diff --git a/src/osd/modules/render/aviwrite.cpp b/src/osd/modules/render/aviwrite.cpp
index 64594ff4c91..239a6d05d43 100644
--- a/src/osd/modules/render/aviwrite.cpp
+++ b/src/osd/modules/render/aviwrite.cpp
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ void avi_write::begin_avi_recording(const char *name)
 
 	// create a new temporary movie file
 	emu_file tempfile(m_machine.options().snapshot_directory(), OPEN_FLAG_WRITE | OPEN_FLAG_CREATE | OPEN_FLAG_CREATE_PATHS);
-	const osd_file::error filerr = (!name || !std::strcmp(name, OSDOPTVAL_AUTO))
+	const osd_file::error filerr = (!name || !name[0] || !std::strcmp(name, OSDOPTVAL_AUTO))
 			? m_machine.video().open_next(tempfile, "avi")
 			: tempfile.open(name);
 
@@ -100,13 +100,8 @@ void avi_write::begin_avi_recording(const char *name)
 
 void avi_write::end_avi_recording()
 {
-	if (m_output_file)
-	{
-		m_output_file.reset();
-	}
-
 	m_recording = false;
-	m_output_file = nullptr;
+	m_output_file.reset();
 	m_frame = 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/osd/windows/winmain.cpp b/src/osd/windows/winmain.cpp
index f4197d31e55..bbb3a56860d 100644
--- a/src/osd/windows/winmain.cpp
+++ b/src/osd/windows/winmain.cpp
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ const options_entry windows_options::s_option_entries[] =
 	{ WINOPTION_HLSLPATH,                                       "hlsl",              OPTION_STRING,     "path to hlsl files" },
 	{ WINOPTION_HLSL_ENABLE";hlsl",                             "0",                 OPTION_BOOLEAN,    "enables HLSL post-processing (PS3.0 required)" },
 	{ WINOPTION_HLSL_OVERSAMPLING,                              "0",                 OPTION_BOOLEAN,    "enables HLSL oversampling" },
-	{ WINOPTION_HLSL_WRITE,                                     nullptr,             OPTION_STRING,     "enables HLSL AVI writing (huge disk bandwidth suggested)" },
+	{ WINOPTION_HLSL_WRITE,                                     OSDOPTVAL_AUTO,      OPTION_STRING,     "enables HLSL AVI writing (huge disk bandwidth suggested)" },
 	{ WINOPTION_HLSL_SNAP_WIDTH,                                "2048",              OPTION_STRING,     "HLSL upscaled-snapshot width" },
 	{ WINOPTION_HLSL_SNAP_HEIGHT,                               "1536",              OPTION_STRING,     "HLSL upscaled-snapshot height" },
 	{ WINOPTION_SHADOW_MASK_TILE_MODE,                          "0",                 OPTION_INTEGER,    "shadow mask tile mode (0 for screen based, 1 for source based)" },