diff --git a/fftools/ffmpeg.c b/fftools/ffmpeg.c
index 5d9dbffc3b..c743af2ae8 100644
--- a/fftools/ffmpeg.c
+++ b/fftools/ffmpeg.c
@@ -4053,49 +4053,63 @@ static void *input_thread(void *arg)
     return NULL;
 }
 
+static void free_input_thread(int i)
+{
+    InputFile *f = input_files[i];
+    AVPacket pkt;
+
+    if (!f || !f->in_thread_queue)
+        return;
+    av_thread_message_queue_set_err_send(f->in_thread_queue, AVERROR_EOF);
+    while (av_thread_message_queue_recv(f->in_thread_queue, &pkt, 0) >= 0)
+        av_packet_unref(&pkt);
+
+    pthread_join(f->thread, NULL);
+    f->joined = 1;
+    av_thread_message_queue_free(&f->in_thread_queue);
+}
+
 static void free_input_threads(void)
 {
     int i;
 
-    for (i = 0; i < nb_input_files; i++) {
-        InputFile *f = input_files[i];
-        AVPacket pkt;
+    for (i = 0; i < nb_input_files; i++)
+        free_input_thread(i);
+}
 
-        if (!f || !f->in_thread_queue)
-            continue;
-        av_thread_message_queue_set_err_send(f->in_thread_queue, AVERROR_EOF);
-        while (av_thread_message_queue_recv(f->in_thread_queue, &pkt, 0) >= 0)
-            av_packet_unref(&pkt);
+static int init_input_thread(int i)
+{
+    int ret;
+    InputFile *f = input_files[i];
 
-        pthread_join(f->thread, NULL);
-        f->joined = 1;
+    if (nb_input_files == 1)
+        return 0;
+
+    if (f->ctx->pb ? !f->ctx->pb->seekable :
+        strcmp(f->ctx->iformat->name, "lavfi"))
+        f->non_blocking = 1;
+    ret = av_thread_message_queue_alloc(&f->in_thread_queue,
+                                        f->thread_queue_size, sizeof(AVPacket));
+    if (ret < 0)
+        return ret;
+
+    if ((ret = pthread_create(&f->thread, NULL, input_thread, f))) {
+        av_log(NULL, AV_LOG_ERROR, "pthread_create failed: %s. Try to increase `ulimit -v` or decrease `ulimit -s`.\n", strerror(ret));
         av_thread_message_queue_free(&f->in_thread_queue);
+        return AVERROR(ret);
     }
+
+    return 0;
 }
 
 static int init_input_threads(void)
 {
     int i, ret;
 
-    if (nb_input_files == 1)
-        return 0;
-
     for (i = 0; i < nb_input_files; i++) {
-        InputFile *f = input_files[i];
-
-        if (f->ctx->pb ? !f->ctx->pb->seekable :
-            strcmp(f->ctx->iformat->name, "lavfi"))
-            f->non_blocking = 1;
-        ret = av_thread_message_queue_alloc(&f->in_thread_queue,
-                                            f->thread_queue_size, sizeof(AVPacket));
+        ret = init_input_thread(i);
         if (ret < 0)
             return ret;
-
-        if ((ret = pthread_create(&f->thread, NULL, input_thread, f))) {
-            av_log(NULL, AV_LOG_ERROR, "pthread_create failed: %s. Try to increase `ulimit -v` or decrease `ulimit -s`.\n", strerror(ret));
-            av_thread_message_queue_free(&f->in_thread_queue);
-            return AVERROR(ret);
-        }
     }
     return 0;
 }