diff --git a/src/livekit/TrackProcessorContext.test.ts b/src/livekit/TrackProcessorContext.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..732fa5308
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/livekit/TrackProcessorContext.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2026 Element Creations Ltd.
+
+SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-only OR LicenseRef-Element-Commercial
+Please see LICENSE in the repository root for full details.
+*/
+
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { type LocalVideoTrack } from "livekit-client";
+import {
+  type BackgroundOptions,
+  type ProcessorWrapper,
+} from "@livekit/track-processors";
+
+import { applyProcessor } from "./TrackProcessorContext";
+
+const processor = {} as ProcessorWrapper<BackgroundOptions>;
+
+function mockTrack(
+  readyState: MediaStreamTrackState,
+  current?: ProcessorWrapper<BackgroundOptions>,
+): LocalVideoTrack {
+  return {
+    mediaStreamTrack: { readyState },
+    getProcessor: vi.fn().mockReturnValue(current),
+    setProcessor: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
+    stopProcessor: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
+  } as unknown as LocalVideoTrack;
+}
+
+describe("applyProcessor", () => {
+  it("attaches the processor to a live track", () => {
+    const track = mockTrack("live");
+    applyProcessor(track, processor);
+    expect(track.setProcessor).toHaveBeenCalledWith(processor);
+  });
+
+  it("does not attach the processor to an ended track", () => {
+    const track = mockTrack("ended");
+    applyProcessor(track, processor);
+    expect(track.setProcessor).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("does not surface a rejected setProcessor", async () => {
+    const track = mockTrack("live");
+    vi.mocked(track.setProcessor).mockRejectedValue(
+      new TypeError("Input track cannot be ended"),
+    );
+    const unhandled = vi.fn();
+    process.on("unhandledRejection", unhandled);
+    applyProcessor(track, processor);
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 0));
+    process.off("unhandledRejection", unhandled);
+    expect(unhandled).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("stops the processor when none is wanted", () => {
+    const track = mockTrack("live", processor);
+    applyProcessor(track, undefined);
+    expect(track.stopProcessor).toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/livekit/TrackProcessorContext.tsx b/src/livekit/TrackProcessorContext.tsx
index 21cd609ea..96897929f 100644
--- a/src/livekit/TrackProcessorContext.tsx
+++ b/src/livekit/TrackProcessorContext.tsx
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import {
   useMemo,
 } from "react";
 import { type LocalVideoTrack } from "livekit-client";
+import { logger } from "matrix-js-sdk/lib/logger";
 import { combineLatest, map, type Observable } from "rxjs";
 import { useObservable } from "observable-hooks";
 
@@ -65,6 +66,34 @@ export function useTrackProcessorObservable$(): Observable<ProcessorState> {
   return state$;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Attaches or detaches the processor so that the track matches the desired
+ * state, without throwing.
+ */
+export function applyProcessor(
+  videoTrack: LocalVideoTrack,
+  processor: ProcessorWrapper<BackgroundOptions> | undefined,
+): void {
+  if (processor && !videoTrack.getProcessor()) {
+    // A MediaStreamTrackProcessor cannot be constructed on an ended track
+    // (e.g. the camera was stopped while the processor was being applied),
+    // and setProcessor rejects with a TypeError. The track is going away
+    // anyway, so there is nothing to attach to.
+    if (videoTrack.mediaStreamTrack.readyState === "ended") {
+      logger.debug("Not attaching video processor to an ended track");
+      return;
+    }
+    videoTrack.setProcessor(processor).catch((e) => {
+      logger.warn("Failed to attach video processor", e);
+    });
+  }
+  if (!processor && videoTrack.getProcessor()) {
+    videoTrack.stopProcessor().catch((e) => {
+      logger.warn("Failed to stop video processor", e);
+    });
+  }
+}
+
 /**
  * Updates your video tracks to always use the given processor.
  */
@@ -78,13 +107,7 @@ export const trackProcessorSync = (
     .subscribe(([videoTrack, processorState]) => {
       if (!processorState) return;
       if (!videoTrack) return;
-      const { processor } = processorState;
-      if (processor && !videoTrack.getProcessor()) {
-        void videoTrack.setProcessor(processor);
-      }
-      if (!processor && videoTrack.getProcessor()) {
-        void videoTrack.stopProcessor();
-      }
+      applyProcessor(videoTrack, processorState.processor);
     });
 };
 
@@ -94,12 +117,7 @@ export const useTrackProcessorSync = (
   const { processor } = useTrackProcessor();
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!videoTrack) return;
-    if (processor && !videoTrack.getProcessor()) {
-      void videoTrack.setProcessor(processor);
-    }
-    if (!processor && videoTrack.getProcessor()) {
-      void videoTrack.stopProcessor();
-    }
+    applyProcessor(videoTrack, processor);
   }, [processor, videoTrack]);
 };