diff --git a/libavformat/avienc.c b/libavformat/avienc.c
index 1ac9a408dc2acc6184553bd13c2967abede7c429..4d2981780cd10575c5f35981145c2bbd49d652ae 100644
--- a/libavformat/avienc.c
+++ b/libavformat/avienc.c
@@ -422,7 +422,7 @@ static int avi_write_header(AVFormatContext *s)
             put_le32(pb, 0);
             break;
         default:
-            av_abort();
+            return -1;
         }
         end_tag(pb, strh);
 
@@ -438,7 +438,7 @@ static int avi_write_header(AVFormatContext *s)
             }
             break;
         default:
-            av_abort();
+            return -1;
         }
         end_tag(pb, strf);
 	
diff --git a/libavformat/ffm.c b/libavformat/ffm.c
index 22a2a812ff9bfdac556642981ccca738fb9c3086..89764c349737984019d234e26d92dd0eddd2fdd3 100644
--- a/libavformat/ffm.c
+++ b/libavformat/ffm.c
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ static int ffm_write_header(AVFormatContext *s)
             put_le16(pb, codec->frame_size);
             break;
         default:
-            av_abort();
+            return -1;
         }
         /* hack to have real time */
         if (ffm_nopts)
@@ -208,8 +208,7 @@ static int ffm_write_header(AVFormatContext *s)
     /* init packet mux */
     ffm->packet_ptr = ffm->packet;
     ffm->packet_end = ffm->packet + ffm->packet_size - FFM_HEADER_SIZE;
-    if (ffm->packet_end < ffm->packet)
-        av_abort();
+    assert(ffm->packet_end >= ffm->packet);
     ffm->frame_offset = 0;
     ffm->pts = 0;
     ffm->first_packet = 1;
@@ -340,7 +339,7 @@ static int ffm_read_data(AVFormatContext *s,
             get_buffer(pb, ffm->packet, ffm->packet_size - FFM_HEADER_SIZE);
             ffm->packet_end = ffm->packet + (ffm->packet_size - FFM_HEADER_SIZE - fill_size);
             if (ffm->packet_end < ffm->packet)
-                av_abort();
+                return -1;
             /* if first packet or resynchronization packet, we must
                handle it specifically */
             if (ffm->first_packet || (frame_offset & 0x8000)) {
@@ -355,7 +354,7 @@ static int ffm_read_data(AVFormatContext *s,
                 }
                 ffm->first_packet = 0;
                 if ((frame_offset & 0x7ffff) < FFM_HEADER_SIZE)
-                    av_abort();
+                    return -1;
                 ffm->packet_ptr = ffm->packet + (frame_offset & 0x7fff) - FFM_HEADER_SIZE;
                 if (!first)
                     break;
diff --git a/libavformat/mpeg.c b/libavformat/mpeg.c
index adf871a6699fb64ad12300d17751c5bb192fac32..cf6cb0b3756e466ba74010a21162f090490ba2be 100644
--- a/libavformat/mpeg.c
+++ b/libavformat/mpeg.c
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ static int mpeg_mux_init(AVFormatContext *ctx)
             s->video_bound++;
             break;
         default:
-            av_abort();
+            return -1;
         }
     }
     /* if no SCR, use first stream (audio) */
diff --git a/libavformat/raw.c b/libavformat/raw.c
index 9c1bd929c90687ea14e546fcfc42bd31e3d1e26f..dadc4957665390c3fdf9f1913c3bd0501c332243 100644
--- a/libavformat/raw.c
+++ b/libavformat/raw.c
@@ -557,7 +557,7 @@ static int rawvideo_read_packet(AVFormatContext *s, AVPacket *pkt)
 
     packet_size = avpicture_get_size(st->codec.pix_fmt, width, height);
     if (packet_size < 0)
-        av_abort();
+        return -1;
 
     if (av_new_packet(pkt, packet_size) < 0)
         return AVERROR_IO;
diff --git a/libavformat/rm.c b/libavformat/rm.c
index de16a3033cd17ab15ce78193b7b1cf94a9772906..59888e2cdf47186d2ef436aed34ac299f3283d8d 100644
--- a/libavformat/rm.c
+++ b/libavformat/rm.c
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ static int rm_write_header(AVFormatContext *s)
             stream->total_frames = stream->nb_packets;
             break;
         default:
-            av_abort();
+            return -1;
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/libavformat/yuv4mpeg.c b/libavformat/yuv4mpeg.c
index 182536c4f736072ada52de00e27d5e9885afd3a5..6ebe185b64349142dca83a31ebdbf9f7841fbd93 100644
--- a/libavformat/yuv4mpeg.c
+++ b/libavformat/yuv4mpeg.c
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ static int yuv4_read_packet(AVFormatContext *s, AVPacket *pkt)
 
     packet_size = avpicture_get_size(st->codec.pix_fmt, width, height);
     if (packet_size < 0)
-        av_abort();
+        return -1;
 
     if (av_new_packet(pkt, packet_size) < 0)
         return AVERROR_IO;