diff --git a/libavcodec/assenc.c b/libavcodec/assenc.c
index 6b4462349c..caf266e037 100644
--- a/libavcodec/assenc.c
+++ b/libavcodec/assenc.c
@@ -37,9 +37,9 @@ static av_cold int ass_encode_init(AVCodecContext *avctx)
 }
 
 static int ass_encode_frame(AVCodecContext *avctx,
-                            unsigned char *buf, int bufsize, void *data)
+                            unsigned char *buf, int bufsize,
+                            const AVSubtitle *sub)
 {
-    AVSubtitle *sub = data;
     int i, len, total_len = 0;
 
     for (i=0; i<sub->num_rects; i++) {
@@ -67,5 +67,5 @@ AVCodec ff_ass_encoder = {
     .type         = AVMEDIA_TYPE_SUBTITLE,
     .id           = AV_CODEC_ID_SSA,
     .init         = ass_encode_init,
-    .encode       = ass_encode_frame,
+    .encode_sub   = ass_encode_frame,
 };
diff --git a/libavcodec/avcodec.h b/libavcodec/avcodec.h
index d0c5e07d10..c5cdf41ed3 100644
--- a/libavcodec/avcodec.h
+++ b/libavcodec/avcodec.h
@@ -2901,6 +2901,8 @@ typedef struct AVProfile {
 
 typedef struct AVCodecDefault AVCodecDefault;
 
+struct AVSubtitle;
+
 /**
  * AVCodec.
  */
@@ -2973,7 +2975,8 @@ typedef struct AVCodec {
     void (*init_static_data)(struct AVCodec *codec);
 
     int (*init)(AVCodecContext *);
-    int (*encode)(AVCodecContext *, uint8_t *buf, int buf_size, void *data);
+    int (*encode_sub)(AVCodecContext *, uint8_t *buf, int buf_size,
+                      const struct AVSubtitle *sub);
     /**
      * Encode data to an AVPacket.
      *
diff --git a/libavcodec/dvbsub.c b/libavcodec/dvbsub.c
index 51317f0a87..26d14bd363 100644
--- a/libavcodec/dvbsub.c
+++ b/libavcodec/dvbsub.c
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ static void dvb_encode_rle4(uint8_t **pq,
 }
 
 static int encode_dvb_subtitles(DVBSubtitleContext *s,
-                                uint8_t *outbuf, AVSubtitle *h)
+                                uint8_t *outbuf, const AVSubtitle *h)
 {
     uint8_t *q, *pseg_len;
     int page_id, region_id, clut_id, object_id, i, bpp_index, page_state;
@@ -392,10 +392,10 @@ static int encode_dvb_subtitles(DVBSubtitleContext *s,
 }
 
 static int dvbsub_encode(AVCodecContext *avctx,
-                       unsigned char *buf, int buf_size, void *data)
+                         unsigned char *buf, int buf_size,
+                         const AVSubtitle *sub)
 {
     DVBSubtitleContext *s = avctx->priv_data;
-    AVSubtitle *sub = data;
     int ret;
 
     ret = encode_dvb_subtitles(s, buf, sub);
@@ -407,6 +407,6 @@ AVCodec ff_dvbsub_encoder = {
     .type           = AVMEDIA_TYPE_SUBTITLE,
     .id             = AV_CODEC_ID_DVB_SUBTITLE,
     .priv_data_size = sizeof(DVBSubtitleContext),
-    .encode         = dvbsub_encode,
+    .encode_sub     = dvbsub_encode,
     .long_name      = NULL_IF_CONFIG_SMALL("DVB subtitles"),
 };
diff --git a/libavcodec/dvdsubenc.c b/libavcodec/dvdsubenc.c
index c41a98394d..5e362b7f64 100644
--- a/libavcodec/dvdsubenc.c
+++ b/libavcodec/dvdsubenc.c
@@ -205,10 +205,10 @@ static int encode_dvd_subtitles(uint8_t *outbuf, int outbuf_size,
 }
 
 static int dvdsub_encode(AVCodecContext *avctx,
-                         unsigned char *buf, int buf_size, void *data)
+                         unsigned char *buf, int buf_size,
+                         const AVSubtitle *sub)
 {
     //DVDSubtitleContext *s = avctx->priv_data;
-    AVSubtitle *sub = data;
     int ret;
 
     ret = encode_dvd_subtitles(buf, buf_size, sub);
@@ -219,6 +219,6 @@ AVCodec ff_dvdsub_encoder = {
     .name           = "dvdsub",
     .type           = AVMEDIA_TYPE_SUBTITLE,
     .id             = AV_CODEC_ID_DVD_SUBTITLE,
-    .encode         = dvdsub_encode,
+    .encode_sub     = dvdsub_encode,
     .long_name      = NULL_IF_CONFIG_SMALL("DVD subtitles"),
 };
diff --git a/libavcodec/utils.c b/libavcodec/utils.c
index 23ac50038f..f56dd7b793 100644
--- a/libavcodec/utils.c
+++ b/libavcodec/utils.c
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ static void avcodec_init(void)
 
 int av_codec_is_encoder(const AVCodec *codec)
 {
-    return codec && (codec->encode || codec->encode2);
+    return codec && (codec->encode_sub || codec->encode2);
 }
 
 int av_codec_is_decoder(const AVCodec *codec)
@@ -1174,7 +1174,7 @@ int avcodec_encode_subtitle(AVCodecContext *avctx, uint8_t *buf, int buf_size,
     }
     if(sub->num_rects == 0 || !sub->rects)
         return -1;
-    ret = avctx->codec->encode(avctx, buf, buf_size, sub);
+    ret = avctx->codec->encode_sub(avctx, buf, buf_size, sub);
     avctx->frame_number++;
     return ret;
 }
diff --git a/libavcodec/xsubenc.c b/libavcodec/xsubenc.c
index ff3b495a03..6f359a1d6e 100644
--- a/libavcodec/xsubenc.c
+++ b/libavcodec/xsubenc.c
@@ -111,9 +111,8 @@ static int make_tc(uint64_t ms, int *tc)
 }
 
 static int xsub_encode(AVCodecContext *avctx, unsigned char *buf,
-                       int bufsize, void *data)
+                       int bufsize, const AVSubtitle *h)
 {
-    AVSubtitle *h = data;
     uint64_t startTime = h->pts / 1000; // FIXME: need better solution...
     uint64_t endTime = startTime + h->end_display_time - h->start_display_time;
     int start_tc[4], end_tc[4];
@@ -215,6 +214,6 @@ AVCodec ff_xsub_encoder = {
     .type      = AVMEDIA_TYPE_SUBTITLE,
     .id        = AV_CODEC_ID_XSUB,
     .init      = xsub_encoder_init,
-    .encode    = xsub_encode,
+    .encode_sub= xsub_encode,
     .long_name = NULL_IF_CONFIG_SMALL("DivX subtitles (XSUB)"),
 };