diff --git a/sub/osd.c b/sub/osd.c
index f949bc94b5..811b6c821b 100644
--- a/sub/osd.c
+++ b/sub/osd.c
@@ -548,7 +548,6 @@ struct sub_bitmaps *sub_bitmaps_copy(struct sub_bitmap_copy_cache **p_cache,
     assert(in->packed && in->packed->bufs[0]);
 
     res->packed = mp_image_new_ref(res->packed);
-    MP_HANDLE_OOM(res->packed);
     talloc_steal(res, res->packed);
 
     res->parts = NULL;
diff --git a/video/filter/refqueue.c b/video/filter/refqueue.c
index e97e85bfaa..d018e38c00 100644
--- a/video/filter/refqueue.c
+++ b/video/filter/refqueue.c
@@ -266,7 +266,6 @@ struct mp_image *mp_refqueue_execute_reinit(struct mp_refqueue *q)
     mp_refqueue_flush(q);
 
     q->in_format = mp_image_new_ref(cur);
-    MP_HANDLE_OOM(q->in_format);
     mp_image_unref_data(q->in_format);
 
     mp_refqueue_add_input(q, cur);
diff --git a/video/mp_image.c b/video/mp_image.c
index e54cbb82b7..40678d10bd 100644
--- a/video/mp_image.c
+++ b/video/mp_image.c
@@ -314,12 +314,11 @@ void mp_image_unref_data(struct mp_image *img)
     }
 }
 
-static void ref_buffer(bool *ok, AVBufferRef **dst)
+static void ref_buffer(AVBufferRef **dst)
 {
     if (*dst) {
         *dst = av_buffer_ref(*dst);
-        if (!*dst)
-            *ok = false;
+        MP_HANDLE_OOM(*dst);
     }
 }
 
@@ -337,29 +336,22 @@ struct mp_image *mp_image_new_ref(struct mp_image *img)
     talloc_set_destructor(new, mp_image_destructor);
     *new = *img;
 
-    bool ok = true;
     for (int p = 0; p < MP_MAX_PLANES; p++)
-        ref_buffer(&ok, &new->bufs[p]);
+        ref_buffer(&new->bufs[p]);
 
-    ref_buffer(&ok, &new->hwctx);
-    ref_buffer(&ok, &new->icc_profile);
-    ref_buffer(&ok, &new->a53_cc);
-    ref_buffer(&ok, &new->dovi);
-    ref_buffer(&ok, &new->film_grain);
-    ref_buffer(&ok, &new->dovi_buf);
+    ref_buffer(&new->hwctx);
+    ref_buffer(&new->icc_profile);
+    ref_buffer(&new->a53_cc);
+    ref_buffer(&new->dovi);
+    ref_buffer(&new->film_grain);
+    ref_buffer(&new->dovi_buf);
 
     new->ff_side_data = talloc_memdup(NULL, new->ff_side_data,
                         new->num_ff_side_data * sizeof(new->ff_side_data[0]));
     for (int n = 0; n < new->num_ff_side_data; n++)
-        ref_buffer(&ok, &new->ff_side_data[n].buf);
+        ref_buffer(&new->ff_side_data[n].buf);
 
-    if (ok)
-        return new;
-
-    // Do this after _all_ bufs were changed; we don't want it to free bufs
-    // from the original image if this fails.
-    talloc_free(new);
-    return NULL;
+    return new;
 }
 
 struct free_args {
diff --git a/video/out/vo.c b/video/out/vo.c
index 40079049f8..c53cec36a1 100644
--- a/video/out/vo.c
+++ b/video/out/vo.c
@@ -1438,10 +1438,8 @@ struct vo_frame *vo_frame_ref(struct vo_frame *frame)
     struct vo_frame *new = talloc_ptrtype(NULL, new);
     talloc_set_destructor(new, destroy_frame);
     *new = *frame;
-    for (int n = 0; n < frame->num_frames; n++) {
+    for (int n = 0; n < frame->num_frames; n++)
         new->frames[n] = mp_image_new_ref(frame->frames[n]);
-        MP_HANDLE_OOM(new->frames[n]);
-    }
     new->current = new->num_frames ? new->frames[0] : NULL;
     return new;
 }