diff --git a/libavcodec/utils.c b/libavcodec/utils.c
index 9c4c154c8a..0bb26661af 100644
--- a/libavcodec/utils.c
+++ b/libavcodec/utils.c
@@ -2012,32 +2012,15 @@ fail:
 
 static int add_metadata_from_side_data(AVCodecContext *avctx, AVFrame *frame)
 {
-    int size, ret = 0;
+    int size;
     const uint8_t *side_metadata;
     const uint8_t *end;
 
+    AVDictionary **frame_md = avpriv_frame_get_metadatap(frame);
+
     side_metadata = av_packet_get_side_data(avctx->internal->pkt,
                                             AV_PKT_DATA_STRINGS_METADATA, &size);
-    if (!side_metadata)
-        goto end;
-    end = side_metadata + size;
-    if (size && end[-1])
-        return AVERROR_INVALIDDATA;
-    while (side_metadata < end) {
-        const uint8_t *key = side_metadata;
-        const uint8_t *val = side_metadata + strlen(key) + 1;
-        int ret;
-
-        if (val >= end)
-            return AVERROR_INVALIDDATA;
-
-        ret = av_dict_set(avpriv_frame_get_metadatap(frame), key, val, 0);
-        if (ret < 0)
-            break;
-        side_metadata = val + strlen(val) + 1;
-    }
-end:
-    return ret;
+    return av_packet_unpack_dictionary(side_metadata, size, frame_md);
 }
 
 int attribute_align_arg avcodec_decode_video2(AVCodecContext *avctx, AVFrame *picture,