diff --git a/libavcodec/srtdec.c b/libavcodec/srtdec.c
index 862ab47645..ecc0801595 100644
--- a/libavcodec/srtdec.c
+++ b/libavcodec/srtdec.c
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 #include "ass.h"
 #include "htmlsubtitles.h"
 
-static void srt_to_ass(AVCodecContext *avctx, AVBPrint *dst,
+static int srt_to_ass(AVCodecContext *avctx, AVBPrint *dst,
                        const char *in, int x1, int y1, int x2, int y2)
 {
     if (x1 >= 0 && y1 >= 0) {
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ static void srt_to_ass(AVCodecContext *avctx, AVBPrint *dst,
         }
     }
 
-    ff_htmlmarkup_to_ass(avctx, dst, in);
+    return ff_htmlmarkup_to_ass(avctx, dst, in);
 }
 
 static int srt_decode_frame(AVCodecContext *avctx,
@@ -74,8 +74,9 @@ static int srt_decode_frame(AVCodecContext *avctx,
 
     av_bprint_init(&buffer, 0, AV_BPRINT_SIZE_UNLIMITED);
 
-    srt_to_ass(avctx, &buffer, avpkt->data, x1, y1, x2, y2);
-    ret = ff_ass_add_rect(sub, buffer.str, s->readorder++, 0, NULL, NULL);
+    ret = srt_to_ass(avctx, &buffer, avpkt->data, x1, y1, x2, y2);
+    if (ret >= 0)
+        ret = ff_ass_add_rect(sub, buffer.str, s->readorder++, 0, NULL, NULL);
     av_bprint_finalize(&buffer, NULL);
     if (ret < 0)
         return ret;