diff --git a/libavcodec/h264_slice.c b/libavcodec/h264_slice.c
index a31e804620..0d7107d455 100644
--- a/libavcodec/h264_slice.c
+++ b/libavcodec/h264_slice.c
@@ -379,19 +379,15 @@ int ff_h264_update_thread_context(AVCodecContext *dst,
     h->droppable            = h1->droppable;
 
     for (i = 0; i < H264_MAX_PICTURE_COUNT; i++) {
-        ff_h264_unref_picture(h, &h->DPB[i]);
-        if (h1->DPB[i].f->buf[0] &&
-            (ret = ff_h264_ref_picture(h, &h->DPB[i], &h1->DPB[i])) < 0)
+        ret = ff_h264_replace_picture(h, &h->DPB[i], &h1->DPB[i]);
+        if (ret < 0)
             return ret;
     }
 
     h->cur_pic_ptr = REBASE_PICTURE(h1->cur_pic_ptr, h, h1);
-    ff_h264_unref_picture(h, &h->cur_pic);
-    if (h1->cur_pic.f->buf[0]) {
-        ret = ff_h264_ref_picture(h, &h->cur_pic, &h1->cur_pic);
-        if (ret < 0)
-            return ret;
-    }
+    ret = ff_h264_replace_picture(h, &h->cur_pic, &h1->cur_pic);
+    if (ret < 0)
+        return ret;
 
     h->enable_er       = h1->enable_er;
     h->workaround_bugs = h1->workaround_bugs;