diff --git a/libavformat/avio.c b/libavformat/avio.c
index c0198ccbfb..5a6c53ba23 100644
--- a/libavformat/avio.c
+++ b/libavformat/avio.c
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ static int url_alloc_for_protocol (URLContext **puc, struct URLProtocol *up,
     return err;
 }
 
-int url_connect(URLContext* uc)
+int ffurl_connect(URLContext* uc)
 {
     int err = uc->prot->url_open(uc, uc->filename, uc->flags);
     if (err)
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ int url_open_protocol (URLContext **puc, struct URLProtocol *up,
     ret = url_alloc_for_protocol(puc, up, filename, flags);
     if (ret)
         goto fail;
-    ret = url_connect(*puc);
+    ret = ffurl_connect(*puc);
     if (!ret)
         return 0;
  fail:
@@ -172,6 +172,10 @@ int url_alloc(URLContext **puc, const char *filename, int flags)
 {
     return ffurl_alloc(puc, filename, flags);
 }
+int url_connect(URLContext* uc)
+{
+    return ffurl_connect(uc);
+}
 #endif
 
 #define URL_SCHEME_CHARS                        \
@@ -212,7 +216,7 @@ int url_open(URLContext **puc, const char *filename, int flags)
     int ret = ffurl_alloc(puc, filename, flags);
     if (ret)
         return ret;
-    ret = url_connect(*puc);
+    ret = ffurl_connect(*puc);
     if (!ret)
         return 0;
     url_close(*puc);
diff --git a/libavformat/avio.h b/libavformat/avio.h
index 8ba8a23f6e..311a51f8c4 100644
--- a/libavformat/avio.h
+++ b/libavformat/avio.h
@@ -103,13 +103,9 @@ typedef int URLInterruptCB(void);
 attribute_deprecated int url_open_protocol (URLContext **puc, struct URLProtocol *up,
                                             const char *url, int flags);
 attribute_deprecated int url_alloc(URLContext **h, const char *url, int flags);
+attribute_deprecated int url_connect(URLContext *h);
 #endif
 
-/**
- * Connect an URLContext that has been allocated by url_alloc
- */
-int url_connect(URLContext *h);
-
 /**
  * Create an URLContext for accessing to the resource indicated by
  * url, and open it.
diff --git a/libavformat/mmsh.c b/libavformat/mmsh.c
index 43087744ea..cacebfc639 100644
--- a/libavformat/mmsh.c
+++ b/libavformat/mmsh.c
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ static int mmsh_open(URLContext *h, const char *uri, int flags)
              host, port, mmsh->request_seq++);
     ff_http_set_headers(mms->mms_hd, headers);
 
-    err = url_connect(mms->mms_hd);
+    err = ffurl_connect(mms->mms_hd);
     if (err) {
         goto fail;
     }
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ static int mmsh_open(URLContext *h, const char *uri, int flags)
     av_dlog(NULL, "out_buffer is %s", headers);
     ff_http_set_headers(mms->mms_hd, headers);
 
-    err = url_connect(mms->mms_hd);
+    err = ffurl_connect(mms->mms_hd);
     if (err) {
           goto fail;
     }
diff --git a/libavformat/rtsp.c b/libavformat/rtsp.c
index 9d988a7923..0f7b11edcc 100644
--- a/libavformat/rtsp.c
+++ b/libavformat/rtsp.c
@@ -1411,7 +1411,7 @@ redirect:
         ff_http_set_headers(rt->rtsp_hd, headers);
 
         /* complete the connection */
-        if (url_connect(rt->rtsp_hd)) {
+        if (ffurl_connect(rt->rtsp_hd)) {
             err = AVERROR(EIO);
             goto fail;
         }
@@ -1453,7 +1453,7 @@ redirect:
         ff_http_init_auth_state(rt->rtsp_hd_out, rt->rtsp_hd);
 
         /* complete the connection */
-        if (url_connect(rt->rtsp_hd_out)) {
+        if (ffurl_connect(rt->rtsp_hd_out)) {
             err = AVERROR(EIO);
             goto fail;
         }
diff --git a/libavformat/url.h b/libavformat/url.h
index d15d4abba2..30fbf62aec 100644
--- a/libavformat/url.h
+++ b/libavformat/url.h
@@ -40,4 +40,9 @@
  */
 int ffurl_alloc(URLContext **h, const char *url, int flags);
 
+/**
+ * Connect an URLContext that has been allocated by ffurl_alloc
+ */
+int ffurl_connect(URLContext *h);
+
 #endif //AVFORMAT_URL_H