diff --git a/libavcodec/ac3.c b/libavcodec/ac3.c
index c4fc77cbdf95a5111c65590c691c1823156fb2a1..b54315dcb37425a1ffab94a3d755301c812a9cae 100644
--- a/libavcodec/ac3.c
+++ b/libavcodec/ac3.c
@@ -131,6 +131,9 @@ int ff_ac3_bit_alloc_calc_mask(AC3BitAllocParameters *s, int16_t *band_psd,
     int band_start, band_end, begin, end1;
     int lowcomp, fastleak, slowleak;
 
+    if (end <= 0)
+        return AVERROR_INVALIDDATA;
+
     /* excitation function */
     band_start = ff_ac3_bin_to_band_tab[start];
     band_end   = ff_ac3_bin_to_band_tab[end-1] + 1;