diff --git a/src/modules/module-filter-chain/builtin_plugin.c b/src/modules/module-filter-chain/builtin_plugin.c
index 5454a9732..a0e27e568 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-filter-chain/builtin_plugin.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-filter-chain/builtin_plugin.c
@@ -686,11 +686,15 @@ static float *read_closest(char **filenames, float gain, int delay, int offset,
 
 	int diff = INT_MAX;
 	uint32_t best = 0, i;
+	float *samples = NULL;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < MAX_RATES && filenames[i] && filenames[i][0]; i++) {
 		fs[i] = sf_open(filenames[i], SFM_READ, &infos[i]);
-		if (!fs[i])
+		if (!fs[i]) {
+			pw_log_error("Can't open file %s: %s", filenames[i],
+				sf_strerror(fs[i]));
 			continue;
+		}
 
 		if (labs((long)infos[i].samplerate - (long)*rate) < diff) {
 			best = i;
@@ -698,11 +702,11 @@ static float *read_closest(char **filenames, float gain, int delay, int offset,
 			pw_log_debug("new closest match: %d", infos[i].samplerate);
 		}
 	}
-
-	pw_log_info("loading best rate:%u %s", infos[best].samplerate, filenames[best]);
-	float *samples = read_samples_from_sf(fs[best], infos[best], gain, delay,
-		offset, length, channel, rate, n_samples);
-
+	if (fs[best] != NULL) {
+		pw_log_info("loading best rate:%u %s", infos[best].samplerate, filenames[best]);
+		samples = read_samples_from_sf(fs[best], infos[best], gain, delay,
+			offset, length, channel, rate, n_samples);
+	}
 	for (i = 0; i < MAX_RATES; i++)
 		if (fs[i])
 			sf_close(fs[i]);