diff --git a/RCTVideo.m b/RCTVideo.m
index 46f691bc..5a6d80d5 100644
--- a/RCTVideo.m
+++ b/RCTVideo.m
@@ -226,6 +226,7 @@ static NSString *const playbackRate = @"rate";
   _player = [AVPlayer playerWithPlayerItem:_playerItem];
   _player.actionAtItemEnd = AVPlayerActionAtItemEndNone;
   [_player addObserver:self forKeyPath:playbackRate options:0 context:nil];
+  _playbackRateObserverRegistered = YES;
 
   const Float64 progressUpdateIntervalMS = _progressUpdateInterval / 1000;
   // @see endScrubbing in AVPlayerDemoPlaybackViewController.m of https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/samplecode/AVPlayerDemo/Introduction/Intro.html
@@ -669,7 +670,8 @@ static NSString *const playbackRate = @"rate";
 - (void)removeFromSuperview
 {
   [_player pause];
-  [_player removeObserver:self forKeyPath:playbackRate];
+    [_player removeObserver:self forKeyPath:playbackRate];
+    _playbackRateObserverRegistered = NO;
   _player = nil;
 
   [self removePlayerLayer];