diff --git a/src/dec/vp8l.c b/src/dec/vp8l.c
index e0922134..ac433a5a 100644
--- a/src/dec/vp8l.c
+++ b/src/dec/vp8l.c
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ static int ReadHuffmanCode(int alphabet_size, VP8LDecoder* const dec,
                                 code_lengths);
   }
 
-  ok = ok && !br->error_;
+  ok = ok && !br->eos_;
   if (!ok) {
     dec->status_ = VP8_STATUS_BITSTREAM_ERROR;
     return 0;
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ static int ReadHuffmanCodes(VP8LDecoder* const dec, int xsize, int ysize,
     }
   }
 
-  if (br->error_) goto Error;
+  if (br->eos_) goto Error;
 
   // Find maximum alphabet size for the htree group.
   for (j = 0; j < HUFFMAN_CODES_PER_META_CODE; ++j) {
@@ -948,14 +948,12 @@ static int DecodeAlphaData(VP8LDecoder* const dec, uint8_t* const data,
       goto End;
     }
     assert(br->eos_ == VP8LIsEndOfStream(br));
-    ok = !br->error_;
-    if (!ok) goto End;
   }
   // Process the remaining rows corresponding to last row-block.
   ExtractPalettedAlphaRows(dec, row);
 
  End:
-  if (br->error_ || !ok || (br->eos_ && pos < end)) {
+  if (!ok || (br->eos_ && pos < end)) {
     ok = 0;
     dec->status_ = br->eos_ ? VP8_STATUS_SUSPENDED
                             : VP8_STATUS_BITSTREAM_ERROR;
@@ -1068,14 +1066,12 @@ static int DecodeImageData(VP8LDecoder* const dec, uint32_t* const data,
       goto End;
     }
     assert(br->eos_ == VP8LIsEndOfStream(br));
-    ok = !br->error_;
-    if (!ok) goto End;
   }
   // Process the remaining rows corresponding to last row-block.
   if (process_func != NULL) process_func(dec, row);
 
  End:
-  if (br->error_ || !ok || (br->eos_ && src < src_end)) {
+  if (!ok || (br->eos_ && src < src_end)) {
     ok = 0;
     dec->status_ = br->eos_ ? VP8_STATUS_SUSPENDED
                             : VP8_STATUS_BITSTREAM_ERROR;
@@ -1310,17 +1306,17 @@ static int DecodeImageStream(int xsize, int ysize,
   // Use the Huffman trees to decode the LZ77 encoded data.
   ok = DecodeImageData(dec, data, transform_xsize, transform_ysize,
                        transform_ysize, NULL);
-  ok = ok && !br->error_;
+  ok = ok && !br->eos_;
 
  End:
-
   if (!ok) {
     WebPSafeFree(data);
     ClearMetadata(hdr);
-    // If not enough data (br.eos_) resulted in BIT_STREAM_ERROR, update the
-    // status appropriately.
-    if (dec->status_ == VP8_STATUS_BITSTREAM_ERROR && dec->br_.eos_) {
-      dec->status_ = VP8_STATUS_SUSPENDED;
+    // Check status coherency.
+    if (dec->br_.eos_) {
+      assert(dec->status_ == VP8_STATUS_SUSPENDED);
+    } else {
+      assert(dec->status_ == VP8_STATUS_BITSTREAM_ERROR);
     }
   } else {
     if (decoded_data != NULL) {
diff --git a/src/utils/bit_reader.c b/src/utils/bit_reader.c
index 64503e6b..23e68471 100644
--- a/src/utils/bit_reader.c
+++ b/src/utils/bit_reader.c
@@ -136,7 +136,6 @@ void VP8LInitBitReader(VP8LBitReader* const br, const uint8_t* const start,
   br->val_ = 0;
   br->bit_pos_ = 0;
   br->eos_ = 0;
-  br->error_ = 0;
 
   if (length > sizeof(br->val_)) {
     length = sizeof(br->val_);
@@ -157,8 +156,7 @@ void VP8LBitReaderSetBuffer(VP8LBitReader* const br,
   br->buf_ = buf;
   br->len_ = len;
   // pos_ > len_ should be considered a param error.
-  br->error_ = (br->pos_ > br->len_);
-  br->eos_ = br->error_ || VP8LIsEndOfStream(br);
+  br->eos_ = (br->pos_ > br->len_) || VP8LIsEndOfStream(br);
 }
 
 // If not at EOS, reload up to VP8L_LBITS byte-by-byte
@@ -202,7 +200,7 @@ uint32_t VP8LReadBits(VP8LBitReader* const br, int n_bits) {
     ShiftBytes(br);
     return val;
   } else {
-    br->error_ = 1;
+    br->eos_ = 1;
     return 0;
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/utils/bit_reader.h b/src/utils/bit_reader.h
index 89b5cc1c..f9f4c3be 100644
--- a/src/utils/bit_reader.h
+++ b/src/utils/bit_reader.h
@@ -118,8 +118,7 @@ typedef struct {
   size_t         len_;        // buffer length
   size_t         pos_;        // byte position in buf_
   int            bit_pos_;    // current bit-reading position in val_
-  int            eos_;        // bitstream is finished
-  int            error_;      // an error occurred (buffer overflow attempt...)
+  int            eos_;        // true if a bit was read past the end of buffer
 } VP8LBitReader;
 
 void VP8LInitBitReader(VP8LBitReader* const br,