diff --git a/src/mod/formats/mod_vlc/mod_vlc.c b/src/mod/formats/mod_vlc/mod_vlc.c
index 98a40f77ad..b19abd81dc 100644
--- a/src/mod/formats/mod_vlc/mod_vlc.c
+++ b/src/mod/formats/mod_vlc/mod_vlc.c
@@ -123,6 +123,11 @@ static switch_status_t vlc_file_open(switch_file_handle_t *handle, const char *p
 			context->m = libvlc_media_new_location(read_inst, context->path);
 			switch_log_printf(SWITCH_CHANNEL_LOG, SWITCH_LOG_NOTICE, "VLC Path is unknown type %s\n", context->path);
 		}
+
+		if ( context-m == NULL ) {
+			switch_log_printf(SWITCH_CHANNEL_LOG, SWITCH_LOG_ERROR, "VLC error opening %s for reading\n", path);
+			return SWITCH_STATUS_GENERR;
+		}
 		
 		context->playing = 0;
 		context->err = 0;