diff --git a/drivers/media/platform/mtk-vcodec/vdec/vdec_h264_if.c b/drivers/media/platform/mtk-vcodec/vdec/vdec_h264_if.c
index c5f8f1fca44c..49aa85a9bb5a 100644
--- a/drivers/media/platform/mtk-vcodec/vdec/vdec_h264_if.c
+++ b/drivers/media/platform/mtk-vcodec/vdec/vdec_h264_if.c
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@
 #define H264_MAX_FB_NUM				17
 #define HDR_PARSING_BUF_SZ			1024
 
+#define DEC_ERR_RET(ret)			((ret) >> 16)
+#define H264_ERR_NOT_VALID			3
+
 /**
  * struct h264_fb - h264 decode frame buffer information
  * @vdec_fb_va  : virtual address of struct vdec_fb
@@ -357,8 +360,11 @@ static int vdec_h264_decode(void *h_vdec, struct mtk_vcodec_mem *bs,
 	buf = (unsigned char *)bs->va;
 	buf_sz = bs->size;
 	nal_start_idx = find_start_code(buf, buf_sz);
-	if (nal_start_idx < 0)
+	if (nal_start_idx < 0) {
+		mtk_vcodec_err(inst, "invalid nal start code");
+		err = -EIO;
 		goto err_free_fb_out;
+	}
 
 	nal_start = buf[nal_start_idx];
 	nal_type = NAL_TYPE(buf[nal_start_idx]);
@@ -382,8 +388,14 @@ static int vdec_h264_decode(void *h_vdec, struct mtk_vcodec_mem *bs,
 	data[0] = buf_sz;
 	data[1] = nal_start;
 	err = vpu_dec_start(vpu, data, 2);
-	if (err)
+	if (err) {
+		if (err > 0 && (DEC_ERR_RET(err) == H264_ERR_NOT_VALID)) {
+			mtk_vcodec_err(inst, "- error bitstream - err = %d -",
+				       err);
+			err = -EIO;
+		}
 		goto err_free_fb_out;
+	}
 
 	*res_chg = inst->vsi->dec.resolution_changed;
 	if (*res_chg) {