diff --git a/mpvcore/mplayer.c b/mpvcore/mplayer.c
index cac24363f9..e7c21cc272 100644
--- a/mpvcore/mplayer.c
+++ b/mpvcore/mplayer.c
@@ -2384,13 +2384,13 @@ int reinit_video_chain(struct MPContext *mpctx)
                        &(bool){false});
         }
         mpctx->initialized_flags |= INITIALIZED_VO;
-
-        // dynamic allocation only to make stheader.h lighter
-        talloc_free(sh_video->hwdec_info);
-        sh_video->hwdec_info = talloc_zero(sh_video, struct mp_hwdec_info);
-        vo_control(mpctx->video_out, VOCTRL_GET_HWDEC_INFO, sh_video->hwdec_info);
     }
 
+    // dynamic allocation only to make stheader.h lighter
+    talloc_free(sh_video->hwdec_info);
+    sh_video->hwdec_info = talloc_zero(sh_video, struct mp_hwdec_info);
+    vo_control(mpctx->video_out, VOCTRL_GET_HWDEC_INFO, sh_video->hwdec_info);
+
     vo_update_window_title(mpctx);
 
     if (stream_control(mpctx->sh_video->gsh->demuxer->stream,