diff --git a/libavcodec/mss3.c b/libavcodec/mss3.c
index 020a43a15b..c5e29a3205 100644
--- a/libavcodec/mss3.c
+++ b/libavcodec/mss3.c
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ typedef struct HaarBlockCoder {
 
 typedef struct MSS3Context {
     AVCodecContext   *avctx;
-    AVFrame          pic;
+    AVFrame          *pic;
 
     int              got_error;
     RangeCoder       coder;
@@ -731,14 +731,14 @@ static int mss3_decode_frame(AVCodecContext *avctx, void *data, int *got_frame,
         return buf_size;
     c->got_error = 0;
 
-    if ((ret = ff_reget_buffer(avctx, &c->pic)) < 0) {
+    if ((ret = ff_reget_buffer(avctx, c->pic)) < 0) {
         av_log(avctx, AV_LOG_ERROR, "reget_buffer() failed\n");
         return ret;
     }
-    c->pic.key_frame = keyframe;
-    c->pic.pict_type = keyframe ? AV_PICTURE_TYPE_I : AV_PICTURE_TYPE_P;
+    c->pic->key_frame = keyframe;
+    c->pic->pict_type = keyframe ? AV_PICTURE_TYPE_I : AV_PICTURE_TYPE_P;
     if (!bytestream2_get_bytes_left(&gb)) {
-        if ((ret = av_frame_ref(data, &c->pic)) < 0)
+        if ((ret = av_frame_ref(data, c->pic)) < 0)
             return ret;
         *got_frame      = 1;
 
@@ -751,9 +751,9 @@ static int mss3_decode_frame(AVCodecContext *avctx, void *data, int *got_frame,
 
     mb_width  = dec_width  >> 4;
     mb_height = dec_height >> 4;
-    dst[0] = c->pic.data[0] + dec_x     +  dec_y      * c->pic.linesize[0];
-    dst[1] = c->pic.data[1] + dec_x / 2 + (dec_y / 2) * c->pic.linesize[1];
-    dst[2] = c->pic.data[2] + dec_x / 2 + (dec_y / 2) * c->pic.linesize[2];
+    dst[0] = c->pic->data[0] + dec_x     +  dec_y      * c->pic->linesize[0];
+    dst[1] = c->pic->data[1] + dec_x / 2 + (dec_y / 2) * c->pic->linesize[1];
+    dst[2] = c->pic->data[2] + dec_x / 2 + (dec_y / 2) * c->pic->linesize[2];
     for (y = 0; y < mb_height; y++) {
         for (x = 0; x < mb_width; x++) {
             for (i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
@@ -764,23 +764,23 @@ static int mss3_decode_frame(AVCodecContext *avctx, void *data, int *got_frame,
                 case FILL_BLOCK:
                     decode_fill_block(acoder, c->fill_coder + i,
                                       dst[i] + x * blk_size,
-                                      c->pic.linesize[i], blk_size);
+                                      c->pic->linesize[i], blk_size);
                     break;
                 case IMAGE_BLOCK:
                     decode_image_block(acoder, c->image_coder + i,
                                        dst[i] + x * blk_size,
-                                       c->pic.linesize[i], blk_size);
+                                       c->pic->linesize[i], blk_size);
                     break;
                 case DCT_BLOCK:
                     decode_dct_block(acoder, c->dct_coder + i,
                                      dst[i] + x * blk_size,
-                                     c->pic.linesize[i], blk_size,
+                                     c->pic->linesize[i], blk_size,
                                      c->dctblock, x, y);
                     break;
                 case HAAR_BLOCK:
                     decode_haar_block(acoder, c->haar_coder + i,
                                       dst[i] + x * blk_size,
-                                      c->pic.linesize[i], blk_size,
+                                      c->pic->linesize[i], blk_size,
                                       c->hblock);
                     break;
                 }
@@ -792,12 +792,12 @@ static int mss3_decode_frame(AVCodecContext *avctx, void *data, int *got_frame,
                 }
             }
         }
-        dst[0] += c->pic.linesize[0] * 16;
-        dst[1] += c->pic.linesize[1] * 8;
-        dst[2] += c->pic.linesize[2] * 8;
+        dst[0] += c->pic->linesize[0] * 16;
+        dst[1] += c->pic->linesize[1] * 8;
+        dst[2] += c->pic->linesize[2] * 8;
     }
 
-    if ((ret = av_frame_ref(data, &c->pic)) < 0)
+    if ((ret = av_frame_ref(data, c->pic)) < 0)
         return ret;
 
     *got_frame      = 1;
@@ -805,6 +805,18 @@ static int mss3_decode_frame(AVCodecContext *avctx, void *data, int *got_frame,
     return buf_size;
 }
 
+static av_cold int mss3_decode_end(AVCodecContext *avctx)
+{
+    MSS3Context * const c = avctx->priv_data;
+    int i;
+
+    av_frame_free(&c->pic);
+    for (i = 0; i < 3; i++)
+        av_freep(&c->dct_coder[i].prev_dc);
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
 static av_cold int mss3_decode_init(AVCodecContext *avctx)
 {
     MSS3Context * const c = avctx->priv_data;
@@ -836,6 +848,12 @@ static av_cold int mss3_decode_init(AVCodecContext *avctx)
         }
     }
 
+    c->pic = av_frame_alloc();
+    if (!c->pic) {
+        mss3_decode_end(avctx);
+        return AVERROR(ENOMEM);
+    }
+
     avctx->pix_fmt     = AV_PIX_FMT_YUV420P;
 
     init_coders(c);
@@ -843,18 +861,6 @@ static av_cold int mss3_decode_init(AVCodecContext *avctx)
     return 0;
 }
 
-static av_cold int mss3_decode_end(AVCodecContext *avctx)
-{
-    MSS3Context * const c = avctx->priv_data;
-    int i;
-
-    av_frame_unref(&c->pic);
-    for (i = 0; i < 3; i++)
-        av_freep(&c->dct_coder[i].prev_dc);
-
-    return 0;
-}
-
 AVCodec ff_msa1_decoder = {
     .name           = "msa1",
     .long_name      = NULL_IF_CONFIG_SMALL("MS ATC Screen"),