diff --git a/src/ui/Logic/VideoPlayers/Ffmpeg/FfmpegPlayer.cs b/src/ui/Logic/VideoPlayers/Ffmpeg/FfmpegPlayer.cs
index fa70455f00..6481d267f9 100644
--- a/src/ui/Logic/VideoPlayers/Ffmpeg/FfmpegPlayer.cs
+++ b/src/ui/Logic/VideoPlayers/Ffmpeg/FfmpegPlayer.cs
@@ -801,6 +801,7 @@ private void VideoLoop()
             var swsSourceFormat = AVPixelFormat.AV_PIX_FMT_NONE;
             var outputWidth = 0;
             var outputHeight = 0;
+            VideoFrame? lastDropped = null; // detached from the queue while seeking; must be returned on every exit
 
             try
             {
@@ -818,7 +819,6 @@ private void VideoLoop()
                 var serial = -1;
                 var dropUntil = -1.0;
                 var presentedForSerial = false;
-                VideoFrame? lastDropped = null; // kept so a target past the last picture still shows something
 
                 while (!_closing)
                 {
@@ -988,6 +988,8 @@ private void VideoLoop()
             }
             finally
             {
+                _videoFrames.Return(lastDropped);
+
                 if (sws != null)
                 {
                     ffmpeg.sws_freeContext(sws);