diff --git a/tests/test-windows.c b/tests/test-windows.c
index bca4afcab0..b3ecd23320 100644
--- a/tests/test-windows.c
+++ b/tests/test-windows.c
@@ -258,15 +258,52 @@ static gboolean draw_rgb_rects(GstVaapiImage *image)
     return TRUE;
 }
 
+static gboolean
+upload_image(GstVaapiSurface *surface, GstVaapiImage *image)
+{
+    GstVaapiDisplay *display;
+    GstVaapiImageFormat format;
+    GstVaapiSubpicture *subpicture;
+
+    display = gst_vaapi_object_get_display(GST_VAAPI_OBJECT(surface));
+    if (!display)
+        return FALSE;
+
+    format = gst_vaapi_image_get_format(image);
+    if (!format)
+        return FALSE;
+
+    if (gst_vaapi_surface_put_image(surface, image))
+        return TRUE;
+
+    g_print("could not upload %" GST_FOURCC_FORMAT" image to surface\n",
+            GST_FOURCC_ARGS(format));
+
+    if (!gst_vaapi_display_has_subpicture_format(display, format))
+        return FALSE;
+
+    g_print("trying as a subpicture\n");
+
+    subpicture = gst_vaapi_subpicture_new(image);
+    if (!subpicture)
+        g_error("could not create Gst/VA subpicture");
+
+    if (!gst_vaapi_surface_associate_subpicture(surface, subpicture,
+                                                NULL, NULL))
+        g_error("could not associate subpicture to surface");
+
+    /* The surface holds a reference to the subpicture. This is safe */
+    g_object_unref(subpicture);
+    return TRUE;
+}
+
 int
 main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
     GstVaapiDisplay    *display;
     GstVaapiWindow     *window;
     GstVaapiSurface    *surface;
-    GstVaapiImage      *image      = NULL;
-    GstVaapiSubpicture *subpicture;
-    GstVaapiImageFormat format;
+    GstVaapiImage      *image   = NULL;
     guint flags = GST_VAAPI_PICTURE_STRUCTURE_FRAME;
     guint i;
 
@@ -298,35 +335,21 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
         g_error("could not create Gst/VA surface");
 
     for (i = 0; image_formats[i]; i++) {
-        image = gst_vaapi_image_new(display, image_formats[i], width, height);
-        if (image) {
-            format = image_formats[i];
+        const GstVaapiImageFormat format = image_formats[i];
+
+        image = gst_vaapi_image_new(display, format, width, height);
+        if (!image)
+            continue;
+
+        if (!draw_rgb_rects(image))
+            g_error("could not draw RGB rectangles");
+
+        if (upload_image(surface, image))
             break;
-        }
     }
     if (!image)
         g_error("could not create Gst/VA image");
 
-    if (!draw_rgb_rects(image))
-        g_error("could not draw RGB rectangles");
-
-    if (gst_vaapi_image_format_is_rgb(format)) {
-        subpicture = gst_vaapi_subpicture_new(image);
-        if (!subpicture)
-            g_error("could not create Gst/VA subpicture");
-
-        if (!gst_vaapi_surface_associate_subpicture(surface, subpicture,
-                                                    NULL, NULL))
-            g_error("could not associate subpicture to surface");
-
-        /* The surface holds a reference to the subpicture. This is safe. */
-        g_object_unref(subpicture);
-    }
-    else {
-        if (!gst_vaapi_surface_put_image(surface, image))
-            g_error("could not upload image");
-    }
-
     if (!gst_vaapi_surface_sync(surface))
         g_error("could not complete image upload");