diff --git a/libavcodec/utils.c b/libavcodec/utils.c
index f7adb525f8..783f62c235 100644
--- a/libavcodec/utils.c
+++ b/libavcodec/utils.c
@@ -1389,10 +1389,9 @@ int attribute_align_arg avcodec_open2(AVCodecContext *avctx, const AVCodec *code
         avctx->thread_count = 1;
 
     if (avctx->codec->max_lowres < avctx->lowres || avctx->lowres < 0) {
-        av_log(avctx, AV_LOG_ERROR, "The maximum value for lowres supported by the decoder is %d\n",
+        av_log(avctx, AV_LOG_WARNING, "The maximum value for lowres supported by the decoder is %d\n",
                avctx->codec->max_lowres);
-        ret = AVERROR(EINVAL);
-        goto free_and_end;
+        avctx->lowres = avctx->codec->max_lowres;
     }
 
 #if FF_API_VISMV