diff --git a/libavcodec/avcodec.h b/libavcodec/avcodec.h
index 1cab5c5950..77d5e2290c 100644
--- a/libavcodec/avcodec.h
+++ b/libavcodec/avcodec.h
@@ -4675,7 +4675,13 @@ enum AVPixelFormat avcodec_default_get_format(struct AVCodecContext *s, const en
  * @}
  */
 
+#if FF_API_SET_DIMENSIONS
+/**
+ * @deprecated this function is not supposed to be used from outside of lavc
+ */
+attribute_deprecated
 void avcodec_set_dimensions(AVCodecContext *s, int width, int height);
+#endif
 
 /**
  * Put a string representing the codec tag codec_tag in buf.
diff --git a/libavcodec/internal.h b/libavcodec/internal.h
index 96976e1ae9..bfeb0962fd 100644
--- a/libavcodec/internal.h
+++ b/libavcodec/internal.h
@@ -225,4 +225,10 @@ const uint8_t *avpriv_find_start_code(const uint8_t *p,
                                       const uint8_t *end,
                                       uint32_t *state);
 
+/**
+ * Check that the provided frame dimensions are valid and set them on the codec
+ * context.
+ */
+int ff_set_dimensions(AVCodecContext *s, int width, int height);
+
 #endif /* AVCODEC_INTERNAL_H */
diff --git a/libavcodec/utils.c b/libavcodec/utils.c
index 7ea0084dc8..e45ea5b25f 100644
--- a/libavcodec/utils.c
+++ b/libavcodec/utils.c
@@ -230,12 +230,26 @@ unsigned avcodec_get_edge_width(void)
     return EDGE_WIDTH;
 }
 
+#if FF_API_SET_DIMENSIONS
 void avcodec_set_dimensions(AVCodecContext *s, int width, int height)
 {
+    ff_set_dimensions(s, width, height);
+}
+#endif
+
+int ff_set_dimensions(AVCodecContext *s, int width, int height)
+{
+    int ret = av_image_check_size(width, height, 0, s);
+
+    if (ret < 0)
+        width = height = 0;
+
     s->coded_width  = width;
     s->coded_height = height;
     s->width        = FF_CEIL_RSHIFT(width,  s->lowres);
     s->height       = FF_CEIL_RSHIFT(height, s->lowres);
+
+    return ret;
 }
 
 #if HAVE_NEON || ARCH_PPC || HAVE_MMX
diff --git a/libavcodec/version.h b/libavcodec/version.h
index 073c8dc8c6..96852e2e41 100644
--- a/libavcodec/version.h
+++ b/libavcodec/version.h
@@ -100,5 +100,8 @@
 #ifndef FF_API_VOXWARE
 #define FF_API_VOXWARE           (LIBAVCODEC_VERSION_MAJOR < 56)
 #endif
+#ifndef FF_API_SET_DIMENSIONS
+#define FF_API_SET_DIMENSIONS    (LIBAVCODEC_VERSION_MAJOR < 56)
+#endif
 
 #endif /* AVCODEC_VERSION_H */