diff --git a/samples/videoDecode/videodecode.cpp b/samples/videoDecode/videodecode.cpp
index b0c61f1cde..63ee431dc6 100644
--- a/samples/videoDecode/videodecode.cpp
+++ b/samples/videoDecode/videodecode.cpp
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
                 if (memcmp(digest, ref_md5, 16) == 0) {
                     std::cout << "MD5 digest matches the reference MD5 digest: ";
                 } else {
-                    std::cout << "MD5 digest does not matche the reference MD5 digest: ";
+                    std::cout << "MD5 digest does not match the reference MD5 digest: ";
                 }
                 ref_md5_file.seekg(0, std::ios_base::beg);
                 ref_md5_file.getline(ref_md5_string, 33);
diff --git a/src/parser/hevc_parser.cpp b/src/parser/hevc_parser.cpp
index b9c31ab530..a60ba63ea8 100644
--- a/src/parser/hevc_parser.cpp
+++ b/src/parser/hevc_parser.cpp
@@ -2073,13 +2073,13 @@ void HEVCVideoParser::DecodeRps() {
         /*
         * RPS derivation and picture marking
         */
-        // Init as "no reference picture"
+        // Init to a valid index value to take care of undecodable RASL pictures, whose reference pictures are emptied after a CRA.
         for (i = 0; i < HEVC_MAX_NUM_REF_PICS; i++) {
-            ref_pic_set_st_curr_before_[i] = 0xFF;
-            ref_pic_set_st_curr_after_[i] = 0xFF;
-            ref_pic_set_st_foll_[i] = 0xFF;
-            ref_pic_set_lt_curr_[i] = 0xFF;
-            ref_pic_set_lt_foll_[i] = 0xFF;
+            ref_pic_set_st_curr_before_[i] = 0;
+            ref_pic_set_st_curr_after_[i] = 0;
+            ref_pic_set_st_foll_[i] = 0;
+            ref_pic_set_lt_curr_[i] = 0;
+            ref_pic_set_lt_foll_[i] = 0;
         }
 
         // Mark all in DPB as unused. We will mark them back while we go through the ref lists. The rest will be actually unused.
diff --git a/src/rocdecode/vaapi/vaapi_videodecoder.cpp b/src/rocdecode/vaapi/vaapi_videodecoder.cpp
index 80ad39b9fb..2b1cf7f7cd 100644
--- a/src/rocdecode/vaapi/vaapi_videodecoder.cpp
+++ b/src/rocdecode/vaapi/vaapi_videodecoder.cpp
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ rocDecStatus VaapiVideoDecoder::SubmitDecode(RocdecPicParams *pPicParams) {
     VASurfaceID curr_surface_id;
 
     // Get the surface id for the current picture, assuming 1:1 mapping between DPB and VAAPI decoded surfaces.
-    if (pPicParams->CurrPicIdx >= va_surface_ids_.size()) {
+    if (pPicParams->CurrPicIdx >= va_surface_ids_.size() || pPicParams->CurrPicIdx < 0) {
         ERR("CurrPicIdx exceeded the VAAPI surface pool limit.");
         return ROCDEC_INVALID_PARAMETER;
     }
@@ -202,6 +202,10 @@ rocDecStatus VaapiVideoDecoder::SubmitDecode(RocdecPicParams *pPicParams) {
             pPicParams->pic_params.hevc.cur_pic.PicIdx = curr_surface_id;
             for (int i = 0; i < 15; i++) {
                 if (pPicParams->pic_params.hevc.ref_frames[i].PicIdx != 0xFF) {
+                    if (pPicParams->pic_params.hevc.ref_frames[i].PicIdx >= va_surface_ids_.size() || pPicParams->pic_params.hevc.ref_frames[i].PicIdx < 0) {
+                        ERR("Reference frame index exceeded the VAAPI surface pool limit.");
+                        return ROCDEC_INVALID_PARAMETER;
+                    }
                     pPicParams->pic_params.hevc.ref_frames[i].PicIdx = va_surface_ids_[pPicParams->pic_params.hevc.ref_frames[i].PicIdx];
                 }
             }