diff --git a/programs/benchzstd.c b/programs/benchzstd.c
index 7770dd2a51e..a76db5f375f 100644
--- a/programs/benchzstd.c
+++ b/programs/benchzstd.c
@@ -327,26 +327,31 @@ BMK_benchMemAdvancedNoAlloc(
     /* init */
     memset(&benchResult, 0, sizeof(benchResult));
     if (strlen(displayName)>17) displayName += strlen(displayName) - 17;   /* display last 17 characters */
-    if (adv->mode == BMK_decodeOnly) {  /* benchmark only decompression : source must be already compressed */
+    if (adv->mode == BMK_decodeOnly) {
+        /* benchmark only decompression : source must be already compressed */
         const char* srcPtr = (const char*)srcBuffer;
         U64 totalDSize64 = 0;
         U32 fileNb;
         for (fileNb=0; fileNb<nbFiles; fileNb++) {
             U64 const fSize64 = ZSTD_findDecompressedSize(srcPtr, fileSizes[fileNb]);
-            if (fSize64==0) RETURN_ERROR(32, BMK_benchOutcome_t, "Impossible to determine original size ");
+            if (fSize64 == ZSTD_CONTENTSIZE_UNKNOWN) {
+                RETURN_ERROR(32, BMK_benchOutcome_t, "Decompressed size cannot be determined: cannot benchmark");
+            }
+            if (fSize64 == ZSTD_CONTENTSIZE_ERROR) {
+                RETURN_ERROR(32, BMK_benchOutcome_t, "Error while trying to assess decompressed size: data may be invalid");
+            }
             totalDSize64 += fSize64;
             srcPtr += fileSizes[fileNb];
         }
         {   size_t const decodedSize = (size_t)totalDSize64;
             assert((U64)decodedSize == totalDSize64);   /* check overflow */
             free(*resultBufferPtr);
+            if (totalDSize64 > decodedSize) {  /* size_t overflow */
+                RETURN_ERROR(32, BMK_benchOutcome_t, "decompressed size is too large for local system");
+            }
             *resultBufferPtr = malloc(decodedSize);
             if (!(*resultBufferPtr)) {
-                RETURN_ERROR(33, BMK_benchOutcome_t, "not enough memory");
-            }
-            if (totalDSize64 > decodedSize) {  /* size_t overflow */
-                free(*resultBufferPtr);
-                RETURN_ERROR(32, BMK_benchOutcome_t, "original size is too large");
+                RETURN_ERROR(33, BMK_benchOutcome_t, "allocation error: not enough memory");
             }
             cSize = srcSize;
             srcSize = decodedSize;
@@ -446,7 +451,7 @@ BMK_benchMemAdvancedNoAlloc(
                 BMK_runOutcome_t const cOutcome = BMK_benchTimedFn( timeStateCompress, cbp);
 
                 if (!BMK_isSuccessful_runOutcome(cOutcome)) {
-                    return BMK_benchOutcome_error();
+                    RETURN_ERROR(30, BMK_benchOutcome_t, "compression error");
                 }
 
                 {   BMK_runTime_t const cResult = BMK_extract_runTime(cOutcome);
@@ -474,7 +479,7 @@ BMK_benchMemAdvancedNoAlloc(
                 BMK_runOutcome_t const dOutcome = BMK_benchTimedFn(timeStateDecompress, dbp);
 
                 if(!BMK_isSuccessful_runOutcome(dOutcome)) {
-                    return BMK_benchOutcome_error();
+                    RETURN_ERROR(30, BMK_benchOutcome_t, "decompression error");
                 }
 
                 {   BMK_runTime_t const dResult = BMK_extract_runTime(dOutcome);
@@ -598,7 +603,7 @@ BMK_benchOutcome_t BMK_benchMemAdvanced(const void* srcBuffer, size_t srcSize,
 
     void* resultBuffer = srcSize ? malloc(srcSize) : NULL;
 
-    int allocationincomplete = !srcPtrs || !srcSizes || !cPtrs ||
+    int const allocationincomplete = !srcPtrs || !srcSizes || !cPtrs ||
         !cSizes || !cCapacities || !resPtrs || !resSizes ||
         !timeStateCompress || !timeStateDecompress ||
         !cctx || !dctx ||
diff --git a/programs/zstdcli.c b/programs/zstdcli.c
index 660e66bb619..93f75e21d9d 100644
--- a/programs/zstdcli.c
+++ b/programs/zstdcli.c
@@ -1370,7 +1370,7 @@ int main(int argCount, const char* argv[])
         benchParams.ldmFlag = ldmFlag;
         benchParams.ldmMinMatch = (int)g_ldmMinMatch;
         benchParams.ldmHashLog = (int)g_ldmHashLog;
-        benchParams.useRowMatchFinder = useRowMatchFinder;
+        benchParams.useRowMatchFinder = (int)useRowMatchFinder;
         if (g_ldmBucketSizeLog != LDM_PARAM_DEFAULT) {
             benchParams.ldmBucketSizeLog = (int)g_ldmBucketSizeLog;
         }
@@ -1391,15 +1391,18 @@ int main(int argCount, const char* argv[])
                     int c;
                     DISPLAYLEVEL(3, "Benchmarking %s \n", filenames->fileNames[i]);
                     for(c = cLevel; c <= cLevelLast; c++) {
-                        BMK_benchFilesAdvanced(&filenames->fileNames[i], 1, dictFileName, c, &compressionParams, g_displayLevel, &benchParams);
+                        BMK_benchOutcome_t const bo = BMK_benchFilesAdvanced(&filenames->fileNames[i], 1, dictFileName, c, &compressionParams, g_displayLevel, &benchParams);
+                        if (!BMK_isSuccessful_benchOutcome(bo)) return 1;
                 }   }
             } else {
                 for(; cLevel <= cLevelLast; cLevel++) {
-                    BMK_benchFilesAdvanced(filenames->fileNames, (unsigned)filenames->tableSize, dictFileName, cLevel, &compressionParams, g_displayLevel, &benchParams);
+                    BMK_benchOutcome_t const bo = BMK_benchFilesAdvanced(filenames->fileNames, (unsigned)filenames->tableSize, dictFileName, cLevel, &compressionParams, g_displayLevel, &benchParams);
+                    if (!BMK_isSuccessful_benchOutcome(bo)) return 1;
             }   }
         } else {
             for(; cLevel <= cLevelLast; cLevel++) {
-                BMK_syntheticTest(cLevel, compressibility, &compressionParams, g_displayLevel, &benchParams);
+                BMK_benchOutcome_t const bo = BMK_syntheticTest(cLevel, compressibility, &compressionParams, g_displayLevel, &benchParams);
+                if (!BMK_isSuccessful_benchOutcome(bo)) return 1;
         }   }
 
 #else
@@ -1545,7 +1548,7 @@ int main(int argCount, const char* argv[])
         if (g_ldmBucketSizeLog != LDM_PARAM_DEFAULT) FIO_setLdmBucketSizeLog(prefs, (int)g_ldmBucketSizeLog);
         if (g_ldmHashRateLog != LDM_PARAM_DEFAULT) FIO_setLdmHashRateLog(prefs, (int)g_ldmHashRateLog);
         FIO_setAdaptiveMode(prefs, adapt);
-        FIO_setUseRowMatchFinder(prefs, useRowMatchFinder);
+        FIO_setUseRowMatchFinder(prefs, (int)useRowMatchFinder);
         FIO_setAdaptMin(prefs, adaptMin);
         FIO_setAdaptMax(prefs, adaptMax);
         FIO_setRsyncable(prefs, rsyncable);
diff --git a/tests/playTests.sh b/tests/playTests.sh
index 5d78e9e7d99..5f595f61154 100755
--- a/tests/playTests.sh
+++ b/tests/playTests.sh
@@ -1217,6 +1217,8 @@ zstd -rqi0b1e2 tmp1
 println "benchmark decompression only"
 zstd -f tmp1
 zstd -b -d -i0 tmp1.zst
+println "benchmark can fail - decompression on invalid data"
+zstd -b -d -i0 tmp1 && die "invalid .zst data => benchmark should have failed"
 
 GZIPMODE=1
 zstd --format=gzip -V || GZIPMODE=0