diff --git a/libraries/common/src/main/java/androidx/media3/common/VideoFrameProcessor.java b/libraries/common/src/main/java/androidx/media3/common/VideoFrameProcessor.java
index c0e3727076..f891f04b3d 100644
--- a/libraries/common/src/main/java/androidx/media3/common/VideoFrameProcessor.java
+++ b/libraries/common/src/main/java/androidx/media3/common/VideoFrameProcessor.java
@@ -319,8 +319,6 @@ public interface VideoFrameProcessor {
    *
    * @throws UnsupportedOperationException If the {@code VideoFrameProcessor} does not accept
    *     {@linkplain #INPUT_TYPE_SURFACE surface input}.
-   * @throws IllegalStateException If {@link #registerInputStream} is not called before calling this
-   *     method.
    */
   void flush();
 
diff --git a/libraries/effect/src/androidTest/java/androidx/media3/effect/DefaultVideoFrameProcessorFlushTest.java b/libraries/effect/src/androidTest/java/androidx/media3/effect/DefaultVideoFrameProcessorFlushTest.java
index 22dc10f884..76020110d1 100644
--- a/libraries/effect/src/androidTest/java/androidx/media3/effect/DefaultVideoFrameProcessorFlushTest.java
+++ b/libraries/effect/src/androidTest/java/androidx/media3/effect/DefaultVideoFrameProcessorFlushTest.java
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ package androidx.media3.effect;
 import static androidx.media3.common.util.Assertions.checkNotNull;
 import static androidx.media3.test.utils.BitmapPixelTestUtil.readBitmapUnpremultipliedAlpha;
 import static com.google.common.truth.Truth.assertThat;
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertThrows;
 
 import android.graphics.Bitmap;
 import androidx.media3.common.C;
@@ -54,13 +53,6 @@ public class DefaultVideoFrameProcessorFlushTest {
     checkNotNull(videoFrameProcessorTestRunner).release();
   }
 
-  @Test
-  public void imageInput_flushBeforeInput_throwsException() throws Exception {
-    videoFrameProcessorTestRunner = createDefaultVideoFrameProcessorTestRunner(testId);
-
-    assertThrows(IllegalStateException.class, videoFrameProcessorTestRunner::flush);
-  }
-
   // This tests a condition that is difficult to synchronize, and is subject to a race condition. It
   // may flake/fail if any queued frames are processed in the VideoFrameProcessor thread, before
   // flush begins and cancels these pending frames. However, this is better than not testing this
diff --git a/libraries/effect/src/main/java/androidx/media3/effect/DefaultVideoFrameProcessor.java b/libraries/effect/src/main/java/androidx/media3/effect/DefaultVideoFrameProcessor.java
index 8ee6205290..e05c807707 100644
--- a/libraries/effect/src/main/java/androidx/media3/effect/DefaultVideoFrameProcessor.java
+++ b/libraries/effect/src/main/java/androidx/media3/effect/DefaultVideoFrameProcessor.java
@@ -604,6 +604,9 @@ public final class DefaultVideoFrameProcessor implements VideoFrameProcessor {
    */
   @Override
   public void flush() {
+    if (!inputSwitcher.hasActiveInput()) {
+      return;
+    }
     try {
       videoFrameProcessingTaskExecutor.flush();
 
@@ -612,7 +615,6 @@ public final class DefaultVideoFrameProcessor implements VideoFrameProcessor {
       inputSwitcher.activeTextureManager().setOnFlushCompleteListener(latch::countDown);
       videoFrameProcessingTaskExecutor.submit(finalShaderProgramWrapper::flush);
       latch.await();
-
       inputSwitcher.activeTextureManager().setOnFlushCompleteListener(null);
     } catch (InterruptedException e) {
       Thread.currentThread().interrupt();