diff --git a/panda/src/ffmpeg/ffmpegVideoCursor.cxx b/panda/src/ffmpeg/ffmpegVideoCursor.cxx
index 23314561e9..8b700d2342 100644
--- a/panda/src/ffmpeg/ffmpegVideoCursor.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/ffmpeg/ffmpegVideoCursor.cxx
@@ -138,6 +138,15 @@ init_from(FfmpegVideo *source) {
   _convert_ctx = sws_getContext(_size_x, _size_y, _video_ctx->pix_fmt,
                                 _size_x, _size_y, (AVPixelFormat)_pixel_format,
                                 SWS_BILINEAR | SWS_PRINT_INFO, nullptr, nullptr, nullptr);
+#else
+  if (_video_ctx->pix_fmt != _pixel_format) {
+    const AVPixFmtDescriptor *desc = av_pix_fmt_desc_get(_video_ctx->pix_fmt);
+    ffmpeg_cat.error()
+      << "Video with pixel format " << (desc ? desc->name : "?")
+      << " needs conversion, but libswscale support is not enabled.\n";
+    cleanup();
+    return;
+  }
 #endif  // HAVE_SWSCALE
 
 #ifdef HAVE_THREADS
@@ -1164,24 +1173,29 @@ export_frame(FfmpegBuffer *buffer) {
   buffer->_begin_frame = _begin_frame;
   buffer->_end_frame = _end_frame;
 
+#ifdef HAVE_SWSCALE
+  nassertv(_convert_ctx != nullptr && _frame != nullptr);
   if (ffmpeg_global_lock) {
     ReMutexHolder av_holder(_av_lock);
-#ifdef HAVE_SWSCALE
-    nassertv(_convert_ctx != nullptr && _frame != nullptr && _frame_out != nullptr);
     sws_scale(_convert_ctx, _frame->data, _frame->linesize, 0, _size_y, _frame_out->data, _frame_out->linesize);
-#else
-    img_convert((AVPicture *)_frame_out, (AVPixelFormat)_pixel_format,
-                (AVPicture *)_frame, _video_ctx->pix_fmt, _size_x, _size_y);
-#endif
   } else {
-#ifdef HAVE_SWSCALE
-    nassertv(_convert_ctx != nullptr && _frame != nullptr && _frame_out != nullptr);
     sws_scale(_convert_ctx, _frame->data, _frame->linesize, 0, _size_y, _frame_out->data, _frame_out->linesize);
-#else
-    img_convert((AVPicture *)_frame_out, (AVPixelFormat)_pixel_format,
-                (AVPicture *)_frame, _video_ctx->pix_fmt, _size_x, _size_y);
-#endif
   }
+#else
+  nassertv(_frame != nullptr);
+  uint8_t const *src = _frame->data[0];
+  uint8_t *dst = _frame_out->data[0];
+  int src_stride = _frame->linesize[0];
+  int dst_stride = _frame_out->linesize[0];
+  size_t copy_size = _size_x * _num_components;
+  nassertv(copy_size <= (size_t)std::abs(src_stride));
+
+  for (int y = 0; y < _size_y; ++y) {
+    memcpy(dst, src, copy_size);
+    src += src_stride;
+    dst += dst_stride;
+  }
+#endif
 }
 
 /**