diff --git a/fftools/ffprobe.c b/fftools/ffprobe.c
index eb55083a1e..80ce38e73b 100644
--- a/fftools/ffprobe.c
+++ b/fftools/ffprobe.c
@@ -3074,7 +3074,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     AVTextWriterContext *wctx;
     char *buf;
     char *f_name = NULL, *f_args = NULL;
-    int ret, i;
+    int ret, input_ret, i;
 
     init_dynload();
 
@@ -3201,11 +3201,19 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
                 show_error(tctx, ret);
         }
 
+        input_ret = ret;
+
         avtext_print_section_footer(tctx);
 
-        avtextwriter_context_close(&wctx);
+        ret = avtextwriter_context_close(&wctx);
+        if (ret < 0)
+            av_log(NULL, AV_LOG_ERROR, "Writing output failed (closing writer): %s\n", av_err2str(ret));
 
-        avtext_context_close(&tctx);
+        ret = avtext_context_close(&tctx);
+        if (ret < 0)
+            av_log(NULL, AV_LOG_ERROR, "Writing output failed (closing formatter): %s\n", av_err2str(ret));
+
+        ret = FFMIN(ret, input_ret);
     }
 
 end:
diff --git a/fftools/textformat/avtextformat.c b/fftools/textformat/avtextformat.c
index fdd696b7eb..ad8e5bcb35 100644
--- a/fftools/textformat/avtextformat.c
+++ b/fftools/textformat/avtextformat.c
@@ -98,13 +98,14 @@ static void bprint_bytes(AVBPrint *bp, const uint8_t *ubuf, size_t ubuf_size)
         av_bprintf(bp, "%02X", ubuf[i]);
 }
 
-void avtext_context_close(AVTextFormatContext **ptctx)
+int avtext_context_close(AVTextFormatContext **ptctx)
 {
     AVTextFormatContext *tctx = *ptctx;
     int i;
+    int ret = 0;
 
     if (!tctx)
-        return;
+        return AVERROR(EINVAL);
 
     av_hash_freep(&tctx->hash);
 
@@ -121,6 +122,7 @@ void avtext_context_close(AVTextFormatContext **ptctx)
     av_freep(&tctx->priv);
     av_opt_free(tctx);
     av_freep(ptctx);
+    return ret;
 }
 
 
@@ -615,12 +617,13 @@ static const AVClass textwriter_class = {
 };
 
 
-void avtextwriter_context_close(AVTextWriterContext **pwctx)
+int avtextwriter_context_close(AVTextWriterContext **pwctx)
 {
     AVTextWriterContext *wctx = *pwctx;
+    int ret = 0;
 
     if (!wctx)
-        return;
+        return AVERROR(EINVAL);
 
     if (wctx->writer) {
         if (wctx->writer->uninit)
@@ -630,6 +633,7 @@ void avtextwriter_context_close(AVTextWriterContext **pwctx)
     }
     av_freep(&wctx->priv);
     av_freep(pwctx);
+    return ret;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/fftools/textformat/avtextformat.h b/fftools/textformat/avtextformat.h
index c173a45529..22f351c12e 100644
--- a/fftools/textformat/avtextformat.h
+++ b/fftools/textformat/avtextformat.h
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ typedef struct AVTextFormatOptions {
 int avtext_context_open(AVTextFormatContext **ptctx, const AVTextFormatter *formatter, AVTextWriterContext *writer_context, const char *args,
                         const AVTextFormatSection *sections, int nb_sections, AVTextFormatOptions options, char *show_data_hash);
 
-void avtext_context_close(AVTextFormatContext **tctx);
+int avtext_context_close(AVTextFormatContext **tctx);
 
 
 void avtext_print_section_header(AVTextFormatContext *tctx, const void *data, int section_id);
diff --git a/fftools/textformat/avtextwriters.h b/fftools/textformat/avtextwriters.h
index 9297babeb1..c4aa88b072 100644
--- a/fftools/textformat/avtextwriters.h
+++ b/fftools/textformat/avtextwriters.h
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ typedef struct AVTextWriterContext {
 
 int avtextwriter_context_open(AVTextWriterContext **pwctx, const AVTextWriter *writer);
 
-void avtextwriter_context_close(AVTextWriterContext **pwctx);
+int avtextwriter_context_close(AVTextWriterContext **pwctx);
 
 int avtextwriter_create_stdout(AVTextWriterContext **pwctx);