diff --git a/fftools/ffmpeg.h b/fftools/ffmpeg.h
index 043eb5e6ec..ba73dcffdc 100644
--- a/fftools/ffmpeg.h
+++ b/fftools/ffmpeg.h
@@ -752,7 +752,7 @@ int ofilter_bind_ost(OutputFilter *ofilter, OutputStream *ost);
  * @param graph_desc Graph description; an av_malloc()ed string, filtergraph
  *                   takes ownership of it.
  */
-FilterGraph *fg_create(char *graph_desc);
+int fg_create(FilterGraph **pfg, char *graph_desc);
 
 void fg_free(FilterGraph **pfg);
 
diff --git a/fftools/ffmpeg_filter.c b/fftools/ffmpeg_filter.c
index 2a3204121a..485154a448 100644
--- a/fftools/ffmpeg_filter.c
+++ b/fftools/ffmpeg_filter.c
@@ -538,16 +538,11 @@ static char *describe_filter_link(FilterGraph *fg, AVFilterInOut *inout, int in)
     AVFilterContext *ctx = inout->filter_ctx;
     AVFilterPad *pads = in ? ctx->input_pads  : ctx->output_pads;
     int       nb_pads = in ? ctx->nb_inputs   : ctx->nb_outputs;
-    char *res;
 
     if (nb_pads > 1)
-        res = av_strdup(ctx->filter->name);
-    else
-        res = av_asprintf("%s:%s", ctx->filter->name,
-                          avfilter_pad_get_name(pads, inout->pad_idx));
-    if (!res)
-        report_and_exit(AVERROR(ENOMEM));
-    return res;
+        return av_strdup(ctx->filter->name);
+    return av_asprintf("%s:%s", ctx->filter->name,
+                       avfilter_pad_get_name(pads, inout->pad_idx));
 }
 
 static OutputFilter *ofilter_alloc(FilterGraph *fg)
@@ -799,7 +794,7 @@ static const AVClass fg_class = {
     .category   = AV_CLASS_CATEGORY_FILTER,
 };
 
-FilterGraph *fg_create(char *graph_desc)
+int fg_create(FilterGraph **pfg, char *graph_desc)
 {
     FilterGraphPriv *fgp = allocate_array_elem(&filtergraphs, sizeof(*fgp), &nb_filtergraphs);
     FilterGraph      *fg = &fgp->fg;
@@ -808,6 +803,9 @@ FilterGraph *fg_create(char *graph_desc)
     AVFilterGraph *graph;
     int ret = 0;
 
+    if (pfg)
+        *pfg = fg;
+
     fg->class       = &fg_class;
     fg->index      = nb_filtergraphs - 1;
     fgp->graph_desc = graph_desc;
@@ -817,13 +815,13 @@ FilterGraph *fg_create(char *graph_desc)
 
     fgp->frame = av_frame_alloc();
     if (!fgp->frame)
-        report_and_exit(AVERROR(ENOMEM));
+        return AVERROR(ENOMEM);
 
     /* this graph is only used for determining the kinds of inputs
      * and outputs we have, and is discarded on exit from this function */
     graph = avfilter_graph_alloc();
     if (!graph)
-        report_and_exit(AVERROR(ENOMEM));
+        return AVERROR(ENOMEM);;
     graph->nb_threads = 1;
 
     ret = graph_parse(graph, fgp->graph_desc, &inputs, &outputs, NULL);
@@ -840,6 +838,10 @@ FilterGraph *fg_create(char *graph_desc)
         ifp->type      = avfilter_pad_get_type(cur->filter_ctx->input_pads,
                                                cur->pad_idx);
         ifilter->name  = describe_filter_link(fg, cur, 1);
+        if (!ifilter->name) {
+            ret = AVERROR(ENOMEM);
+            goto fail;
+        }
     }
 
     for (AVFilterInOut *cur = outputs; cur; cur = cur->next) {
@@ -851,6 +853,10 @@ FilterGraph *fg_create(char *graph_desc)
         ofilter->type      = avfilter_pad_get_type(cur->filter_ctx->output_pads,
                                                    cur->pad_idx);
         ofilter->name      = describe_filter_link(fg, cur, 0);
+        if (!ofilter->name) {
+            ret = AVERROR(ENOMEM);
+            goto fail;
+        }
     }
 
     if (!fg->nb_outputs) {
@@ -865,9 +871,9 @@ fail:
     avfilter_graph_free(&graph);
 
     if (ret < 0)
-        report_and_exit(ret);
+        return ret;
 
-    return fg;
+    return 0;
 }
 
 int init_simple_filtergraph(InputStream *ist, OutputStream *ost,
@@ -877,9 +883,9 @@ int init_simple_filtergraph(InputStream *ist, OutputStream *ost,
     FilterGraphPriv *fgp;
     int ret;
 
-    fg = fg_create(graph_desc);
-    if (!fg)
-        report_and_exit(AVERROR(ENOMEM));
+    ret = fg_create(&fg, graph_desc);
+    if (ret < 0)
+        return ret;
     fgp = fgp_from_fg(fg);
 
     fgp->is_simple = 1;
diff --git a/fftools/ffmpeg_opt.c b/fftools/ffmpeg_opt.c
index 44bf263621..25a1083366 100644
--- a/fftools/ffmpeg_opt.c
+++ b/fftools/ffmpeg_opt.c
@@ -1112,9 +1112,7 @@ static int opt_filter_complex(void *optctx, const char *opt, const char *arg)
     if (!graph_desc)
         return AVERROR(ENOMEM);
 
-    fg_create(graph_desc);
-
-    return 0;
+    return fg_create(NULL, graph_desc);
 }
 
 static int opt_filter_complex_script(void *optctx, const char *opt, const char *arg)
@@ -1123,9 +1121,7 @@ static int opt_filter_complex_script(void *optctx, const char *opt, const char *
     if (!graph_desc)
         return AVERROR(EINVAL);
 
-    fg_create(graph_desc);
-
-    return 0;
+    return fg_create(NULL, graph_desc);
 }
 
 void show_help_default(const char *opt, const char *arg)
