diff --git a/libavutil/frame.c b/libavutil/frame.c
index 662a7e5ab5..869b7866c8 100644
--- a/libavutil/frame.c
+++ b/libavutil/frame.c
@@ -26,11 +26,6 @@
 #include "mem.h"
 #include "samplefmt.h"
 
-
-static AVFrameSideData *frame_new_side_data(AVFrame *frame,
-                                            enum AVFrameSideDataType type,
-                                            AVBufferRef *buf);
-
 #if FF_API_FRAME_GET_SET
 MAKE_ACCESSORS(AVFrame, frame, int64_t, best_effort_timestamp)
 MAKE_ACCESSORS(AVFrame, frame, int64_t, pkt_duration)
@@ -356,7 +351,7 @@ FF_ENABLE_DEPRECATION_WARNINGS
             }
             memcpy(sd_dst->data, sd_src->data, sd_src->size);
         } else {
-            sd_dst = frame_new_side_data(dst, sd_src->type, av_buffer_ref(sd_src->buf));
+            sd_dst = av_frame_new_side_data_from_buf(dst, sd_src->type, sd_src->buf);
             if (!sd_dst) {
                 wipe_side_data(dst);
                 return AVERROR(ENOMEM);
@@ -642,29 +637,30 @@ AVBufferRef *av_frame_get_plane_buffer(AVFrame *frame, int plane)
     return NULL;
 }
 
-static AVFrameSideData *frame_new_side_data(AVFrame *frame,
-                                            enum AVFrameSideDataType type,
-                                            AVBufferRef *buf)
+AVFrameSideData *av_frame_new_side_data_from_buf(AVFrame *frame,
+                                                 enum AVFrameSideDataType type,
+                                                 AVBufferRef *buf)
 {
-    AVFrameSideData *ret, **tmp;
+    AVFrameSideData *ret, **tmp = NULL;
+    AVBufferRef *ref = av_buffer_ref(buf);
 
-    if (!buf)
-        return NULL;
+    if (!buf || !ref)
+        goto fail;
 
     if (frame->nb_side_data > INT_MAX / sizeof(*frame->side_data) - 1)
         goto fail;
 
+    ret = av_mallocz(sizeof(*ret));
+    if (!ret)
+        goto fail;
+
     tmp = av_realloc(frame->side_data,
                      (frame->nb_side_data + 1) * sizeof(*frame->side_data));
     if (!tmp)
         goto fail;
     frame->side_data = tmp;
 
-    ret = av_mallocz(sizeof(*ret));
-    if (!ret)
-        goto fail;
-
-    ret->buf = buf;
+    ret->buf  = ref;
     ret->data = ret->buf->data;
     ret->size = buf->size;
     ret->type = type;
@@ -673,7 +669,8 @@ static AVFrameSideData *frame_new_side_data(AVFrame *frame,
 
     return ret;
 fail:
-    av_buffer_unref(&buf);
+    av_buffer_unref(&ref);
+    av_free(tmp);
     return NULL;
 }
 
@@ -681,8 +678,16 @@ AVFrameSideData *av_frame_new_side_data(AVFrame *frame,
                                         enum AVFrameSideDataType type,
                                         int size)
 {
+    AVFrameSideData *ret;
+    AVBufferRef *buf = av_buffer_alloc(size);
+    if (!buf)
+        return NULL;
 
-    return frame_new_side_data(frame, type, av_buffer_alloc(size));
+    ret = av_frame_new_side_data_from_buf(frame, type, buf);
+    av_buffer_unref(&buf);
+    if (!ret)
+        return NULL;
+    return ret;
 }
 
 AVFrameSideData *av_frame_get_side_data(const AVFrame *frame,
diff --git a/libavutil/frame.h b/libavutil/frame.h
index d54bd9a354..504ddce073 100644
--- a/libavutil/frame.h
+++ b/libavutil/frame.h
@@ -800,6 +800,22 @@ AVFrameSideData *av_frame_new_side_data(AVFrame *frame,
                                         enum AVFrameSideDataType type,
                                         int size);
 
+/**
+ * Add a new side data to a frame from an existing AVBufferRef
+ *
+ * A new reference of the buffer will be created and used.
+ * On error, nothing will be changed and the function will return NULL.
+ *
+ * @param frame a frame to which the side data should be added
+ * @param type type of the added side data
+ * @param buf the AVBufferRef to add as side data
+ *
+ * @return newly added side data on success, NULL on error
+ */
+AVFrameSideData *av_frame_new_side_data_from_buf(AVFrame *frame,
+                                                 enum AVFrameSideDataType type,
+                                                 AVBufferRef *buf);
+
 /**
  * @return a pointer to the side data of a given type on success, NULL if there
  * is no side data with such type in this frame.
