diff --git a/reactos/ntoskrnl/mm/pe.c b/reactos/ntoskrnl/mm/pe.c
index ac390793317..412516e31c1 100644
--- a/reactos/ntoskrnl/mm/pe.c
+++ b/reactos/ntoskrnl/mm/pe.c
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ NTSTATUS NTAPI PeFmtCreateSection
 
  ASSERT(Intsafe_CanOffsetPointer(FileHeader, FileHeaderSize));
 
- ASSERT(FileHeaderSize >= sizeof(IMAGE_DOS_HEADER));
+ ASSERT(EXEFMT_LOAD_HEADER_SIZE >= sizeof(IMAGE_DOS_HEADER));
  ASSERT(((UINT_PTR)FileHeader % TYPE_ALIGNMENT(IMAGE_DOS_HEADER)) == 0);
 
 #define DIE(ARGS_) { DPRINT ARGS_; goto l_Return; }
@@ -227,6 +227,10 @@ NTSTATUS NTAPI PeFmtCreateSection
  /* DOS HEADER */
  nStatus = STATUS_ROS_EXEFMT_UNKNOWN_FORMAT;
 
+ /* image too small to be an MZ executable */
+ if(FileHeaderSize < sizeof(IMAGE_DOS_HEADER))
+  DIE(("Too small to be an MZ executable, size is %lu\n", FileHeaderSize));
+
  /* no MZ signature */
  if(pidhDosHeader->e_magic != IMAGE_DOS_SIGNATURE)
   DIE(("No MZ signature found, e_magic is %hX\n", pidhDosHeader->e_magic));
@@ -310,14 +314,16 @@ l_ReadHeaderFromFile:
   }
 
   /* invalid NT header */
+  nStatus = STATUS_INVALID_IMAGE_PROTECT;
+
   if(pinhNtHeader->Signature != IMAGE_NT_SIGNATURE)
    DIE(("The file isn't a PE executable, Signature is %X\n", pinhNtHeader->Signature));
 
+  nStatus = STATUS_INVALID_IMAGE_FORMAT;
+
   if(!Intsafe_AddULong32(&cbNtHeaderSize, pinhNtHeader->FileHeader.SizeOfOptionalHeader, FIELD_OFFSET(IMAGE_NT_HEADERS32, OptionalHeader)))
    DIE(("The full NT header is too large\n"));
 
-  nStatus = STATUS_UNSUCCESSFUL;
-
   /* the buffer doesn't contain the whole NT header */
   if(cbReadSize < cbNtHeaderSize)
    DIE(("The file doesn't contain the full NT header\n"));
@@ -721,7 +727,7 @@ l_ReadHeaderFromFile:
   *Flags |= EXEFMT_LOAD_ASSUME_SEGMENTS_PAGE_ALIGNED;
 
  /* Success */
- nStatus = STATUS_ROS_EXEFMT_LOADED_FORMAT & EXEFMT_LOADED_PE32;
+ nStatus = STATUS_ROS_EXEFMT_LOADED_FORMAT | EXEFMT_LOADED_PE32;
 
 l_Return:
  if(pBuffer)
diff --git a/reactos/ntoskrnl/mm/section.c b/reactos/ntoskrnl/mm/section.c
index e8bab05c9c8..a8cb3c05c69 100644
--- a/reactos/ntoskrnl/mm/section.c
+++ b/reactos/ntoskrnl/mm/section.c
@@ -3039,7 +3039,7 @@ ExeFmtpCreateImageSection(HANDLE FileHandle,
     */
    if (Status == STATUS_ROS_EXEFMT_UNKNOWN_FORMAT)
    {
-      Status = STATUS_INVALID_IMAGE_FORMAT;
+      Status = STATUS_INVALID_IMAGE_NOT_MZ;
       ASSERT(!NT_SUCCESS(Status));
    }