diff --git a/libavcodec/h263dec.c b/libavcodec/h263dec.c
index 1c68ec12e7..89362d209b 100644
--- a/libavcodec/h263dec.c
+++ b/libavcodec/h263dec.c
@@ -521,7 +521,7 @@ retry:
     }
 
     if (!s->current_picture_ptr || s->current_picture_ptr->f->data[0]) {
-        int i = ff_find_unused_picture(s, 0);
+        int i = ff_find_unused_picture(s->avctx, s->picture, 0);
         if (i < 0)
             return i;
         s->current_picture_ptr = &s->picture[i];
diff --git a/libavcodec/mpegvideo.c b/libavcodec/mpegvideo.c
index f8e5ea8789..6fbf500b5f 100644
--- a/libavcodec/mpegvideo.c
+++ b/libavcodec/mpegvideo.c
@@ -1672,21 +1672,19 @@ av_cold void ff_init_vlc_rl(RLTable *rl, unsigned static_size)
     }
 }
 
-static void release_unused_pictures(MpegEncContext *s)
+static void release_unused_pictures(AVCodecContext *avctx, Picture *picture)
 {
     int i;
 
     /* release non reference frames */
     for (i = 0; i < MAX_PICTURE_COUNT; i++) {
-        if (!s->picture[i].reference)
-            ff_mpeg_unref_picture(s->avctx, &s->picture[i]);
+        if (!picture[i].reference)
+            ff_mpeg_unref_picture(avctx, &picture[i]);
     }
 }
 
-static inline int pic_is_unused(MpegEncContext *s, Picture *pic)
+static inline int pic_is_unused(Picture *pic)
 {
-    if (pic == s->last_picture_ptr)
-        return 0;
     if (!pic->f->buf[0])
         return 1;
     if (pic->needs_realloc && !(pic->reference & DELAYED_PIC_REF))
@@ -1694,23 +1692,23 @@ static inline int pic_is_unused(MpegEncContext *s, Picture *pic)
     return 0;
 }
 
-static int find_unused_picture(MpegEncContext *s, int shared)
+static int find_unused_picture(AVCodecContext *avctx, Picture *picture, int shared)
 {
     int i;
 
     if (shared) {
         for (i = 0; i < MAX_PICTURE_COUNT; i++) {
-            if (!s->picture[i].f->buf[0] && &s->picture[i] != s->last_picture_ptr)
+            if (!picture[i].f->buf[0])
                 return i;
         }
     } else {
         for (i = 0; i < MAX_PICTURE_COUNT; i++) {
-            if (pic_is_unused(s, &s->picture[i]))
+            if (pic_is_unused(&picture[i]))
                 return i;
         }
     }
 
-    av_log(s->avctx, AV_LOG_FATAL,
+    av_log(avctx, AV_LOG_FATAL,
            "Internal error, picture buffer overflow\n");
     /* We could return -1, but the codec would crash trying to draw into a
      * non-existing frame anyway. This is safer than waiting for a random crash.
@@ -1727,15 +1725,15 @@ static int find_unused_picture(MpegEncContext *s, int shared)
     return -1;
 }
 
-int ff_find_unused_picture(MpegEncContext *s, int shared)
+int ff_find_unused_picture(AVCodecContext *avctx, Picture *picture, int shared)
 {
-    int ret = find_unused_picture(s, shared);
+    int ret = find_unused_picture(avctx, picture, shared);
 
     if (ret >= 0 && ret < MAX_PICTURE_COUNT) {
-        if (s->picture[ret].needs_realloc) {
-            s->picture[ret].needs_realloc = 0;
-            ff_free_picture_tables(&s->picture[ret]);
-            ff_mpeg_unref_picture(s->avctx, &s->picture[ret]);
+        if (picture[ret].needs_realloc) {
+            picture[ret].needs_realloc = 0;
+            ff_free_picture_tables(&picture[ret]);
+            ff_mpeg_unref_picture(avctx, &picture[ret]);
         }
     }
     return ret;
@@ -1794,14 +1792,14 @@ int ff_mpv_frame_start(MpegEncContext *s, AVCodecContext *avctx)
 
     ff_mpeg_unref_picture(s->avctx, &s->current_picture);
 
-    release_unused_pictures(s);
+    release_unused_pictures(s->avctx, s->picture);
 
     if (s->current_picture_ptr && !s->current_picture_ptr->f->buf[0]) {
         // we already have a unused image
         // (maybe it was set before reading the header)
         pic = s->current_picture_ptr;
     } else {
-        i   = ff_find_unused_picture(s, 0);
+        i   = ff_find_unused_picture(s->avctx, s->picture, 0);
         if (i < 0) {
             av_log(s->avctx, AV_LOG_ERROR, "no frame buffer available\n");
             return i;
@@ -1871,7 +1869,7 @@ int ff_mpv_frame_start(MpegEncContext *s, AVCodecContext *avctx)
                    "allocate dummy last picture for field based first keyframe\n");
 
         /* Allocate a dummy frame */
-        i = ff_find_unused_picture(s, 0);
+        i = ff_find_unused_picture(s->avctx, s->picture, 0);
         if (i < 0) {
             av_log(s->avctx, AV_LOG_ERROR, "no frame buffer available\n");
             return i;
@@ -1912,7 +1910,7 @@ int ff_mpv_frame_start(MpegEncContext *s, AVCodecContext *avctx)
     if ((!s->next_picture_ptr || !s->next_picture_ptr->f->buf[0]) &&
         s->pict_type == AV_PICTURE_TYPE_B) {
         /* Allocate a dummy frame */
-        i = ff_find_unused_picture(s, 0);
+        i = ff_find_unused_picture(s->avctx, s->picture, 0);
         if (i < 0) {
             av_log(s->avctx, AV_LOG_ERROR, "no frame buffer available\n");
             return i;
diff --git a/libavcodec/mpegvideo.h b/libavcodec/mpegvideo.h
index 5f688159e6..9c366bb7e5 100644
--- a/libavcodec/mpegvideo.h
+++ b/libavcodec/mpegvideo.h
@@ -780,7 +780,8 @@ void ff_print_debug_info2(AVCodecContext *avctx, AVFrame *pict, uint8_t *mbskip_
 int ff_mpv_export_qp_table(MpegEncContext *s, AVFrame *f, Picture *p, int qp_type);
 
 void ff_write_quant_matrix(PutBitContext *pb, uint16_t *matrix);
-int ff_find_unused_picture(MpegEncContext *s, int shared);
+
+int ff_find_unused_picture(AVCodecContext *avctx, Picture *picture, int shared);
 int ff_update_duplicate_context(MpegEncContext *dst, MpegEncContext *src);
 int ff_mpeg_update_thread_context(AVCodecContext *dst, const AVCodecContext *src);
 void ff_set_qscale(MpegEncContext * s, int qscale);
diff --git a/libavcodec/mpegvideo_enc.c b/libavcodec/mpegvideo_enc.c
index 4320ce3cbc..6b1286a395 100644
--- a/libavcodec/mpegvideo_enc.c
+++ b/libavcodec/mpegvideo_enc.c
@@ -1131,7 +1131,7 @@ static int load_input_picture(MpegEncContext *s, const AVFrame *pic_arg)
         ff_dlog(s->avctx, "%d %d %"PTRDIFF_SPECIFIER" %"PTRDIFF_SPECIFIER"\n", pic_arg->linesize[0],
                 pic_arg->linesize[1], s->linesize, s->uvlinesize);
 
-        i = ff_find_unused_picture(s, direct);
+        i = ff_find_unused_picture(s->avctx, s->picture, direct);
         if (i < 0)
             return i;
 
@@ -1528,7 +1528,7 @@ no_output_pic:
             // one & ensure that the shared one is reuseable
 
             Picture *pic;
-            int i = ff_find_unused_picture(s, 0);
+            int i = ff_find_unused_picture(s->avctx, s->picture, 0);
             if (i < 0)
                 return i;
             pic = &s->picture[i];