diff --git a/doc/APIchanges b/doc/APIchanges
index 74b18755e1..4cc2367e69 100644
--- a/doc/APIchanges
+++ b/doc/APIchanges
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@ libavutil:     2017-10-21
 
 API changes, most recent first:
 
-2020-xx-xx - xxxxxxxxxx - lavc 58.78.100 - avcodec.h codec_id.h packet.h
+2020-xx-xx - xxxxxxxxxx - lavc 58.78.100 - avcodec.h codec_desc.h codec_id.h packet.h
+  Move AVCodecDesc-related public API to new header codec_desc.h.
   Move AVCodecID enum to new header codec_id.h.
   Move AVPacket-related public API to new header packet.h.
 
diff --git a/libavcodec/avcodec.h b/libavcodec/avcodec.h
index 22eb6db00e..6da0d02a61 100644
--- a/libavcodec/avcodec.h
+++ b/libavcodec/avcodec.h
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 #include "libavutil/pixfmt.h"
 #include "libavutil/rational.h"
 
+#include "codec_desc.h"
 #include "codec_id.h"
 #include "packet.h"
 #include "version.h"
@@ -200,77 +201,6 @@
  * @{
  */
 
-/**
- * This struct describes the properties of a single codec described by an
- * AVCodecID.
- * @see avcodec_descriptor_get()
- */
-typedef struct AVCodecDescriptor {
-    enum AVCodecID     id;
-    enum AVMediaType type;
-    /**
-     * Name of the codec described by this descriptor. It is non-empty and
-     * unique for each codec descriptor. It should contain alphanumeric
-     * characters and '_' only.
-     */
-    const char      *name;
-    /**
-     * A more descriptive name for this codec. May be NULL.
-     */
-    const char *long_name;
-    /**
-     * Codec properties, a combination of AV_CODEC_PROP_* flags.
-     */
-    int             props;
-    /**
-     * MIME type(s) associated with the codec.
-     * May be NULL; if not, a NULL-terminated array of MIME types.
-     * The first item is always non-NULL and is the preferred MIME type.
-     */
-    const char *const *mime_types;
-    /**
-     * If non-NULL, an array of profiles recognized for this codec.
-     * Terminated with FF_PROFILE_UNKNOWN.
-     */
-    const struct AVProfile *profiles;
-} AVCodecDescriptor;
-
-/**
- * Codec uses only intra compression.
- * Video and audio codecs only.
- */
-#define AV_CODEC_PROP_INTRA_ONLY    (1 << 0)
-/**
- * Codec supports lossy compression. Audio and video codecs only.
- * @note a codec may support both lossy and lossless
- * compression modes
- */
-#define AV_CODEC_PROP_LOSSY         (1 << 1)
-/**
- * Codec supports lossless compression. Audio and video codecs only.
- */
-#define AV_CODEC_PROP_LOSSLESS      (1 << 2)
-/**
- * Codec supports frame reordering. That is, the coded order (the order in which
- * the encoded packets are output by the encoders / stored / input to the
- * decoders) may be different from the presentation order of the corresponding
- * frames.
- *
- * For codecs that do not have this property set, PTS and DTS should always be
- * equal.
- */
-#define AV_CODEC_PROP_REORDER       (1 << 3)
-/**
- * Subtitle codec is bitmap based
- * Decoded AVSubtitle data can be read from the AVSubtitleRect->pict field.
- */
-#define AV_CODEC_PROP_BITMAP_SUB    (1 << 16)
-/**
- * Subtitle codec is text based.
- * Decoded AVSubtitle data can be read from the AVSubtitleRect->ass field.
- */
-#define AV_CODEC_PROP_TEXT_SUB      (1 << 17)
-
 /**
  * @ingroup lavc_decoding
  * Required number of additionally allocated bytes at the end of the input bitstream for decoding.
@@ -5059,26 +4989,6 @@ int av_codec_is_encoder(const AVCodec *codec);
  */
 int av_codec_is_decoder(const AVCodec *codec);
 
-/**
- * @return descriptor for given codec ID or NULL if no descriptor exists.
- */
-const AVCodecDescriptor *avcodec_descriptor_get(enum AVCodecID id);
-
-/**
- * Iterate over all codec descriptors known to libavcodec.
- *
- * @param prev previous descriptor. NULL to get the first descriptor.
- *
- * @return next descriptor or NULL after the last descriptor
- */
-const AVCodecDescriptor *avcodec_descriptor_next(const AVCodecDescriptor *prev);
-
-/**
- * @return codec descriptor with the given name or NULL if no such descriptor
- *         exists.
- */
-const AVCodecDescriptor *avcodec_descriptor_get_by_name(const char *name);
-
 /**
  * Allocate a CPB properties structure and initialize its fields to default
  * values.
diff --git a/libavcodec/codec_desc.c b/libavcodec/codec_desc.c
index ece6eadae4..3e410ff027 100644
--- a/libavcodec/codec_desc.c
+++ b/libavcodec/codec_desc.c
@@ -23,7 +23,9 @@
 
 #include "libavutil/common.h"
 #include "libavutil/internal.h"
-#include "avcodec.h"
+
+#include "codec_id.h"
+#include "codec_desc.h"
 #include "profiles.h"
 #include "version.h"
 
diff --git a/libavcodec/codec_desc.h b/libavcodec/codec_desc.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..413a117f48
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libavcodec/codec_desc.h
@@ -0,0 +1,128 @@
+/*
+ * Codec descriptors public API
+ *
+ * This file is part of FFmpeg.
+ *
+ * FFmpeg is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
+ * version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * FFmpeg is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+ * Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License along with FFmpeg; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA
+ */
+
+#ifndef AVCODEC_CODEC_DESC_H
+#define AVCODEC_CODEC_DESC_H
+
+#include "libavutil/avutil.h"
+
+#include "codec_id.h"
+
+/**
+ * @addtogroup libavc
+ * @{
+ */
+
+/**
+ * This struct describes the properties of a single codec described by an
+ * AVCodecID.
+ * @see avcodec_descriptor_get()
+ */
+typedef struct AVCodecDescriptor {
+    enum AVCodecID     id;
+    enum AVMediaType type;
+    /**
+     * Name of the codec described by this descriptor. It is non-empty and
+     * unique for each codec descriptor. It should contain alphanumeric
+     * characters and '_' only.
+     */
+    const char      *name;
+    /**
+     * A more descriptive name for this codec. May be NULL.
+     */
+    const char *long_name;
+    /**
+     * Codec properties, a combination of AV_CODEC_PROP_* flags.
+     */
+    int             props;
+    /**
+     * MIME type(s) associated with the codec.
+     * May be NULL; if not, a NULL-terminated array of MIME types.
+     * The first item is always non-NULL and is the preferred MIME type.
+     */
+    const char *const *mime_types;
+    /**
+     * If non-NULL, an array of profiles recognized for this codec.
+     * Terminated with FF_PROFILE_UNKNOWN.
+     */
+    const struct AVProfile *profiles;
+} AVCodecDescriptor;
+
+/**
+ * Codec uses only intra compression.
+ * Video and audio codecs only.
+ */
+#define AV_CODEC_PROP_INTRA_ONLY    (1 << 0)
+/**
+ * Codec supports lossy compression. Audio and video codecs only.
+ * @note a codec may support both lossy and lossless
+ * compression modes
+ */
+#define AV_CODEC_PROP_LOSSY         (1 << 1)
+/**
+ * Codec supports lossless compression. Audio and video codecs only.
+ */
+#define AV_CODEC_PROP_LOSSLESS      (1 << 2)
+/**
+ * Codec supports frame reordering. That is, the coded order (the order in which
+ * the encoded packets are output by the encoders / stored / input to the
+ * decoders) may be different from the presentation order of the corresponding
+ * frames.
+ *
+ * For codecs that do not have this property set, PTS and DTS should always be
+ * equal.
+ */
+#define AV_CODEC_PROP_REORDER       (1 << 3)
+/**
+ * Subtitle codec is bitmap based
+ * Decoded AVSubtitle data can be read from the AVSubtitleRect->pict field.
+ */
+#define AV_CODEC_PROP_BITMAP_SUB    (1 << 16)
+/**
+ * Subtitle codec is text based.
+ * Decoded AVSubtitle data can be read from the AVSubtitleRect->ass field.
+ */
+#define AV_CODEC_PROP_TEXT_SUB      (1 << 17)
+
+/**
+ * @return descriptor for given codec ID or NULL if no descriptor exists.
+ */
+const AVCodecDescriptor *avcodec_descriptor_get(enum AVCodecID id);
+
+/**
+ * Iterate over all codec descriptors known to libavcodec.
+ *
+ * @param prev previous descriptor. NULL to get the first descriptor.
+ *
+ * @return next descriptor or NULL after the last descriptor
+ */
+const AVCodecDescriptor *avcodec_descriptor_next(const AVCodecDescriptor *prev);
+
+/**
+ * @return codec descriptor with the given name or NULL if no such descriptor
+ *         exists.
+ */
+const AVCodecDescriptor *avcodec_descriptor_get_by_name(const char *name);
+
+/**
+ * @}
+ */
+
+#endif // AVCODEC_CODEC_DESC_H
