diff --git a/libmpdemux/video.c b/libmpdemux/video.c
index 6f42afb189..554b7ac735 100644
--- a/libmpdemux/video.c
+++ b/libmpdemux/video.c
@@ -85,6 +85,9 @@ switch(video_codec){
  case VIDEO_OTHER: {
  if((d_video->demuxer->file_format == DEMUXER_TYPE_ASF) || (d_video->demuxer->file_format == DEMUXER_TYPE_AVI)) {
   // display info: 
+       // in case no strf chunk has been seen in avi, we have no bitmap header
+       if(!sh_video->bih) return 0;
+
         sh_video->format=sh_video->bih->biCompression;
 
     sh_video->disp_w=sh_video->bih->biWidth;