diff --git a/src/crosvm/cmdline.rs b/src/crosvm/cmdline.rs
index e019f0d0a8..7eedee5bde 100644
--- a/src/crosvm/cmdline.rs
+++ b/src/crosvm/cmdline.rs
@@ -1049,7 +1049,7 @@ pub struct RunCommand {
         from_str_fn(parse_video_options)
     )]
     /// (EXPERIMENTAL) enable virtio-video decoder device
-    // Possible backend values: libvda
+    // Possible backend values: libvda, ffmpeg
     pub video_dec: Option<VideoBackendType>,
     #[cfg(feature = "video-encoder")]
     #[argh(
diff --git a/src/crosvm/config.rs b/src/crosvm/config.rs
index 65183227c7..36db4e3c9c 100644
--- a/src/crosvm/config.rs
+++ b/src/crosvm/config.rs
@@ -703,6 +703,8 @@ pub fn parse_video_options(s: &str) -> Result<VideoBackendType, String> {
     const VALID_VIDEO_BACKENDS: &[&str] = &[
         #[cfg(feature = "libvda")]
         "libvda",
+        #[cfg(feature = "ffmpeg")]
+        "ffmpeg",
     ];
 
     match s {
@@ -710,6 +712,12 @@ pub fn parse_video_options(s: &str) -> Result<VideoBackendType, String> {
             cfg_if::cfg_if! {
                 if #[cfg(feature = "libvda")] {
                     Ok(VideoBackendType::Libvda)
+                } else if #[cfg(feature = "ffmpeg")] {
+                    Ok(VideoBackendType::Ffmpeg)
+                } else {
+                    // Cannot be reached because at least one video backend needs to be enabled for
+                    // the decoder to be compiled.
+                    unreachable!()
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -717,6 +725,8 @@ pub fn parse_video_options(s: &str) -> Result<VideoBackendType, String> {
         "libvda" => Ok(VideoBackendType::Libvda),
         #[cfg(feature = "libvda")]
         "libvda-vd" => Ok(VideoBackendType::LibvdaVd),
+        #[cfg(feature = "ffmpeg")]
+        "ffmpeg" => Ok(VideoBackendType::Ffmpeg),
         _ => Err(invalid_value_err(
             s,
             format!("should be one of ({})", VALID_VIDEO_BACKENDS.join("|")),