diff --git a/mencoder.c b/mencoder.c
index 9441034f85..7f3657d987 100644
--- a/mencoder.c
+++ b/mencoder.c
@@ -1543,6 +1543,9 @@ if (!interrupted && filelist[++curfile].name != 0) {
 
 /* Emit the remaining frames in the video system */
 /*TODO emit frmaes delayed by decoder lag*/
+if (!((vf_instance_t *)sh_video->vfilter)->fmt.have_configured) {
+	mp_msg(MSGT_MENCODER, MSGL_WARN, "\nFilters have not been configured! Empty file?\n");
+} else
 if(sh_video && sh_video->vfilter){
 	mp_msg(MSGT_MENCODER, MSGL_INFO, "\nFlushing video frames\n");
 	((vf_instance_t *)sh_video->vfilter)->control(sh_video->vfilter,