diff --git a/ffmpeg/ffmpeg_errors.go b/ffmpeg/ffmpeg_errors.go
index f592a65035..c0a3645d52 100644
--- a/ffmpeg/ffmpeg_errors.go
+++ b/ffmpeg/ffmpeg_errors.go
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ func error_map() map[int]error {
 		{code: C.lpms_ERR_FILTERS, desc: "Error initializing filtergraph"},
 		{code: C.lpms_ERR_OUTPUTS, desc: "Too many outputs"},
 		{code: C.lpms_ERR_DTS, desc: "Segment out of order"},
+		{code: C.lpms_ERR_INPUT_CODEC, desc: "Unsupported input codec"},
 	}
 	for _, v := range lpmsErrors {
 		m[int(v.code)] = errors.New(v.desc)
diff --git a/ffmpeg/lpms_ffmpeg.c b/ffmpeg/lpms_ffmpeg.c
index 16324f08bb..060c6e4755 100644
--- a/ffmpeg/lpms_ffmpeg.c
+++ b/ffmpeg/lpms_ffmpeg.c
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 
 // Not great to appropriate internal API like this...
 const int lpms_ERR_INPUT_PIXFMT = FFERRTAG('I','N','P','X');
+const int lpms_ERR_INPUT_CODEC = FFERRTAG('I','N','P','C');
 const int lpms_ERR_FILTERS = FFERRTAG('F','L','T','R');
 const int lpms_ERR_PACKET_ONLY = FFERRTAG('P','K','O','N');
 const int lpms_ERR_OUTPUTS = FFERRTAG('O','U','T','P');
@@ -833,8 +834,11 @@ static int open_video_decoder(input_params *params, struct input_ctx *ctx)
   else if (ctx->vi < 0) {
     fprintf(stderr, "No video stream found in input\n");
   } else {
-    if (AV_CODEC_ID_H264 == codec->id &&
-        AV_HWDEVICE_TYPE_CUDA == params->hw_type) {
+    if (AV_HWDEVICE_TYPE_CUDA == params->hw_type) {
+      if (AV_CODEC_ID_H264 != codec->id) {
+        ret = lpms_ERR_INPUT_CODEC;
+        dd_err("Non H264 codec detected in input\n");
+      }
       AVCodec *c = avcodec_find_decoder_by_name("h264_cuvid");
       if (c) codec = c;
       else fprintf(stderr, "Cuvid decoder not found; defaulting to software\n");
diff --git a/ffmpeg/lpms_ffmpeg.h b/ffmpeg/lpms_ffmpeg.h
index fc0bd069d7..4e74ccae62 100644
--- a/ffmpeg/lpms_ffmpeg.h
+++ b/ffmpeg/lpms_ffmpeg.h
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 // LPMS specific errors
 extern const int lpms_ERR_INPUT_PIXFMT;
+extern const int lpms_ERR_INPUT_CODEC;
 extern const int lpms_ERR_FILTERS;
 extern const int lpms_ERR_OUTPUTS;
 extern const int lpms_ERR_DTS;
diff --git a/ffmpeg/nvidia_test.go b/ffmpeg/nvidia_test.go
index 0cf946d981..593599e29f 100644
--- a/ffmpeg/nvidia_test.go
+++ b/ffmpeg/nvidia_test.go
@@ -96,6 +96,43 @@ func TestNvidia_Transcoding(t *testing.T) {
 
 }
 
+func TestNvidia_BadCodecs(t *testing.T) {
+	// Following test case validates that the transcoder throws correct errors for unsupported codecs
+	// Currently only H264 is supported
+
+	run, dir := setupTest(t)
+	defer os.RemoveAll(dir)
+
+	fname := dir + "/mpeg2.ts"
+	oname := dir + "/out.ts"
+	prof := P240p30fps16x9
+
+	cmd := `
+	cp "$1/../transcoder/test.ts" test.ts
+		# Generate an input file that is not H264 (mpeg2) and sanity check
+		ffmpeg -loglevel warning -i test.ts -an -c:v mpeg2video -t 1 mpeg2.ts
+		ffprobe -loglevel warning mpeg2.ts -show_streams | grep codec_name=mpeg2video
+	`
+	run(cmd)
+
+	// sanity check
+	err := Transcode2(&TranscodeOptionsIn{
+		Fname: fname,
+		Accel: Nvidia,
+	}, []TranscodeOptions{
+		{
+			Oname:   oname,
+			Profile: prof,
+			Accel:   Nvidia,
+		},
+	})
+
+	if err == nil || err.Error() != "Unsupported input codec" {
+		t.Error(err)
+	}
+
+}
+
 func TestNvidia_Pixfmts(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Following test case validates pixel format at the decoding end