diff --git a/src/gallium/frontends/vdpau/output.c b/src/gallium/frontends/vdpau/output.c
index fa902705109..f33bc8de515 100644
--- a/src/gallium/frontends/vdpau/output.c
+++ b/src/gallium/frontends/vdpau/output.c
@@ -334,8 +334,11 @@ vlVdpOutputSurfacePutBitsIndexed(VdpOutputSurface surface,
    res_tmpl.format = index_format;
 
    if (destination_rect) {
-      res_tmpl.width0 = abs(destination_rect->x0-destination_rect->x1);
-      res_tmpl.height0 = abs(destination_rect->y0-destination_rect->y1);
+      if (destination_rect->x1 > destination_rect->x0 &&
+          destination_rect->y1 > destination_rect->y0) {
+         res_tmpl.width0 = destination_rect->x1 - destination_rect->x0;
+         res_tmpl.height0 = destination_rect->y1 - destination_rect->y0;
+      }
    } else {
       res_tmpl.width0 = vlsurface->surface->texture->width0;
       res_tmpl.height0 = vlsurface->surface->texture->height0;
@@ -467,8 +470,11 @@ vlVdpOutputSurfacePutBitsYCbCr(VdpOutputSurface surface,
    vtmpl.buffer_format = format;
 
    if (destination_rect) {
-      vtmpl.width = abs(destination_rect->x0-destination_rect->x1);
-      vtmpl.height = abs(destination_rect->y0-destination_rect->y1);
+      if (destination_rect->x1 > destination_rect->x0 &&
+          destination_rect->y1 > destination_rect->y0) {
+         vtmpl.width = destination_rect->x1 - destination_rect->x0;
+         vtmpl.height = destination_rect->y1 - destination_rect->y0;
+      }
    } else {
       vtmpl.width = vlsurface->surface->texture->width0;
       vtmpl.height = vlsurface->surface->texture->height0;
diff --git a/src/gallium/frontends/vdpau/vdpau_private.h b/src/gallium/frontends/vdpau/vdpau_private.h
index f69458445c2..05d8059eb1f 100644
--- a/src/gallium/frontends/vdpau/vdpau_private.h
+++ b/src/gallium/frontends/vdpau/vdpau_private.h
@@ -349,10 +349,16 @@ RectToPipeBox(const VdpRect *rect, struct pipe_resource *res)
    box.depth = 1;
 
    if (rect) {
-      box.x = MIN2(rect->x0, rect->x1);
-      box.y = MIN2(rect->y0, rect->y1);
-      box.width = abs(rect->x1 - rect->x0);
-      box.height = abs(rect->y1 - rect->y0);
+      if (rect->x1 > rect->x0 &&
+          rect->y1 > rect->y0) {
+         box.x = rect->x0;
+         box.y = rect->y0;
+         box.width = rect->x1 - box.x;
+         box.height = rect->y1 - box.y;
+      } else {
+         box.width = 0;
+         box.height = 0;
+      }
    }
 
    return box;