diff --git a/common.mak b/common.mak
index 6836c11241..ade9376191 100644
--- a/common.mak
+++ b/common.mak
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ TESTPROGS += $(TESTPROGS-yes)
 LDLIBS       = $(FFLIBS:%=%$(BUILDSUF))
 FFEXTRALIBS := $(LDLIBS:%=$(LD_LIB)) $(EXTRALIBS)
 
-EXAMPLES  := $(EXAMPLES:%=$(SUBDIR)%-example$(EXESUF))
 OBJS      := $(sort $(OBJS:%=$(SUBDIR)%))
 TESTOBJS  := $(TESTOBJS:%=$(SUBDIR)%) $(TESTPROGS:%=$(SUBDIR)%-test.o)
 TESTPROGS := $(TESTPROGS:%=$(SUBDIR)%-test$(EXESUF))
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index a5407c7c5b..292da47f72 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -1095,6 +1095,8 @@ COMPONENT_LIST="
 "
 
 EXAMPLE_LIST="
+    avcodec_example
+    metadata_example
     output_example
     transcode_aac_example
 "
@@ -2020,6 +2022,8 @@ ocv_filter_deps="libopencv"
 scale_filter_deps="swscale"
 
 # examples
+avcodec_example_deps="avcodec avutil"
+metadata_example_deps="avformat avutil"
 output_example_deps="avcodec avformat avutil swscale"
 transcode_aac_example_deps="avcodec avformat avresample"
 
diff --git a/doc/Makefile b/doc/Makefile
index 6af8116533..0cb2335768 100644
--- a/doc/Makefile
+++ b/doc/Makefile
@@ -15,9 +15,11 @@ DOCS-$(CONFIG_POD2MAN)                          += $(MANPAGES) $(PODPAGES)
 DOCS-$(CONFIG_TEXI2HTML)                        += $(HTMLPAGES)
 DOCS = $(DOCS-yes)
 
+DOC_EXAMPLES-$(CONFIG_AVCODEC_EXAMPLE)          += avcodec
+DOC_EXAMPLES-$(CONFIG_METADATA_EXAMPLE)         += metadata
 DOC_EXAMPLES-$(CONFIG_OUTPUT_EXAMPLE)           += output
 DOC_EXAMPLES-$(CONFIG_TRANSCODE_AAC_EXAMPLE)    += transcode_aac
-ALL_DOC_EXAMPLES = output transcode_aac
+ALL_DOC_EXAMPLES = avcodec metadata output transcode_aac
 
 DOC_EXAMPLES     := $(DOC_EXAMPLES-yes:%=doc/examples/%$(EXESUF))
 ALL_DOC_EXAMPLES := $(ALL_DOC_EXAMPLES:%=doc/examples/%$(EXESUF))
diff --git a/doc/doxy-wrapper.sh b/doc/doxy-wrapper.sh
index e1b8363e5f..d38dd0bcdd 100755
--- a/doc/doxy-wrapper.sh
+++ b/doc/doxy-wrapper.sh
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ shift 2
 doxygen - <<EOF
 @INCLUDE        = ${DOXYFILE}
 INPUT           = $@
-EXAMPLE_PATH    = ${SRC_PATH}/
+EXAMPLE_PATH    = ${SRC_PATH}/doc/examples
 HTML_HEADER     = ${SRC_PATH}/doc/doxy/header.html
 HTML_FOOTER     = ${SRC_PATH}/doc/doxy/footer.html
 HTML_STYLESHEET = ${SRC_PATH}/doc/doxy/doxy_stylesheet.css
diff --git a/libavcodec/api-example.c b/doc/examples/avcodec.c
similarity index 99%
rename from libavcodec/api-example.c
rename to doc/examples/avcodec.c
index 6abbddc7a7..1478881c25 100644
--- a/libavcodec/api-example.c
+++ b/doc/examples/avcodec.c
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
  * @file
  * libavcodec API use example.
  *
- * @example libavcodec/api-example.c
+ * @example avcodec.c
  * Note that this library only handles codecs (mpeg, mpeg4, etc...),
  * not file formats (avi, vob, etc...). See library 'libavformat' for the
  * format handling
diff --git a/libavformat/metadata-example.c b/doc/examples/metadata.c
similarity index 97%
rename from libavformat/metadata-example.c
rename to doc/examples/metadata.c
index 7bf77e7378..f4c6eee9c3 100644
--- a/libavformat/metadata-example.c
+++ b/doc/examples/metadata.c
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 
 /**
  * @file
- * @example libavformat/metadata-example.c
+ * @example metadata.c
  * Shows how the metadata API can be used in application programs.
  */
 
diff --git a/doc/examples/output.c b/doc/examples/output.c
index 3be85dec9a..dd0e6a224e 100644
--- a/doc/examples/output.c
+++ b/doc/examples/output.c
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
  * @file
  * libavformat API example.
  *
- * @example doc/examples/output.c
+ * @example output.c
  * Output a media file in any supported libavformat format. The default
  * codecs are used.
  */
diff --git a/doc/examples/transcode_aac.c b/doc/examples/transcode_aac.c
index 07f7fe765e..6206afe2e4 100644
--- a/doc/examples/transcode_aac.c
+++ b/doc/examples/transcode_aac.c
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
  * @file
  * simple audio converter
  *
- * @example doc/examples/transcode_aac.c
+ * @example transcode_aac.c
  * Convert an input audio file to AAC in an MP4 container using Libav.
  * @author Andreas Unterweger (dustsigns@gmail.com)
  */
diff --git a/libavcodec/Makefile b/libavcodec/Makefile
index 58defc9c21..7b50c27878 100644
--- a/libavcodec/Makefile
+++ b/libavcodec/Makefile
@@ -697,8 +697,6 @@ SKIPHEADERS-$(CONFIG_VAAPI)            += vaapi_internal.h
 SKIPHEADERS-$(CONFIG_VDA)              += vda.h
 SKIPHEADERS-$(CONFIG_VDPAU)            += vdpau.h vdpau_internal.h
 
-EXAMPLES = api
-
 TESTPROGS = dct                                                         \
             fft                                                         \
             fft-fixed                                                   \
diff --git a/libavformat/Makefile b/libavformat/Makefile
index 4da3c3b082..d491d43fd2 100644
--- a/libavformat/Makefile
+++ b/libavformat/Makefile
@@ -392,8 +392,6 @@ OBJS-$(HAVE_LIBC_MSVCRT)                 += file_open.o
 SKIPHEADERS-$(CONFIG_FFRTMPCRYPT_PROTOCOL) += rtmpdh.h
 SKIPHEADERS-$(CONFIG_NETWORK)            += network.h rtsp.h
 
-EXAMPLES  = metadata                                                    \
-
 TESTPROGS = seek                                                        \
             srtp                                                        \
             url                                                         \
diff --git a/library.mak b/library.mak
index 800c5e07f3..af33206434 100644
--- a/library.mak
+++ b/library.mak
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ LIBMAJOR   := $(lib$(NAME)_VERSION_MAJOR)
 LIBMINOR   := $(lib$(NAME)_VERSION_MINOR)
 INCINSTDIR := $(INCDIR)/lib$(NAME)
 
-LIB_EXAMPLES := $(LIB_EXAMPLES) $(EXAMPLES)
 INSTHEADERS := $(INSTHEADERS) $(HEADERS:%=$(SUBDIR)%)
 
 all-$(CONFIG_STATIC): $(SUBDIR)$(LIBNAME)
@@ -43,10 +42,10 @@ install-libs-$(CONFIG_STATIC): install-lib$(NAME)-static
 install-libs-$(CONFIG_SHARED): install-lib$(NAME)-shared
 
 define RULES
-$(EXAMPLES) $(TOOLS): THISLIB = $(FULLNAME:%=$(LD_LIB))
-$(TESTPROGS):         THISLIB = $(SUBDIR)$(LIBNAME)
+$(TOOLS):     THISLIB = $(FULLNAME:%=$(LD_LIB))
+$(TESTPROGS): THISLIB = $(SUBDIR)$(LIBNAME)
 
-$(EXAMPLES) $(TESTPROGS) $(TOOLS): %$(EXESUF): %.o $(EXEOBJS)
+$(TESTPROGS) $(TOOLS): %$(EXESUF): %.o $(EXEOBJS)
 	$$(LD) $(LDFLAGS) $$(LD_O) $$(filter %.o,$$^) $$(THISLIB) $(FFEXTRALIBS) $$(ELIBS)
 
 $(SUBDIR)$(SLIBNAME): $(SUBDIR)$(SLIBNAME_WITH_MAJOR)
@@ -58,7 +57,7 @@ $(SUBDIR)$(SLIBNAME_WITH_MAJOR): $(OBJS) $(SUBDIR)lib$(NAME).ver $(DEP_LIBS)
 	$(SLIB_EXTRA_CMD)
 
 clean::
-	$(RM) $(addprefix $(SUBDIR),*-example$(EXESUF) *-test$(EXESUF) $(CLEANFILES) $(CLEANSUFFIXES) $(LIBSUFFIXES)) \
+	$(RM) $(addprefix $(SUBDIR),*-test$(EXESUF) $(CLEANFILES) $(CLEANSUFFIXES) $(LIBSUFFIXES)) \
 	    $(CLEANSUFFIXES:%=$(SUBDIR)$(ARCH)/%)
 
 distclean:: clean
@@ -101,8 +100,7 @@ endef
 
 $(eval $(RULES))
 
-$(EXAMPLES) $(TOOLS): $(DEP_LIBS) $(SUBDIR)$($(CONFIG_SHARED:yes=S)LIBNAME)
-$(TESTPROGS):         $(DEP_LIBS) $(SUBDIR)$(LIBNAME)
+$(TOOLS):     $(DEP_LIBS) $(SUBDIR)$($(CONFIG_SHARED:yes=S)LIBNAME)
+$(TESTPROGS): $(DEP_LIBS) $(SUBDIR)$(LIBNAME)
 
-examples: $(EXAMPLES)
 testprogs: $(TESTPROGS)