diff --git a/ext/libpng/gstpngenc.c b/ext/libpng/gstpngenc.c
index 3d3e116b2f..e9050b13ad 100644
--- a/ext/libpng/gstpngenc.c
+++ b/ext/libpng/gstpngenc.c
@@ -304,7 +304,6 @@ gst_pngenc_handle_frame (GstVideoEncoder * encoder, GstVideoCodecFrame * frame)
   png_set_write_fn (pngenc->png_struct_ptr, pngenc,
       (png_rw_ptr) user_write_data, user_flush_data);
 
-  row_pointers = g_new (png_byte *, GST_VIDEO_INFO_HEIGHT (info));
   if (!gst_video_frame_map (&vframe, &pngenc->input_state->info,
           frame->input_buffer, GST_MAP_READ)) {
     GST_ELEMENT_ERROR (pngenc, STREAM, FORMAT, (NULL),
@@ -313,6 +312,8 @@ gst_pngenc_handle_frame (GstVideoEncoder * encoder, GstVideoCodecFrame * frame)
     goto done;
   }
 
+  row_pointers = g_new (png_byte *, GST_VIDEO_INFO_HEIGHT (info));
+
   for (row_index = 0; row_index < GST_VIDEO_INFO_HEIGHT (info); row_index++) {
     row_pointers[row_index] = GST_VIDEO_FRAME_COMP_DATA (&vframe, 0) +
         (row_index * GST_VIDEO_FRAME_COMP_STRIDE (&vframe, 0));