diff --git a/libavcodec/avcodec.h b/libavcodec/avcodec.h
index f934ee4cc7..90abdb2e6f 100644
--- a/libavcodec/avcodec.h
+++ b/libavcodec/avcodec.h
@@ -3363,14 +3363,13 @@ const AVClass *avcodec_get_subtitle_rect_class(void);
  */
 int avcodec_copy_context(AVCodecContext *dest, const AVCodecContext *src);
 
+#if FF_API_AVFRAME_LAVC
 /**
- * Allocate an AVFrame and set its fields to default values.  The resulting
- * struct must be freed using avcodec_free_frame().
- *
- * @return An AVFrame filled with default values or NULL on failure.
- * @see avcodec_get_frame_defaults
+ * @deprecated use av_frame_alloc()
  */
+attribute_deprecated
 AVFrame *avcodec_alloc_frame(void);
+#endif
 
 /**
  * Set the fields of the given AVFrame to default values.
diff --git a/libavcodec/utils.c b/libavcodec/utils.c
index cf45607cc7..9c4c154c8a 100644
--- a/libavcodec/utils.c
+++ b/libavcodec/utils.c
@@ -1070,6 +1070,7 @@ void avcodec_get_frame_defaults(AVFrame *frame)
     av_frame_set_colorspace(frame, AVCOL_SPC_UNSPECIFIED);
 }
 
+#if FF_API_AVFRAME_LAVC
 AVFrame *avcodec_alloc_frame(void)
 {
     AVFrame *frame = av_malloc(sizeof(AVFrame));
@@ -1082,6 +1083,7 @@ AVFrame *avcodec_alloc_frame(void)
 
     return frame;
 }
+#endif
 
 void avcodec_free_frame(AVFrame **frame)
 {