+            return 0;
+        }
 
         allocated_image = dst;
         image = dst;
diff --git a/video/sws_utils.c b/video/sws_utils.c
index a7fcc0469c..8937799f09 100644
--- a/video/sws_utils.c
+++ b/video/sws_utils.c
@@ -268,24 +268,26 @@ int mp_sws_scale(struct mp_sws_context *ctx, struct mp_image *dst,
     return 0;
 }
 
-void mp_image_swscale(struct mp_image *dst, struct mp_image *src,
-                      int my_sws_flags)
+int mp_image_swscale(struct mp_image *dst, struct mp_image *src,
+                     int my_sws_flags)
 {
     struct mp_sws_context *ctx = mp_sws_alloc(NULL);
     ctx->flags = my_sws_flags;
-    mp_sws_scale(ctx, dst, src);
+    int res = mp_sws_scale(ctx, dst, src);
     talloc_free(ctx);
+    return res;
 }
 
-void mp_image_sw_blur_scale(struct mp_image *dst, struct mp_image *src,
-                            float gblur)
+int mp_image_sw_blur_scale(struct mp_image *dst, struct mp_image *src,
+                           float gblur)
 {
     struct mp_sws_context *ctx = mp_sws_alloc(NULL);
     ctx->flags = mp_sws_hq_flags;
     ctx->src_filter = sws_getDefaultFilter(gblur, gblur, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0);
     ctx->force_reload = true;
-    mp_sws_scale(ctx, dst, src);
+    int res = mp_sws_scale(ctx, dst, src);
     talloc_free(ctx);
+    return res;
 }
 
 int mp_sws_get_vf_equalizer(struct mp_sws_context *sws, struct vf_seteq *eq)
diff --git a/video/sws_utils.h b/video/sws_utils.h
index cf9aa827b2..7c7c1af34b 100644
--- a/video/sws_utils.h
+++ b/video/sws_utils.h
@@ -18,11 +18,11 @@ extern const int mp_sws_fast_flags;
 
 bool mp_sws_supported_format(int imgfmt);
 
-void mp_image_swscale(struct mp_image *dst, struct mp_image *src,
-                      int my_sws_flags);
+int mp_image_swscale(struct mp_image *dst, struct mp_image *src,
+                     int my_sws_flags);
 
-void mp_image_sw_blur_scale(struct mp_image *dst, struct mp_image *src,
-                            float gblur);
+int mp_image_sw_blur_scale(struct mp_image *dst, struct mp_image *src,
+                           float gblur);
 
 struct mp_sws_context {
     // Can be set for verbose error printing.