diff --git a/mythtv/libs/libmythtv/avformatwriter.cpp b/mythtv/libs/libmythtv/avformatwriter.cpp
index 282c5879226..f9c14b9b01a 100644
--- a/mythtv/libs/libmythtv/avformatwriter.cpp
+++ b/mythtv/libs/libmythtv/avformatwriter.cpp
@@ -171,11 +171,12 @@ bool AVFormatWriter::OpenFile(void)
 
     m_ringBuffer = RingBuffer::Create(m_filename, true);
 
-    if (!m_ringBuffer)
+    if (!m_ringBuffer || !m_ringBuffer->GetLastError().isEmpty())
     {
-        Cleanup();
         LOG(VB_RECORD, LOG_ERR, LOC +
-            "OpenFile(): RingBuffer::Create() failed");
+            QString("OpenFile(): RingBuffer::Create() failed: '%1'")
+            .arg(m_ringBuffer ? m_ringBuffer->GetLastError() : ""));
+        Cleanup();
         return false;
     }
 
diff --git a/mythtv/programs/mythtranscode/transcode.cpp b/mythtv/programs/mythtranscode/transcode.cpp
index ad8ba7eecab..9cfa27d4829 100644
--- a/mythtv/programs/mythtranscode/transcode.cpp
+++ b/mythtv/programs/mythtranscode/transcode.cpp
@@ -253,9 +253,20 @@ int Transcode::TranscodeFile(const QString &inputname,
     // Input setup
     PlayerContext *player_ctx = new PlayerContext(kTranscoderInUseID);
     player_ctx->SetPlayingInfo(m_proginfo);
-    player_ctx->SetRingBuffer((hls && (hlsStreamID != -1)) ?
+    RingBuffer *rb = (hls && (hlsStreamID != -1)) ?
         RingBuffer::Create(hls->GetSourceFile(), false, false) :
-        RingBuffer::Create(inputname, false, false));
+        RingBuffer::Create(inputname, false, false);
+    if (!rb || !rb->GetLastError().isEmpty())
+    {
+        LOG(VB_GENERAL, LOG_ERR,
+            QString("Transcoding aborted, error: '%1'")
+            .arg(rb? rb->GetLastError() : ""));
+        delete player_ctx;
+        if (hls)
+            delete hls;
+        return REENCODE_ERROR;
+    }
+    player_ctx->SetRingBuffer(rb);
     player_ctx->SetPlayer(new MythPlayer(kVideoIsNull));
     SetPlayerContext(player_ctx);
     GetPlayer()->SetPlayerInfo(NULL, NULL, GetPlayerContext());