diff --git a/libavcodec/avcodec.h b/libavcodec/avcodec.h
index 353a42a67b..4ac66551c6 100644
--- a/libavcodec/avcodec.h
+++ b/libavcodec/avcodec.h
@@ -2562,6 +2562,8 @@ typedef struct AVCodecContext {
      * low resolution decoding, 1-> 1/2 size, 2->1/4 size
      * - encoding: unused
      * - decoding: Set by user.
+     * Code outside libavcodec should access this field using:
+     * av_codec_{get,set}_lowres(avctx)
      */
      int lowres;
 #endif
@@ -2814,6 +2816,17 @@ typedef struct AVCodecContext {
      */
     const AVCodecDescriptor *codec_descriptor;
 
+#if !FF_API_LOWRES
+    /**
+     * low resolution decoding, 1-> 1/2 size, 2->1/4 size
+     * - encoding: unused
+     * - decoding: Set by user.
+     * Code outside libavcodec should access this field using:
+     * av_codec_{get,set}_lowres(avctx)
+     */
+     int lowres;
+#endif
+
     /**
      * Current statistics for PTS correction.
      * - decoding: maintained and used by libavcodec, not intended to be used by user apps
@@ -2841,6 +2854,7 @@ typedef struct AVCodecContext {
 #define FF_SUB_CHARENC_MODE_DO_NOTHING  -1  ///< do nothing (demuxer outputs a stream supposed to be already in UTF-8, or the codec is bitmap for instance)
 #define FF_SUB_CHARENC_MODE_AUTOMATIC    0  ///< libavcodec will select the mode itself
 #define FF_SUB_CHARENC_MODE_PRE_DECODER  1  ///< the AVPacket data needs to be recoded to UTF-8 before being fed to the decoder, requires iconv
+
 } AVCodecContext;
 
 AVRational av_codec_get_pkt_timebase         (const AVCodecContext *avctx);
@@ -2849,6 +2863,9 @@ void       av_codec_set_pkt_timebase         (AVCodecContext *avctx, AVRational
 const AVCodecDescriptor *av_codec_get_codec_descriptor(const AVCodecContext *avctx);
 void                     av_codec_set_codec_descriptor(AVCodecContext *avctx, const AVCodecDescriptor *desc);
 
+int  av_codec_get_lowres(const AVCodecContext *avctx);
+void av_codec_set_lowres(AVCodecContext *avctx, int val);
+
 /**
  * AVProfile.
  */
diff --git a/libavcodec/utils.c b/libavcodec/utils.c
index 9dbd1cfc41..d73e619b91 100644
--- a/libavcodec/utils.c
+++ b/libavcodec/utils.c
@@ -982,6 +982,7 @@ void avcodec_free_frame(AVFrame **frame)
 
 MAKE_ACCESSORS(AVCodecContext, codec, AVRational, pkt_timebase)
 MAKE_ACCESSORS(AVCodecContext, codec, const AVCodecDescriptor *, codec_descriptor)
+MAKE_ACCESSORS(AVCodecContext, codec, int, lowres)
 
 static void avcodec_get_subtitle_defaults(AVSubtitle *sub)
 {