diff --git a/libavcodec/bitstream.c b/libavcodec/bitstream.c
index 1d0e585c22..23bea43ac7 100644
--- a/libavcodec/bitstream.c
+++ b/libavcodec/bitstream.c
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ static int alloc_table(VLC *vlc, int size, int use_static)
         vlc->table_allocated += (1 << vlc->bits);
         vlc->table = av_realloc_f(vlc->table, vlc->table_allocated, sizeof(VLC_TYPE) * 2);
         if (!vlc->table)
-            return -1;
+            return AVERROR(ENOMEM);
     }
     return index;
 }
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ static int build_table(VLC *vlc, int table_nb_bits, int nb_codes,
     table_index = alloc_table(vlc, table_size, flags & INIT_VLC_USE_NEW_STATIC);
     av_dlog(NULL, "new table index=%d size=%d\n", table_index, table_size);
     if (table_index < 0)
-        return -1;
+        return table_index;
     table = &vlc->table[table_index];
 
     for (i = 0; i < table_size; i++) {
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ static int build_table(VLC *vlc, int table_nb_bits, int nb_codes,
                 av_dlog(NULL, "%4x: code=%d n=%d\n", j, i, n);
                 if (table[j][1] /*bits*/ != 0) {
                     av_log(NULL, AV_LOG_ERROR, "incorrect codes\n");
-                    return -1;
+                    return AVERROR_INVALIDDATA;
                 }
                 table[j][1] = n; //bits
                 table[j][0] = symbol;
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ static int build_table(VLC *vlc, int table_nb_bits, int nb_codes,
                     j, codes[i].bits + table_nb_bits);
             index = build_table(vlc, subtable_bits, k-i, codes+i, flags);
             if (index < 0)
-                return -1;
+                return index;
             /* note: realloc has been done, so reload tables */
             table = &vlc->table[table_index];
             table[j][0] = index; //code
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@ int ff_init_vlc_sparse(VLC *vlc, int nb_bits, int nb_codes,
     av_free(buf);
     if (ret < 0) {
         av_freep(&vlc->table);
-        return -1;
+        return ret;
     }
     return 0;
 }