diff --git a/modules/codec/avcodec/fourcc.c b/modules/codec/avcodec/fourcc.c
index b9fa1bba33..de7b9e1377 100644
--- a/modules/codec/avcodec/fourcc.c
+++ b/modules/codec/avcodec/fourcc.c
@@ -563,9 +563,9 @@ bool GetFfmpegCodec( const es_format_t *es,
     const struct vlc_avcodec_fourcc *base;
     size_t count;
 
-    if (es->i_codec == VLC_CODEC_VP8 && es->i_level) // contains alpha extradata
+    if (es->i_codec == VLC_CODEC_VP8 && es->i_level != 0 && es->i_level != -1) // contains alpha extradata
         return false;
-    if (es->i_codec == VLC_CODEC_VP9 && es->i_level) // contains alpha extradata
+    if (es->i_codec == VLC_CODEC_VP9 && es->i_level != 0 && es->i_level != -1) // contains alpha extradata
         return false;
 
     switch( es->i_cat )
diff --git a/modules/codec/gstreamer/gstdecode.c b/modules/codec/gstreamer/gstdecode.c
index 08cfc70060..5269f296ba 100644
--- a/modules/codec/gstreamer/gstdecode.c
+++ b/modules/codec/gstreamer/gstdecode.c
@@ -408,12 +408,12 @@ static GstStructure* vlc_to_gst_fmt( const es_format_t *p_fmt )
                 "systemstream", G_TYPE_BOOLEAN, FALSE, NULL );
         break;
     case VLC_CODEC_VP8:
-        if (p_fmt->i_level) // contains alpha extradata
+        if (p_fmt->i_level != 0 && p_fmt->i_level != -1) // contains alpha extradata
             return NULL;
         p_str = gst_structure_new_empty( "video/x-vp8" );
         break;
     case VLC_CODEC_VP9:
-        if (p_fmt->i_level) // contains alpha extradata
+        if (p_fmt->i_level != 0 && p_fmt->i_level != -1) // contains alpha extradata
             return NULL;
         p_str = gst_structure_new_empty( "video/x-vp9" );
         break;
diff --git a/modules/codec/omxil/mediacodec.c b/modules/codec/omxil/mediacodec.c
index a844d719f1..050734fdac 100644
--- a/modules/codec/omxil/mediacodec.c
+++ b/modules/codec/omxil/mediacodec.c
@@ -809,11 +809,11 @@ static int OpenDecoder(vlc_object_t *p_this, pf_MediaCodecApi_init pf_init)
         case VLC_CODEC_WMV3: mime = "video/x-ms-wmv"; break;
         case VLC_CODEC_VC1:  mime = "video/wvc1"; break;
         case VLC_CODEC_VP8:
-            if (p_dec->fmt_in->i_level) // contains alpha extradata
+            if (p_dec->fmt_in->i_level != 0 && p_dec->fmt_in->i_level != -1) // contains alpha extradata
                 return VLC_ENOTSUP;
             mime = "video/x-vnd.on2.vp8"; break;
         case VLC_CODEC_VP9:
-            if (p_dec->fmt_in->i_level) // contains alpha extradata
+            if (p_dec->fmt_in->i_level != 0 && p_dec->fmt_in->i_level != -1) // contains alpha extradata
                 return VLC_ENOTSUP;
             mime = "video/x-vnd.on2.vp9"; break;
         }
diff --git a/modules/codec/omxil/utils.c b/modules/codec/omxil/utils.c
index eaa53831e1..90f8e79c98 100644
--- a/modules/codec/omxil/utils.c
+++ b/modules/codec/omxil/utils.c
@@ -598,9 +598,9 @@ OMX_VIDEO_CODINGTYPE GetOmxVideoFormat( const es_format_t *es )
     for( size_t i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(video_format_table); i++ )
         if( video_format_table[i].i_fourcc == i_fourcc )
         {
-            if (es->i_codec == VLC_CODEC_VP8 && es->i_level) // contains alpha extradata
+            if (es->i_codec == VLC_CODEC_VP8 && es->i_level != 0 && es->i_level != -1) // contains alpha extradata
                 continue;
-            if (es->i_codec == VLC_CODEC_VP9 && es->i_level) // contains alpha extradata
+            if (es->i_codec == VLC_CODEC_VP9 && es->i_level != 0 && es->i_level != -1) // contains alpha extradata
                 continue;
 
             return video_format_table[i].i_codec;
@@ -628,9 +628,9 @@ static const char *GetOmxVideoRole( const es_format_t *es )
     for( size_t i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(video_format_table); i++ )
         if( video_format_table[i].i_fourcc == i_fourcc )
         {
-            if (es->i_codec == VLC_CODEC_VP8 && es->i_level) // contains alpha extradata
+            if (es->i_codec == VLC_CODEC_VP8 && es->i_level != 0 && es->i_level != -1) // contains alpha extradata
                 continue;
-            if (es->i_codec == VLC_CODEC_VP9 && es->i_level) // contains alpha extradata
+            if (es->i_codec == VLC_CODEC_VP9 && es->i_level != 0 && es->i_level != -1) // contains alpha extradata
                 continue;
 
             return video_format_table[i].psz_role;
diff --git a/modules/codec/vpx.c b/modules/codec/vpx.c
index 55ed75171d..0401ac1d3d 100644
--- a/modules/codec/vpx.c
+++ b/modules/codec/vpx.c
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ static int OpenDecoder(vlc_object_t *p_this)
     {
 #ifdef ENABLE_VP8_DECODER
     case VLC_CODEC_VP8:
-        if (dec->fmt_in->i_level) // contains alpha extradata
+        if (dec->fmt_in->i_level != 0 && dec->fmt_in->i_level != -1) // contains alpha extradata
             return VLC_ENOTSUP;
         // fallthrough
     case VLC_CODEC_WEBP:
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ static int OpenDecoder(vlc_object_t *p_this)
 #endif
 #ifdef ENABLE_VP9_DECODER
     case VLC_CODEC_VP9:
-        if (dec->fmt_in->i_level) // contains alpha extradata
+        if (dec->fmt_in->i_level != 0 && dec->fmt_in->i_level != -1) // contains alpha extradata
             return VLC_ENOTSUP;
         // fallthrough
     case VLC_CODEC_VP9ALPHA_ES:
@@ -413,7 +413,7 @@ static int OpenEncoder(vlc_object_t *p_this)
     {
 #ifdef ENABLE_VP8_ENCODER
     case VLC_CODEC_VP8:
-        if (p_enc->fmt_out.i_level) // contains alpha extradata
+        if (p_enc->fmt_out.i_level != 0 && p_enc->fmt_out.i_level != -1) // contains alpha extradata
             return VLC_ENOTSUP;
         // fallthrough
     case VLC_CODEC_WEBP:
@@ -423,7 +423,7 @@ static int OpenEncoder(vlc_object_t *p_this)
 #endif
 #ifdef ENABLE_VP9_ENCODER
     case VLC_CODEC_VP9:
-        if (p_enc->fmt_out.i_level) // contains alpha extradata
+        if (p_enc->fmt_out.i_level != 0 && p_enc->fmt_out.i_level != -1) // contains alpha extradata
             return VLC_ENOTSUP;
         iface = &vpx_codec_vp9_cx_algo;
         vp_version = 9;
diff --git a/modules/codec/vpx_alpha.c b/modules/codec/vpx_alpha.c
index 930ddcd7b7..7569189c72 100644
--- a/modules/codec/vpx_alpha.c
+++ b/modules/codec/vpx_alpha.c
@@ -438,7 +438,7 @@ int OpenDecoder(vlc_object_t *o)
     decoder_t *dec = container_of(o, decoder_t, obj);
     if (dec->fmt_in->i_codec != VLC_CODEC_VP8 && dec->fmt_in->i_codec != VLC_CODEC_VP9)
         return VLC_ENOTSUP;
-    if (dec->fmt_in->i_level == 0)
+    if (dec->fmt_in->i_level == 0 || dec->fmt_in->i_level == -1)
         return VLC_ENOTSUP;
 
     vpx_alpha *p_sys = vlc_obj_calloc(o, 1, sizeof(*p_sys));
diff --git a/modules/hw/mmal/codec.c b/modules/hw/mmal/codec.c
index 352848d41e..76b284be9d 100644
--- a/modules/hw/mmal/codec.c
+++ b/modules/hw/mmal/codec.c
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ static MMAL_FOURCC_T vlc_to_mmal_es_fourcc(const es_format_t *es)
     case VLC_CODEC_VP6:
         return MMAL_ENCODING_VP6;
     case VLC_CODEC_VP8:
-        if (es->i_level) // contains alpha extradata
+        if (es->i_level != 0 && es->i_level != -1) // contains alpha extradata
             return 0;
         return MMAL_ENCODING_VP8;
     case VLC_CODEC_WMV1:
diff --git a/modules/hw/nvdec/nvdec.c b/modules/hw/nvdec/nvdec.c
index d69189a183..e5d780358d 100644
--- a/modules/hw/nvdec/nvdec.c
+++ b/modules/hw/nvdec/nvdec.c
@@ -815,7 +815,7 @@ static int OpenDecoder(vlc_object_t *p_this)
         case VLC_CODEC_MP4V:
             break;
         case VLC_CODEC_VP8:
-            if (p_dec->fmt_in->i_level) // contains alpha extradata
+            if (p_dec->fmt_in->i_level != 0 && p_dec->fmt_in->i_level != -1) // contains alpha extradata
                 goto early_exit;
             break;
         case VLC_CODEC_VP9:
@@ -824,7 +824,7 @@ static int OpenDecoder(vlc_object_t *p_this)
                 msg_Warn(p_dec, "Unsupported VP9 profile %d", p_dec->fmt_in->i_profile);
                 goto early_exit;
             }
-            if (p_dec->fmt_in->i_level) // contains alpha extradata
+            if (p_dec->fmt_in->i_level != 0 && p_dec->fmt_in->i_level != -1) // contains alpha extradata
                 goto early_exit;
             break;
         default:
diff --git a/modules/packetizer/avparser.c b/modules/packetizer/avparser.c
index 1bb9f0b447..61db932cba 100644
--- a/modules/packetizer/avparser.c
+++ b/modules/packetizer/avparser.c
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ int avparser_OpenPacketizer( vlc_object_t *p_this )
     /* Restrict to VP9 for now */
     if( p_dec->fmt_in->i_codec != VLC_CODEC_VP9 )
         return VLC_ENOTSUP;
-    if( p_dec->fmt_in->i_level ) // contains alpha extradata
+    if( p_dec->fmt_in->i_level != 0 && p_dec->fmt_in->i_level != -1 ) // contains alpha extradata
         return VLC_ENOTSUP;
 
     enum AVCodecID i_avcodec_id;
diff --git a/modules/stream_out/chromecast/cast.cpp b/modules/stream_out/chromecast/cast.cpp
index f3191579f0..9324e82e4e 100644
--- a/modules/stream_out/chromecast/cast.cpp
+++ b/modules/stream_out/chromecast/cast.cpp
@@ -773,11 +773,11 @@ bool sout_stream_sys_t::canDecodeVideo( const es_format_t *es ) const
         case VLC_CODEC_HEVC:
             return true;
         case VLC_CODEC_VP8:
-            if (es->i_level) // contains alpha extradata
+            if (es->i_level != 0 && es->i_level != -1) // contains alpha extradata
                 return false;
             return true;
         case VLC_CODEC_VP9:
-            if (es->i_level) // contains alpha extradata
+            if (es->i_level != 0 && es->i_level != -1) // contains alpha extradata
                 return false;
             return true;
         default:
diff --git a/modules/stream_out/rtpfmt.c b/modules/stream_out/rtpfmt.c
index 51f21f4084..65c100fb5e 100644
--- a/modules/stream_out/rtpfmt.c
+++ b/modules/stream_out/rtpfmt.c
@@ -644,7 +644,7 @@ int rtp_get_fmt( vlc_object_t *obj, const es_format_t *p_fmt, const char *mux,
                 rtp_fmt->fmtp = strdup( "sprop-stereo=1" );
             break;
         case VLC_CODEC_VP8:
-            if (p_fmt->i_level) // contains alpha extradata
+            if (p_fmt->i_level != 0 && p_fmt->i_level != -1) // contains alpha extradata
                 return VLC_ENOTSUP;
             rtp_fmt->ptname = "VP8";
             rtp_fmt->pf_packetize = rtp_packetize_vp8;