diff --git a/include/basalt/optical_flow/frame_to_frame_optical_flow.h b/include/basalt/optical_flow/frame_to_frame_optical_flow.h
index 530c645..0cfd752 100644
--- a/include/basalt/optical_flow/frame_to_frame_optical_flow.h
+++ b/include/basalt/optical_flow/frame_to_frame_optical_flow.h
@@ -249,8 +249,11 @@ class FrameToFrameOpticalFlow : public OpticalFlowBase {
 
       PatchT p(old_pyr.lvl(level), old_transform.translation() / scale);
 
-      // Perform tracking on current level
-      patch_valid &= trackPointAtLevel(pyr.lvl(level), p, transform);
+      patch_valid &= p.valid;
+      if (patch_valid) {
+        // Perform tracking on current level
+        patch_valid &= trackPointAtLevel(pyr.lvl(level), p, transform);
+      }
 
       transform.translation() *= scale;
     }
@@ -274,18 +277,24 @@ class FrameToFrameOpticalFlow : public OpticalFlowBase {
           transform.linear().matrix() * PatchT::pattern2;
       transformed_pat.colwise() += transform.translation();
 
-      bool valid = dp.residual(img_2, transformed_pat, res);
+      patch_valid &= dp.residual(img_2, transformed_pat, res);
 
-      if (valid) {
-        Vector3 inc = -dp.H_se2_inv_J_se2_T * res;
-        transform *= SE2::exp(inc).matrix();
+      if (patch_valid) {
+        const Vector3 inc = -dp.H_se2_inv_J_se2_T * res;
 
-        const int filter_margin = 2;
+        // avoid NaN in increment (leads to SE2::exp crashing)
+        patch_valid &= inc.array().isFinite().all();
 
-        if (!img_2.InBounds(transform.translation(), filter_margin))
-          patch_valid = false;
-      } else {
-        patch_valid = false;
+        // avoid very large increment
+        patch_valid &= inc.template lpNorm<Eigen::Infinity>() < 1e6;
+
+        if (patch_valid) {
+          transform *= SE2::exp(inc).matrix();
+
+          const int filter_margin = 2;
+
+          patch_valid &= img_2.InBounds(transform.translation(), filter_margin);
+        }
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/include/basalt/optical_flow/multiscale_frame_to_frame_optical_flow.h b/include/basalt/optical_flow/multiscale_frame_to_frame_optical_flow.h
index 02d6132..f30e928 100644
--- a/include/basalt/optical_flow/multiscale_frame_to_frame_optical_flow.h
+++ b/include/basalt/optical_flow/multiscale_frame_to_frame_optical_flow.h
@@ -282,8 +282,11 @@ class MultiscaleFrameToFrameOpticalFlow : public OpticalFlowBase {
 
       PatchT p(old_pyr.lvl(level), old_transform.translation() / scale);
 
-      // Perform tracking on current level
-      patch_valid = trackPointAtLevel(pyr.lvl(level), p, transform_tmp);
+      patch_valid &= p.valid;
+      if (patch_valid) {
+        // Perform tracking on current level
+        patch_valid &= trackPointAtLevel(pyr.lvl(level), p, transform_tmp);
+      }
 
       if (level == static_cast<ssize_t>(pyramid_level) + 1 && !patch_valid) {
         return false;
@@ -315,18 +318,24 @@ class MultiscaleFrameToFrameOpticalFlow : public OpticalFlowBase {
           transform.linear().matrix() * PatchT::pattern2;
       transformed_pat.colwise() += transform.translation();
 
-      bool valid = dp.residual(img_2, transformed_pat, res);
+      patch_valid &= dp.residual(img_2, transformed_pat, res);
 
-      if (valid) {
-        Vector3 inc = -dp.H_se2_inv_J_se2_T * res;
-        transform *= SE2::exp(inc).matrix();
+      if (patch_valid) {
+        const Vector3 inc = -dp.H_se2_inv_J_se2_T * res;
 
-        const int filter_margin = 2;
+        // avoid NaN in increment (leads to SE2::exp crashing)
+        patch_valid &= inc.array().isFinite().all();
 
-        if (!img_2.InBounds(transform.translation(), filter_margin))
-          patch_valid = false;
-      } else {
-        patch_valid = false;
+        // avoid very large increment
+        patch_valid &= inc.template lpNorm<Eigen::Infinity>() < 1e6;
+
+        if (patch_valid) {
+          transform *= SE2::exp(inc).matrix();
+
+          const int filter_margin = 2;
+
+          patch_valid &= img_2.InBounds(transform.translation(), filter_margin);
+        }
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/include/basalt/optical_flow/patch.h b/include/basalt/optical_flow/patch.h
index 246e342..aee8e9a 100644
--- a/include/basalt/optical_flow/patch.h
+++ b/include/basalt/optical_flow/patch.h
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ struct OpticalFlowPatch {
 
   EIGEN_MAKE_ALIGNED_OPERATOR_NEW
 
-  OpticalFlowPatch() { mean = 0; }
+  OpticalFlowPatch() = default;
 
   OpticalFlowPatch(const Image<const uint16_t> &img, const Vector2 &pos) {
     setFromImage(img, pos);
@@ -127,6 +127,16 @@ struct OpticalFlowPatch {
     H_se2.ldlt().solveInPlace(H_se2_inv);
 
     H_se2_inv_J_se2_T = H_se2_inv * J_se2.transpose();
+
+    // NOTE: while it's very unlikely we get a source patch with all black
+    // pixels, since points are usually selected at corners, it doesn't cost
+    // much to be safe here.
+
+    // all-black patch cannot be normalized; will result in mean of "zero" and
+    // H_se2_inv_J_se2_T will contain "NaN" and data will contain "inf"
+    valid = mean > std::numeric_limits<Scalar>::epsilon() &&
+            H_se2_inv_J_se2_T.array().isFinite().all() &&
+            data.array().isFinite().all();
   }
 
   inline bool residual(const Image<const uint16_t> &img,
@@ -146,6 +156,12 @@ struct OpticalFlowPatch {
       }
     }
 
+    // all-black patch cannot be normalized
+    if (sum < std::numeric_limits<Scalar>::epsilon()) {
+      residual.setZero();
+      return false;
+    }
+
     int num_residuals = 0;
 
     for (int i = 0; i < PATTERN_SIZE; i++) {
@@ -162,14 +178,16 @@ struct OpticalFlowPatch {
     return num_residuals > PATTERN_SIZE / 2;
   }
 
-  Vector2 pos;
-  VectorP data;  // negative if the point is not valid
+  Vector2 pos = Vector2::Zero();
+  VectorP data = VectorP::Zero();  // negative if the point is not valid
 
   // MatrixP3 J_se2;  // total jacobian with respect to se2 warp
   // Matrix3 H_se2_inv;
-  Matrix3P H_se2_inv_J_se2_T;
+  Matrix3P H_se2_inv_J_se2_T = Matrix3P::Zero();
 
-  Scalar mean;
+  Scalar mean = 0;
+
+  bool valid = false;
 };
 
 template <typename Scalar, typename Pattern>
diff --git a/include/basalt/optical_flow/patch_optical_flow.h b/include/basalt/optical_flow/patch_optical_flow.h
index 0710bd4..81c891d 100644
--- a/include/basalt/optical_flow/patch_optical_flow.h
+++ b/include/basalt/optical_flow/patch_optical_flow.h
@@ -236,9 +236,13 @@ class PatchOpticalFlow : public OpticalFlowBase {
 
       transform.translation() /= scale;
 
-      // Perform tracking on current level
-      patch_valid &=
-          trackPointAtLevel(pyr.lvl(level), patch_vec[level], transform);
+      // TODO: maybe we should better check patch validity when creating points
+      const auto& p = patch_vec[level];
+      patch_valid &= p.valid;
+      if (patch_valid) {
+        // Perform tracking on current level
+        patch_valid &= trackPointAtLevel(pyr.lvl(level), p, transform);
+      }
 
       transform.translation() *= scale;
     }
@@ -260,18 +264,24 @@ class PatchOpticalFlow : public OpticalFlowBase {
           transform.linear().matrix() * PatchT::pattern2;
       transformed_pat.colwise() += transform.translation();
 
-      bool valid = dp.residual(img_2, transformed_pat, res);
+      patch_valid &= dp.residual(img_2, transformed_pat, res);
 
-      if (valid) {
-        Vector3 inc = -dp.H_se2_inv_J_se2_T * res;
-        transform *= SE2::exp(inc).matrix();
+      if (patch_valid) {
+        const Vector3 inc = -dp.H_se2_inv_J_se2_T * res;
 
-        const int filter_margin = 2;
+        // avoid NaN in increment (leads to SE2::exp crashing)
+        patch_valid &= inc.array().isFinite().all();
 
-        if (!img_2.InBounds(transform.translation(), filter_margin))
-          patch_valid = false;
-      } else {
-        patch_valid = false;
+        // avoid very large increment
+        patch_valid &= inc.template lpNorm<Eigen::Infinity>() < 1e6;
+
+        if (patch_valid) {
+          transform *= SE2::exp(inc).matrix();
+
+          const int filter_margin = 2;
+
+          patch_valid &= img_2.InBounds(transform.translation(), filter_margin);
+        }
       }
     }