diff --git a/src/add-ons/media/plugins/mp3_decoder/mp3DecoderPlugin.cpp b/src/add-ons/media/plugins/mp3_decoder/mp3DecoderPlugin.cpp
index 6271a9d3da..2129fe944c 100644
--- a/src/add-ons/media/plugins/mp3_decoder/mp3DecoderPlugin.cpp
+++ b/src/add-ons/media/plugins/mp3_decoder/mp3DecoderPlugin.cpp
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@
 
 #define DECODE_BUFFER_SIZE	(32 * 1024)
 
+// reference:
+// http://www.mp3-tech.org/programmer/frame_header.html
+
 inline size_t
 AudioBufferSize(const media_raw_audio_format &raf, bigtime_t buffer_duration = 50000 /* 50 ms */)
 {
@@ -73,6 +76,7 @@ mp3Decoder::mp3Decoder()
 	fChannelCount = 0;
 	fOutputBufferSize = 0;
 	fNeedSync = false;
+	fDecodingError = false;
 }
 
 
@@ -158,6 +162,7 @@ mp3Decoder::Seek(uint32 seekTo,
 	InitMP3(&fMpgLibPrivate);
 	fResidualBytes = 0;
 	fNeedSync = true;
+	fDecodingError = false;
 	return B_OK;
 }
 
@@ -171,6 +176,9 @@ mp3Decoder::Decode(void *buffer, int64 *frameCount,
 	int32	out_bytes_needed = fOutputBufferSize;
 	int32	out_bytes = 0;
 	
+	if (fDecodingError)
+		return B_ERROR;
+	
 	mediaHeader->start_time = fStartTime;
 	//TRACE("mp3Decoder: Decoding start time %.6f\n", fStartTime / 1000000.0);
 	
@@ -191,8 +199,10 @@ mp3Decoder::Decode(void *buffer, int64 *frameCount,
 		}
 		
 		last_err = DecodeNextChunk();
-		if (last_err != B_OK)
+		if (last_err != B_OK) {
+			fDecodingError = true;
 			break;
+		}
 	}
 
 	*frameCount = out_bytes / fFrameSize;
diff --git a/src/add-ons/media/plugins/mp3_decoder/mp3DecoderPlugin.h b/src/add-ons/media/plugins/mp3_decoder/mp3DecoderPlugin.h
index bac581738d..a0cbdfd9dd 100644
--- a/src/add-ons/media/plugins/mp3_decoder/mp3DecoderPlugin.h
+++ b/src/add-ons/media/plugins/mp3_decoder/mp3DecoderPlugin.h
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ private:
 	int				fChannelCount;
 	int				fOutputBufferSize;
 	bool			fNeedSync;
+	bool			fDecodingError;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/add-ons/media/plugins/mp3_decoder/mpglib/common.c b/src/add-ons/media/plugins/mp3_decoder/mpglib/common.c
index f906845498..a71b2ab25e 100644
--- a/src/add-ons/media/plugins/mp3_decoder/mpglib/common.c
+++ b/src/add-ons/media/plugins/mp3_decoder/mpglib/common.c
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@ int decode_header(struct frame *fr,unsigned long newhead)
     
     fr->lay = 4-((newhead>>17)&3);
     if( ((newhead>>10)&0x3) == 0x3) {
-      fprintf(stderr,"Stream error\n");
-      exit(1);
+      fprintf(stderr,"Stream error, reserved sampling rate\n");
+      return 0;
     }
     if(fr->mpeg25) {
       fr->sampling_frequency = 6 + ((newhead>>10)&0x3);
@@ -84,8 +84,8 @@ int decode_header(struct frame *fr,unsigned long newhead)
 
     if(!fr->bitrate_index)
     {
-      fprintf(stderr,"Free format not supported.\n");
-      return (0);
+      fprintf(stderr, "Stream error, free format bitrate index not supported\n");
+      return 0;
     }
 
     switch(fr->lay)
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ int decode_header(struct frame *fr,unsigned long newhead)
           fr->framesize = fr->framesize + fr->padding - 4;
         break; 
       default:
-        fprintf(stderr,"Sorry, unknown layer type.\n"); 
+        fprintf(stderr,"Stream error, unknown layer type.\n"); 
         return (0);
     }
     return 1;
diff --git a/src/add-ons/media/plugins/mp3_decoder/mpglib/interface.c b/src/add-ons/media/plugins/mp3_decoder/mpglib/interface.c
index d7844ef494..fa29fe09e7 100644
--- a/src/add-ons/media/plugins/mp3_decoder/mpglib/interface.c
+++ b/src/add-ons/media/plugins/mp3_decoder/mpglib/interface.c
@@ -94,14 +94,19 @@ static int read_buf_byte(struct mpstr *mp)
 
 	int pos;
 
+	if(!mp->tail) {
+		fprintf(stderr,"Fatal error!\n");
+		return 0;
+	}
+
 	pos = mp->tail->pos;
 	while(pos >= mp->tail->size) {
 		remove_buf(mp);
-		pos = mp->tail->pos;
 		if(!mp->tail) {
 			fprintf(stderr,"Fatal error!\n");
-			exit(1);
+			return 0;
 		}
+		pos = mp->tail->pos;
 	}
 
 	b = mp->tail->pnt[pos];
@@ -149,7 +154,8 @@ int decodeMP3(struct mpstr *mp,char *in,int isize,char *out,
 			return MP3_NEED_MORE;
 		}
 		read_head(mp);
-		decode_header(&mp->fr,mp->header);
+		if (decode_header(&mp->fr,mp->header) == 0)
+			return MP3_ERR;
 		mp->framesize = mp->fr.framesize;
 	}