diff --git a/doc/APIchanges b/doc/APIchanges
index 0306ec9ab5..dc40bc3415 100644
--- a/doc/APIchanges
+++ b/doc/APIchanges
@@ -15,6 +15,10 @@ libavutil:     2012-10-22
 
 API changes, most recent first:
 
+2013-08-xx - xxxxxxx - lavc 55.13.0 - avcodec.h
+  Deprecate the bitstream-related members from struct AVVDPAUContext.
+  The bistream buffers no longer need to be explicitly freed.
+
 2013-08-xx - xxxxxxx - lavc 55.12.0 - avcodec.h
   Deprecate the CODEC_CAP_HWACCEL_VDPAU codec capability. Use CODEC_CAP_HWACCEL
   and select the AV_PIX_FMT_VDPAU format with get_format() instead.
diff --git a/libavcodec/vdpau.h b/libavcodec/vdpau.h
index 91948e707b..9d3128eb49 100644
--- a/libavcodec/vdpau.h
+++ b/libavcodec/vdpau.h
@@ -57,12 +57,14 @@
 #define FF_API_CAP_VDPAU 1
 #endif
 
+#if FF_API_BUFS_VDPAU
 union AVVDPAUPictureInfo {
     VdpPictureInfoH264        h264;
     VdpPictureInfoMPEG1Or2    mpeg;
     VdpPictureInfoVC1          vc1;
     VdpPictureInfoMPEG4Part2 mpeg4;
 };
+#endif
 
 /**
  * This structure is used to share data between the libavcodec library and
@@ -88,11 +90,13 @@ typedef struct AVVDPAUContext {
      */
     VdpDecoderRender *render;
 
+#if FF_API_BUFS_VDPAU
     /**
      * VDPAU picture information
      *
      * Set by libavcodec.
      */
+    attribute_deprecated
     union AVVDPAUPictureInfo info;
 
     /**
@@ -100,6 +104,7 @@ typedef struct AVVDPAUContext {
      *
      * Set by libavcodec.
      */
+    attribute_deprecated
     int bitstream_buffers_allocated;
 
     /**
@@ -107,6 +112,7 @@ typedef struct AVVDPAUContext {
      *
      * Set by libavcodec.
      */
+    attribute_deprecated
     int bitstream_buffers_used;
 
    /**
@@ -115,7 +121,9 @@ typedef struct AVVDPAUContext {
      *
      * Set by libavcodec.
      */
+    attribute_deprecated
     VdpBitstreamBuffer *bitstream_buffers;
+#endif
 } AVVDPAUContext;
 
 #if FF_API_CAP_VDPAU
diff --git a/libavcodec/vdpau_internal.h b/libavcodec/vdpau_internal.h
index 4806a43300..001f17cf36 100644
--- a/libavcodec/vdpau_internal.h
+++ b/libavcodec/vdpau_internal.h
@@ -35,6 +35,15 @@ static inline uintptr_t ff_vdpau_get_surface_id(Picture *pic)
     return (uintptr_t)pic->f.data[3];
 }
 
+#if !FF_API_BUFS_VDPAU
+union AVVDPAUPictureInfo {
+    VdpPictureInfoH264        h264;
+    VdpPictureInfoMPEG1Or2    mpeg;
+    VdpPictureInfoVC1          vc1;
+    VdpPictureInfoMPEG4Part2 mpeg4;
+};
+#endif
+
 struct vdpau_picture_context {
     /**
      * VDPAU picture information.
diff --git a/libavcodec/version.h b/libavcodec/version.h
index c0b9ff3faf..4b9a4b26ab 100644
--- a/libavcodec/version.h
+++ b/libavcodec/version.h
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 #include "libavutil/avutil.h"
 
 #define LIBAVCODEC_VERSION_MAJOR 55
-#define LIBAVCODEC_VERSION_MINOR  21
+#define LIBAVCODEC_VERSION_MINOR  22
 #define LIBAVCODEC_VERSION_MICRO 100
 
 #define LIBAVCODEC_VERSION_INT  AV_VERSION_INT(LIBAVCODEC_VERSION_MAJOR, \
@@ -94,5 +94,8 @@
 #ifndef FF_API_CAP_VDPAU
 #define FF_API_CAP_VDPAU         (LIBAVCODEC_VERSION_MAJOR < 56)
 #endif
+#ifndef FF_API_BUFS_VDPAU
+#define FF_API_BUFS_VDPAU        (LIBAVCODEC_VERSION_MAJOR < 56)
+#endif
 
 #endif /* AVCODEC_VERSION_H */