diff --git a/libavcodec/vaapi_encode.c b/libavcodec/vaapi_encode.c
index 20b1e5e880..949051660c 100644
--- a/libavcodec/vaapi_encode.c
+++ b/libavcodec/vaapi_encode.c
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include <string.h>
 
 #include "libavutil/avassert.h"
+#include "libavutil/common.h"
 #include "libavutil/log.h"
 #include "libavutil/pixdesc.h"
 
@@ -887,6 +888,122 @@ fail:
     return err;
 }
 
+static av_cold int vaapi_encode_check_config(AVCodecContext *avctx)
+{
+    VAAPIEncodeContext *ctx = avctx->priv_data;
+    VAStatus vas;
+    int i, n, err;
+    VAProfile    *profiles    = NULL;
+    VAEntrypoint *entrypoints = NULL;
+    VAConfigAttrib attr[] = {
+        { VAConfigAttribRateControl     },
+        { VAConfigAttribEncMaxRefFrames },
+    };
+
+    n = vaMaxNumProfiles(ctx->hwctx->display);
+    profiles = av_malloc_array(n, sizeof(VAProfile));
+    if (!profiles) {
+        err = AVERROR(ENOMEM);
+        goto fail;
+    }
+    vas = vaQueryConfigProfiles(ctx->hwctx->display, profiles, &n);
+    if (vas != VA_STATUS_SUCCESS) {
+        av_log(ctx, AV_LOG_ERROR, "Failed to query profiles: %d (%s).\n",
+               vas, vaErrorStr(vas));
+        err = AVERROR(ENOSYS);
+        goto fail;
+    }
+    for (i = 0; i < n; i++) {
+        if (profiles[i] == ctx->va_profile)
+            break;
+    }
+    if (i >= n) {
+        av_log(ctx, AV_LOG_ERROR, "Encoding profile not found (%d).\n",
+               ctx->va_profile);
+        err = AVERROR(ENOSYS);
+        goto fail;
+    }
+
+    n = vaMaxNumEntrypoints(ctx->hwctx->display);
+    entrypoints = av_malloc_array(n, sizeof(VAEntrypoint));
+    if (!entrypoints) {
+        err = AVERROR(ENOMEM);
+        goto fail;
+    }
+    vas = vaQueryConfigEntrypoints(ctx->hwctx->display, ctx->va_profile,
+                                   entrypoints, &n);
+    if (vas != VA_STATUS_SUCCESS) {
+        av_log(ctx, AV_LOG_ERROR, "Failed to query entrypoints for "
+               "profile %u: %d (%s).\n", ctx->va_profile,
+               vas, vaErrorStr(vas));
+        err = AVERROR(ENOSYS);
+        goto fail;
+    }
+    for (i = 0; i < n; i++) {
+        if (entrypoints[i] == ctx->va_entrypoint)
+            break;
+    }
+    if (i >= n) {
+        av_log(ctx, AV_LOG_ERROR, "Encoding entrypoint not found "
+               "(%d / %d).\n", ctx->va_profile, ctx->va_entrypoint);
+        err = AVERROR(ENOSYS);
+        goto fail;
+    }
+
+    vas = vaGetConfigAttributes(ctx->hwctx->display,
+                                ctx->va_profile, ctx->va_entrypoint,
+                                attr, FF_ARRAY_ELEMS(attr));
+    if (vas != VA_STATUS_SUCCESS) {
+        av_log(avctx, AV_LOG_ERROR, "Failed to fetch config "
+               "attributes: %d (%s).\n", vas, vaErrorStr(vas));
+        return AVERROR(EINVAL);
+    }
+
+    for (i = 0; i < FF_ARRAY_ELEMS(attr); i++) {
+        if (attr[i].value == VA_ATTRIB_NOT_SUPPORTED) {
+            // Unfortunately we have to treat this as "don't know" and hope
+            // for the best, because the Intel MJPEG encoder returns this
+            // for all the interesting attributes.
+            continue;
+        }
+        switch (attr[i].type) {
+        case VAConfigAttribRateControl:
+            if (!(ctx->va_rc_mode & attr[i].value)) {
+                av_log(avctx, AV_LOG_ERROR, "Rate control mode is not "
+                       "supported: %x\n", attr[i].value);
+                err = AVERROR(EINVAL);
+                goto fail;
+            }
+            break;
+        case VAConfigAttribEncMaxRefFrames:
+        {
+            unsigned int ref_l0 = attr[i].value & 0xffff;
+            unsigned int ref_l1 = (attr[i].value >> 16) & 0xffff;
+
+            if (avctx->gop_size > 1 && ref_l0 < 1) {
+                av_log(avctx, AV_LOG_ERROR, "P frames are not "
+                       "supported (%x).\n", attr[i].value);
+                err = AVERROR(EINVAL);
+                goto fail;
+            }
+            if (avctx->max_b_frames > 0 && ref_l1 < 1) {
+                av_log(avctx, AV_LOG_ERROR, "B frames are not "
+                       "supported (%x).\n", attr[i].value);
+                err = AVERROR(EINVAL);
+                goto fail;
+            }
+        }
+        break;
+        }
+    }
+
+    err = 0;
+fail:
+    av_freep(&profiles);
+    av_freep(&entrypoints);
+    return err;
+}
+
 av_cold int ff_vaapi_encode_init(AVCodecContext *avctx,
                                  const VAAPIEncodeType *type)
 {
@@ -907,6 +1024,9 @@ av_cold int ff_vaapi_encode_init(AVCodecContext *avctx,
     ctx->codec = type;
     ctx->codec_options = ctx->codec_options_data;
 
+    ctx->va_config  = VA_INVALID_ID;
+    ctx->va_context = VA_INVALID_ID;
+
     ctx->priv_data = av_mallocz(type->priv_data_size);
     if (!ctx->priv_data) {
         err = AVERROR(ENOMEM);
@@ -932,6 +1052,10 @@ av_cold int ff_vaapi_encode_init(AVCodecContext *avctx,
     if (err < 0)
         goto fail;
 
+    err = vaapi_encode_check_config(avctx);
+    if (err < 0)
+        goto fail;
+
     vas = vaCreateConfig(ctx->hwctx->display,
                          ctx->va_profile, ctx->va_entrypoint,
                          ctx->config_attributes, ctx->nb_config_attributes,
@@ -1088,11 +1212,15 @@ av_cold int ff_vaapi_encode_close(AVCodecContext *avctx)
         vaapi_encode_free(avctx, pic);
     }
 
-    if (ctx->va_context != VA_INVALID_ID)
+    if (ctx->va_context != VA_INVALID_ID) {
         vaDestroyContext(ctx->hwctx->display, ctx->va_context);
+        ctx->va_context = VA_INVALID_ID;
+    }
 
-    if (ctx->va_config != VA_INVALID_ID)
+    if (ctx->va_config != VA_INVALID_ID) {
         vaDestroyConfig(ctx->hwctx->display, ctx->va_config);
+        ctx->va_config = VA_INVALID_ID;
+    }
 
     if (ctx->codec->close)
         ctx->codec->close(avctx);