diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 60a0b5db8b..7858658964 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+2007-01-29  Tim-Philipp Müller  <tim at centricular dot net>
+
+	* ext/theora/theoraenc.c: (theora_enc_chain):
+	  Check return value of theora_encode_header(), or we might try to
+	  allocate a random number of bytes. theora_encode_header() can fail
+	  if libtheora has been compiled with encoding support disabled.
+	  Fixes #398110.
+
 2007-01-29  Wim Taymans  <wim@fluendo.com>
 
 	* tests/check/gst/.cvsignore:
diff --git a/ext/theora/theoraenc.c b/ext/theora/theoraenc.c
index 86d79766cf..f7ee500878 100644
--- a/ext/theora/theoraenc.c
+++ b/ext/theora/theoraenc.c
@@ -626,7 +626,9 @@ theora_enc_chain (GstPad * pad, GstBuffer * buffer)
        libtheora handles the additional Ogg bitstream constraints */
 
     /* first packet will get its own page automatically */
-    theora_encode_header (&enc->state, &op);
+    if (theora_encode_header (&enc->state, &op) != 0)
+      goto encoder_disabled;
+
     ret = theora_buffer_from_packet (enc, &op, GST_CLOCK_TIME_NONE,
         GST_CLOCK_TIME_NONE, &buf1);
     if (ret != GST_FLOW_OK) {
@@ -637,7 +639,9 @@ theora_enc_chain (GstPad * pad, GstBuffer * buffer)
     theora_comment_clear (&enc->comment);
     theora_comment_init (&enc->comment);
 
-    theora_encode_comment (&enc->comment, &op);
+    if (theora_encode_comment (&enc->comment, &op) != 0)
+      goto encoder_disabled;
+
     ret = theora_buffer_from_packet (enc, &op, GST_CLOCK_TIME_NONE,
         GST_CLOCK_TIME_NONE, &buf2);
     /* Theora expects us to put this packet buffer into an ogg page,
@@ -652,7 +656,9 @@ theora_enc_chain (GstPad * pad, GstBuffer * buffer)
       goto header_buffer_alloc;
     }
 
-    theora_encode_tables (&enc->state, &op);
+    if (theora_encode_tables (&enc->state, &op) != 0)
+      goto encoder_disabled;
+
     ret = theora_buffer_from_packet (enc, &op, GST_CLOCK_TIME_NONE,
         GST_CLOCK_TIME_NONE, &buf3);
     if (ret != GST_FLOW_OK) {
@@ -893,6 +899,13 @@ data_push:
     gst_buffer_unref (buffer);
     return ret;
   }
+encoder_disabled:
+  {
+    GST_ELEMENT_ERROR (enc, STREAM, ENCODE, (NULL),
+        ("libtheora has been compiled with the encoder disabled"));
+    gst_buffer_unref (buffer);
+    return GST_FLOW_ERROR;
+  }
 }
 
 static GstStateChangeReturn