diff --git a/machinery/src/capture/gortsplib.go b/machinery/src/capture/gortsplib.go
index 9d6653c..9108f22 100644
--- a/machinery/src/capture/gortsplib.go
+++ b/machinery/src/capture/gortsplib.go
@@ -953,12 +953,31 @@ func (g *Golibrtsp) Start(ctx context.Context, streamType string, queue *packets
 
 				pkt.Data = pkt.Data[4:]
 				if pkt.IsKeyFrame {
-					annexbNALUStartCode := func() []byte { return []byte{0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x01} }
-					pkt.Data = append(annexbNALUStartCode(), pkt.Data...)
-					pkt.Data = append(g.VideoH264Forma.PPS, pkt.Data...)
-					pkt.Data = append(annexbNALUStartCode(), pkt.Data...)
-					pkt.Data = append(g.VideoH264Forma.SPS, pkt.Data...)
-					pkt.Data = append(annexbNALUStartCode(), pkt.Data...)
+					// Prepend SPS and PPS in front of every keyframe so the access unit
+					// is self-contained. Downstream decoders (and the MP4 writer's in-band
+					// parameter-set recovery) rely on this; a recording whose first frame
+					// lacks SPS/PPS produces an MP4 with an empty avcC, which makes FFmpeg
+					// report "non-existing PPS 0 referenced".
+					//
+					// Build the payload in a freshly allocated buffer. The previous code
+					// did append(g.VideoH264Forma.PPS, pkt.Data...): because the SPS/PPS
+					// slices are sub-slices of the RTP reassembly buffer (spare capacity),
+					// that append wrote into - and corrupted - the shared parameter-set
+					// backing arrays, occasionally poisoning the SPS/PPS stored for the
+					// recording.
+					startCode := []byte{0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x01}
+					out := make([]byte, 0, len(g.VideoH264Forma.SPS)+len(g.VideoH264Forma.PPS)+len(pkt.Data)+12)
+					if len(g.VideoH264Forma.SPS) > 0 {
+						out = append(out, startCode...)
+						out = append(out, g.VideoH264Forma.SPS...)
+					}
+					if len(g.VideoH264Forma.PPS) > 0 {
+						out = append(out, startCode...)
+						out = append(out, g.VideoH264Forma.PPS...)
+					}
+					out = append(out, startCode...)
+					out = append(out, pkt.Data...)
+					pkt.Data = out
 				}
 
 				writeStart := time.Now()
diff --git a/machinery/src/video/mp4.go b/machinery/src/video/mp4.go
index c63281d..e1b3629 100644
--- a/machinery/src/video/mp4.go
+++ b/machinery/src/video/mp4.go
@@ -571,6 +571,13 @@ func (mp4 *MP4) Close(config *models.Config) {
 		includePS := true
 		spsNALUs, ppsNALUs := normalizeH264ParameterSets(mp4.SPSNALUs, mp4.PPSNALUs)
 		log.Log.Debug("mp4.Close(): AVC parameter sets: SPS=" + formatNaluDebug(spsNALUs) + ", PPS=" + formatNaluDebug(ppsNALUs))
+		if len(spsNALUs) == 0 || len(ppsNALUs) == 0 {
+			// An avcC without both SPS and PPS is invalid: downstream FFmpeg-based
+			// pipelines decoding this file will report "non-existing PPS 0 referenced"
+			// and fail to extract any frame. Surface it loudly so the capture-side
+			// parameter-set handling can be diagnosed.
+			log.Log.Error(fmt.Sprintf("mp4.Close(): incomplete H264 parameter sets (SPS=%d, PPS=%d) - the avcC will be invalid and downstream decoders will report 'non-existing PPS 0 referenced'", len(spsNALUs), len(ppsNALUs)))
+		}
 		err := init.Moov.Traks[0].SetAVCDescriptor("avc1", spsNALUs, ppsNALUs, includePS)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Log.Error("mp4.Close(): error setting AVC descriptor: " + err.Error())
@@ -597,6 +604,11 @@ func (mp4 *MP4) Close(config *models.Config) {
 		includePS := true
 		vpsNALUs, spsNALUs, ppsNALUs := normalizeH265ParameterSets(mp4.VPSNALUs, mp4.SPSNALUs, mp4.PPSNALUs)
 		log.Log.Debug("mp4.Close(): HEVC parameter sets: VPS=" + formatNaluDebug(vpsNALUs) + ", SPS=" + formatNaluDebug(spsNALUs) + ", PPS=" + formatNaluDebug(ppsNALUs))
+		if len(vpsNALUs) == 0 || len(spsNALUs) == 0 || len(ppsNALUs) == 0 {
+			// An hvcC missing VPS/SPS/PPS is invalid and downstream FFmpeg-based
+			// pipelines will fail to decode the recording. Surface it loudly.
+			log.Log.Error(fmt.Sprintf("mp4.Close(): incomplete H265 parameter sets (VPS=%d, SPS=%d, PPS=%d) - the hvcC will be invalid and downstream decoders will fail to process the recording", len(vpsNALUs), len(spsNALUs), len(ppsNALUs)))
+		}
 		err := init.Moov.Traks[0].SetHEVCDescriptor("hvc1", vpsNALUs, spsNALUs, ppsNALUs, [][]byte{}, includePS)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Log.Error("mp4.Close(): error setting HEVC descriptor: " + err.Error())