diff --git a/libavcodec/avcodec.c b/libavcodec/avcodec.c
index fb1362290f..c110b19e08 100644
--- a/libavcodec/avcodec.c
+++ b/libavcodec/avcodec.c
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ static int64_t get_bit_rate(AVCodecContext *ctx)
 int attribute_align_arg avcodec_open2(AVCodecContext *avctx, const AVCodec *codec, AVDictionary **options)
 {
     int ret = 0;
-    AVCodecInternal *avci;
+    AVCodecInternal *avci = NULL;
     const FFCodec *codec2;
 
     if (avcodec_is_open(avctx))
@@ -147,12 +147,13 @@ int attribute_align_arg avcodec_open2(AVCodecContext *avctx, const AVCodec *code
     if (avctx->extradata_size < 0 || avctx->extradata_size >= FF_MAX_EXTRADATA_SIZE)
         return AVERROR(EINVAL);
 
-    avci = av_mallocz(sizeof(*avci));
+    avci = avctx->internal;
     if (!avci) {
-        ret = AVERROR(ENOMEM);
-        goto end;
+        av_log(avctx, AV_LOG_ERROR,
+               "This AVCodecContext was not properly allocated! Please utilize "
+               "avcodec_alloc_context3!\n");
+        return AVERROR(EINVAL);
     }
-    avctx->internal = avci;
 
     avci->buffer_frame = av_frame_alloc();
     avci->buffer_pkt = av_packet_alloc();
@@ -360,6 +361,9 @@ FF_ENABLE_DEPRECATION_WARNINGS
 
 end:
 
+    if (ret >= 0 && avci)
+        avci->ctx_opened = 1;
+
     return ret;
 free_and_end:
     avcodec_close(avctx);
@@ -470,7 +474,7 @@ av_cold int avcodec_close(AVCodecContext *avctx)
         ff_icc_context_uninit(&avci->icc);
 #endif
 
-        av_freep(&avctx->internal);
+        avci->ctx_opened = 0;
     }
 
     for (i = 0; i < avctx->nb_coded_side_data; i++)
@@ -703,7 +707,7 @@ void avcodec_string(char *buf, int buf_size, AVCodecContext *enc, int encode)
 
 int avcodec_is_open(AVCodecContext *s)
 {
-    return !!s->internal;
+    return s->internal && s->internal->ctx_opened;
 }
 
 int attribute_align_arg avcodec_receive_frame(AVCodecContext *avctx, AVFrame *frame)
diff --git a/libavcodec/frame_thread_encoder.c b/libavcodec/frame_thread_encoder.c
index 62d9580ad4..683ba52608 100644
--- a/libavcodec/frame_thread_encoder.c
+++ b/libavcodec/frame_thread_encoder.c
@@ -110,8 +110,7 @@ static void * attribute_align_arg worker(void *v){
         pthread_mutex_unlock(&c->finished_task_mutex);
     }
 end:
-    avcodec_close(avctx);
-    av_freep(&avctx);
+    avcodec_free_context(&avctx);
     return NULL;
 }
 
@@ -195,15 +194,17 @@ av_cold int ff_frame_thread_encoder_init(AVCodecContext *avctx)
 
     for(i=0; i<avctx->thread_count ; i++){
         void *tmpv;
+        AVCodecInternal *avci;
         thread_avctx = avcodec_alloc_context3(avctx->codec);
         if (!thread_avctx) {
             ret = AVERROR(ENOMEM);
             goto fail;
         }
         tmpv = thread_avctx->priv_data;
+        avci = thread_avctx->internal;
         *thread_avctx = *avctx;
         thread_avctx->priv_data = tmpv;
-        thread_avctx->internal = NULL;
+        thread_avctx->internal = avci;
         thread_avctx->hw_frames_ctx = NULL;
         ret = av_opt_copy(thread_avctx, avctx);
         if (ret < 0)
diff --git a/libavcodec/internal.h b/libavcodec/internal.h
index a283c52e01..f21101752d 100644
--- a/libavcodec/internal.h
+++ b/libavcodec/internal.h
@@ -163,6 +163,11 @@ typedef struct AVCodecInternal {
 #if CONFIG_LCMS2
     FFIccContext icc; /* used to read and write embedded ICC profiles */
 #endif
+
+    /**
+     * a boolean to describe whether context is opened or not.
+     */
+    unsigned int ctx_opened;
 } AVCodecInternal;
 
 /**
diff --git a/libavcodec/options.c b/libavcodec/options.c
index a9b35ee1c3..f8fab164fb 100644
--- a/libavcodec/options.c
+++ b/libavcodec/options.c
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 
 #include "avcodec.h"
 #include "codec_internal.h"
+#include "internal.h"
 #include "libavutil/avassert.h"
 #include "libavutil/internal.h"
 #include "libavutil/mem.h"
@@ -89,6 +90,7 @@ static const AVClass av_codec_context_class = {
 static int init_context_defaults(AVCodecContext *s, const AVCodec *codec)
 {
     const FFCodec *const codec2 = ffcodec(codec);
+    AVCodecInternal *avci = NULL;
     int flags=0;
     memset(s, 0, sizeof(AVCodecContext));
 
@@ -132,7 +134,7 @@ FF_ENABLE_DEPRECATION_WARNINGS
     if(codec && codec2->priv_data_size){
         s->priv_data = av_mallocz(codec2->priv_data_size);
         if (!s->priv_data)
-            return AVERROR(ENOMEM);
+            goto alloc_fail;
         if(codec->priv_class){
             *(const AVClass**)s->priv_data = codec->priv_class;
             av_opt_set_defaults(s->priv_data);
@@ -147,7 +149,21 @@ FF_ENABLE_DEPRECATION_WARNINGS
             d++;
         }
     }
+
+    avci = av_mallocz(sizeof(*avci));
+    if (!avci)
+        goto alloc_fail;
+
+    s->internal = avci;
+
     return 0;
+
+alloc_fail:
+    av_freep(&s->internal);
+
+    av_freep(&s->priv_data);
+
+    return AVERROR(ENOMEM);
 }
 
 AVCodecContext *avcodec_alloc_context3(const AVCodec *codec)
@@ -174,6 +190,8 @@ void avcodec_free_context(AVCodecContext **pavctx)
 
     avcodec_close(avctx);
 
+    av_freep(&avctx->internal);
+
     av_freep(&avctx->extradata);
     av_freep(&avctx->subtitle_header);
     av_freep(&avctx->intra_matrix);
