diff --git a/src/apps/showimage/Filter.cpp b/src/apps/showimage/Filter.cpp
index 427e5f3801..70150c790d 100644
--- a/src/apps/showimage/Filter.cpp
+++ b/src/apps/showimage/Filter.cpp
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ FilterThread::FilterThread(Filter* filter, int32 i, int32 n, bool runInCurrentTh
 
 FilterThread::~FilterThread()
 {
-	fFilter->Done();
+	fFilter->FilterThreadDone();
 }
 
 status_t 
@@ -69,8 +69,13 @@ status_t
 FilterThread::Run()
 {
 	if (fI == 0) {
+		BBitmap* bm;
 		// create destination image in first thread
-		fFilter->GetBitmap();
+		bm = fFilter->GetBitmap();
+		if (bm == NULL) {
+			fFilter->FilterThreadInitFailed();
+			return B_ERROR;
+		}
 		// and start other filter threads
 		for (int32 i = fI + 1; i < fN; i ++) {
 			new FilterThread(fFilter, i, fN);
@@ -92,22 +97,10 @@ Filter::Filter(BBitmap* image, BMessenger listener, uint32 what)
 	, fNumberOfThreads(0)
 	, fIsRunning(false)
 	, fSrcImage(image)
+	, fDestImageInitialized(false)
 	, fDestImage(NULL)
 {
-	// get the number of active CPUs
-	int count;
-	system_info info;
-	get_system_info(&info);
-	count = info.cpu_count;
-	fCPUCount = 0;
-	for (int i = 0; i < count; i ++) {
-		if (_kget_cpu_state_(i)) {
-			fCPUCount ++;
-		}
-	}
-	if (fCPUCount == 0) {
-		fCPUCount = 1;
-	}
+	fCPUCount = NumberOfActiveCPUs();
 	
 	fWaitForThreads = create_sem(0, "wait_for_threads");
 	
@@ -125,7 +118,8 @@ Filter::~Filter()
 BBitmap*
 Filter::GetBitmap()
 {
-	if (fDestImage == NULL) {
+	if (!fDestImageInitialized) {
+		fDestImageInitialized = true;
 		fDestImage = CreateDestImage(fSrcImage);
 	}
 	return fDestImage;
@@ -180,8 +174,19 @@ Filter::Stop()
 	Wait();
 }
 
+bool
+Filter::IsRunning() const
+{
+	return fIsRunning;
+}
+
 void
-Filter::Done()
+Filter::Completed()
+{
+}
+
+void
+Filter::FilterThreadDone()
 {
 	if (atomic_add(&fNumberOfThreads, -1) == 1) {
 		#if TIME_FILTER
@@ -196,15 +201,20 @@ Filter::Done()
 	release_sem(fWaitForThreads);
 }
 
-bool
-Filter::IsRunning() const
+void
+Filter::FilterThreadInitFailed()
 {
-	return fIsRunning;
+	ASSERT(fNumberOfThreads == fN);
+	fNumberOfThreads = 0;
+	Completed();
+	fIsRunning = false;
+	release_sem_etc(fWaitForThreads, fN, 0);
 }
 
-void
-Filter::Completed()
+bool
+Filter::IsBitmapValid(BBitmap* bitmap) const
 {
+	return bitmap != NULL && bitmap->InitCheck() == B_OK && bitmap->IsValid();
 }
 
 int32
@@ -233,6 +243,25 @@ Filter::GetDestImage()
 	return fDestImage;
 }
 
+int32
+Filter::NumberOfActiveCPUs() const
+{
+	int count;
+	system_info info;
+	get_system_info(&info);
+	count = info.cpu_count;
+	int32 CPUCount = 0;
+	for (int i = 0; i < count; i ++) {
+		if (_kget_cpu_state_(i)) {
+			CPUCount ++;
+		}
+	}
+	if (CPUCount == 0) {
+		CPUCount = 1;
+	}
+	return CPUCount;
+}
+
 // Implementation of (bilinear) Scaler
 Scaler::Scaler(BBitmap* image, BRect rect, BMessenger listener, uint32 what, bool dither)
 	: Filter(image, listener, what)
@@ -253,14 +282,28 @@ BBitmap*
 Scaler::CreateDestImage(BBitmap* srcImage)
 {
 	if (srcImage == NULL || srcImage->ColorSpace() != B_RGB32 && srcImage->ColorSpace() !=B_RGBA32) return NULL;
+
 	BRect dest(0, 0, fRect.IntegerWidth(), fRect.IntegerHeight());
 	BBitmap* destImage = new BBitmap(dest, fDither ? B_CMAP8 : srcImage->ColorSpace());
+	
+	if (!IsBitmapValid(destImage)) {
+		delete destImage;
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	
 	if (fDither) {
 		BRect dest(0, 0, fRect.IntegerWidth(), fRect.IntegerHeight());
 		fScaledImage = new BBitmap(dest, srcImage->ColorSpace());
+		if (!IsBitmapValid(fScaledImage)) {
+			delete destImage;
+			delete fScaledImage; 
+			fScaledImage = NULL;
+			return NULL;
+		}
 	} else {
 		fScaledImage = destImage;
 	}
+
 	return destImage;
 }
 
@@ -906,7 +949,10 @@ ImageProcessor::CreateDestImage(BBitmap* srcImage)
 	}
 	
 	bm = new BBitmap(rect, cs);
-	if (bm == NULL) return NULL;
+	if (!IsBitmapValid(bm)) {
+		delete bm;
+		return NULL;
+	}
 	
 	fSrcBPR = GetSrcImage()->BytesPerRow();
 	fDestBPR = bm->BytesPerRow();
diff --git a/src/apps/showimage/Filter.h b/src/apps/showimage/Filter.h
index 7b028e1088..aeb45b37dd 100644
--- a/src/apps/showimage/Filter.h
+++ b/src/apps/showimage/Filter.h
@@ -69,9 +69,10 @@ public:
 private:
 	status_t Run();
 	static status_t worker_thread(void* data);
+	
 	Filter* fFilter;
-	int32 fI;
-	int32 fN;
+	int32   fI;
+	int32   fN;
 };
 
 class Filter {
@@ -125,7 +126,10 @@ public:
 	virtual void Completed();
 
 	// Used by FilterThread only!
-	void Done();
+	void FilterThreadDone();
+	void FilterThreadInitFailed();
+
+	bool IsBitmapValid(BBitmap* bitmap) const;
 
 protected:
 	// Number of threads to be used to perform the operation
@@ -134,21 +138,23 @@ protected:
 	BBitmap* GetDestImage();
 
 private:
+	int32 NumberOfActiveCPUs() const;
 	// Returns the number of active CPUs
 	int32 CPUCount() const { return fCPUCount; }
 
-	BMessenger fListener;
-	uint32 fWhat;
-	int32 fCPUCount; // the number of active CPUs
-	bool fStarted; // has Start() been called?
-	sem_id fWaitForThreads; // to exit
-	int32 fN; // the number of used filter threads
+	BMessenger     fListener;
+	uint32         fWhat;
+	int32          fCPUCount; // the number of active CPUs
+	bool           fStarted; // has Start() been called?
+	sem_id         fWaitForThreads; // to exit
+	int32          fN; // the number of used filter threads
 	volatile int32 fNumberOfThreads; // the current number of FilterThreads
-	volatile bool fIsRunning; // FilterThreads should process data as long as it is true
-	BBitmap* fSrcImage;
-	BBitmap* fDestImage;		
+	volatile bool  fIsRunning; // FilterThreads should process data as long as it is true
+	BBitmap*       fSrcImage;
+	bool           fDestImageInitialized;
+	BBitmap*       fDestImage;		
 #if TIME_FILTER
-	BStopWatch* fStopWatch;
+	BStopWatch*    fStopWatch;
 #endif
 };
 
@@ -201,8 +207,10 @@ private:
 
 	enum operation fOp;
 	int32 fBPP;
-	int32 fWidth, fHeight;
-	int32 fSrcBPR, fDestBPR;
+	int32 fWidth;
+	int32 fHeight;
+	int32 fSrcBPR;
+	int32 fDestBPR;
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/apps/showimage/ShowImageView.cpp b/src/apps/showimage/ShowImageView.cpp
index ed3b377bd7..927dfb0d21 100644
--- a/src/apps/showimage/ShowImageView.cpp
+++ b/src/apps/showimage/ShowImageView.cpp
@@ -1945,6 +1945,10 @@ ShowImageView::DoImageOperation(ImageProcessor::operation op, bool quiet)
 	ImageProcessor imageProcessor(op, fBitmap, msgr, 0);
 	imageProcessor.Start(false);
 	BBitmap* bm = imageProcessor.DetachBitmap();
+	if (bm == NULL) {
+		// operation failed
+		return;	
+	}
 	
 	// update orientation state
 	if (op != ImageProcessor::kInvert) {