diff --git a/audio/filter/af_lavcac3enc.c b/audio/filter/af_lavcac3enc.c
index c1e6b964ad..973e688aaa 100644
--- a/audio/filter/af_lavcac3enc.c
+++ b/audio/filter/af_lavcac3enc.c
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@ const uint16_t ac3_bitrate_tab[19] = {
 typedef struct af_ac3enc_s {
     struct AVCodec        *lavc_acodec;
     struct AVCodecContext *lavc_actx;
-    AVPacket pkt;
     int bit_rate;
     struct mp_audio *input;     // frame passed to libavcodec
     struct mp_audio *pending;   // unconsumed input data
@@ -146,7 +145,6 @@ static void uninit(struct af_instance* af)
     af_ac3enc_t *s = af->priv;
 
     if (s) {
-        av_packet_unref(&s->pkt);
         if(s->lavc_actx) {
             avcodec_close(s->lavc_actx);
             av_free(s->lavc_actx);
@@ -212,6 +210,8 @@ static int filter_out(struct af_instance *af)
         MP_FATAL(af, "Could not allocate memory \n");
         return -1;
     }
+    int err = -1;
+
     frame->nb_samples = s->in_samples;
     frame->format = s->lavc_actx->sample_fmt;
     frame->channel_layout = s->lavc_actx->channel_layout;
@@ -221,30 +221,33 @@ static int filter_out(struct af_instance *af)
         frame->data[n] = s->input->planes[n];
     frame->linesize[0] = s->input->samples * s->input->sstride;
 
+    AVPacket pkt = {0};
+    av_init_packet(&pkt);
+
     int ok;
-    int lavc_ret = avcodec_encode_audio2(s->lavc_actx, &s->pkt, frame, &ok);
+    int lavc_ret = avcodec_encode_audio2(s->lavc_actx, &pkt, frame, &ok);
     av_frame_free(&frame);
     s->input->samples = 0;
     if (lavc_ret < 0 || !ok) {
         MP_FATAL(af, "Encode failed.\n");
-        return -1;
+        goto done;
     }
 
     MP_DBG(af, "avcodec_encode_audio got %d, pending %d.\n",
-            s->pkt.size, s->pending->samples);
+            pkt.size, s->pending->samples);
 
     struct mp_audio *out =
         mp_audio_pool_get(af->out_pool, af->data, s->out_samples);
     if (!out)
-        return -1;
+        goto done;
     mp_audio_copy_attributes(out, s->pending);
 
-    int frame_size = s->pkt.size;
+    int frame_size = pkt.size;
     int header_len = 0;
     char hdr[8];
 
-    if (s->cfg_add_iec61937_header && s->pkt.size > 5) {
-        int bsmod = s->pkt.data[5] & 0x7;
+    if (s->cfg_add_iec61937_header && pkt.size > 5) {
+        int bsmod = pkt.data[5] & 0x7;
         int len = frame_size;
 
         frame_size = AC3_FRAME_SIZE * 2 * 2;
@@ -262,14 +265,18 @@ static int filter_out(struct af_instance *af)
 
     char *buf = (char *)out->planes[0];
     memcpy(buf, hdr, header_len);
-    memcpy(buf + header_len, s->pkt.data, s->pkt.size);
-    memset(buf + header_len + s->pkt.size, 0,
-            frame_size - (header_len + s->pkt.size));
-    swap_16((uint16_t *)(buf + header_len), s->pkt.size / 2);
+    memcpy(buf + header_len, pkt.data, pkt.size);
+    memset(buf + header_len + pkt.size, 0,
+           frame_size - (header_len + pkt.size));
+    swap_16((uint16_t *)(buf + header_len), pkt.size / 2);
     out->samples = frame_size / out->sstride;
     af_add_output_frame(af, out);
     update_delay(af);
-    return 0;
+
+    err = 0;
+done:
+    av_packet_unref(&pkt);
+    return err;
 }
 
 static int af_open(struct af_instance* af){
@@ -307,8 +314,6 @@ static int af_open(struct af_instance* af){
     MP_VERBOSE(af, "[af_lavcac3enc]: in sample format: %s\n",
            af_fmt_to_str(s->in_sampleformat));
 
-    av_init_packet(&s->pkt);
-
     s->input = talloc_zero(s, struct mp_audio);
 
     if (s->cfg_bit_rate) {