diff --git a/libavcodec/vaapi_encode.c b/libavcodec/vaapi_encode.c
index 0316fe5c18..3f06d7f21e 100644
--- a/libavcodec/vaapi_encode.c
+++ b/libavcodec/vaapi_encode.c
@@ -16,11 +16,11 @@
  * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA
  */
 
-#include "config_components.h"
-
 #include <inttypes.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
+#include "config.h"
+
 #include "libavutil/avassert.h"
 #include "libavutil/common.h"
 #include "libavutil/internal.h"
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include "vaapi_encode.h"
 #include "encode.h"
 #include "avcodec.h"
+#include "refstruct.h"
 
 const AVCodecHWConfigInternal *const ff_vaapi_encode_hw_configs[] = {
     HW_CONFIG_ENCODER_FRAMES(VAAPI, VAAPI),
@@ -309,12 +310,12 @@ static int vaapi_encode_issue(AVCodecContext *avctx,
     pic->recon_surface = (VASurfaceID)(uintptr_t)pic->recon_image->data[3];
     av_log(avctx, AV_LOG_DEBUG, "Recon surface is %#x.\n", pic->recon_surface);
 
-    pic->output_buffer_ref = av_buffer_pool_get(ctx->output_buffer_pool);
+    pic->output_buffer_ref = ff_refstruct_pool_get(ctx->output_buffer_pool);
     if (!pic->output_buffer_ref) {
         err = AVERROR(ENOMEM);
         goto fail;
     }
-    pic->output_buffer = (VABufferID)(uintptr_t)pic->output_buffer_ref->data;
+    pic->output_buffer = *pic->output_buffer_ref;
     av_log(avctx, AV_LOG_DEBUG, "Output buffer is %#x.\n",
            pic->output_buffer);
 
@@ -645,7 +646,7 @@ fail_at_end:
     av_freep(&pic->slices);
     av_freep(&pic->roi);
     av_frame_free(&pic->recon_image);
-    av_buffer_unref(&pic->output_buffer_ref);
+    ff_refstruct_unref(&pic->output_buffer_ref);
     pic->output_buffer = VA_INVALID_ID;
     return err;
 }
@@ -713,7 +714,7 @@ static int vaapi_encode_output(AVCodecContext *avctx,
         pic->opaque_ref = NULL;
     }
 
-    av_buffer_unref(&pic->output_buffer_ref);
+    ff_refstruct_unref(&pic->output_buffer_ref);
     pic->output_buffer = VA_INVALID_ID;
 
     av_log(avctx, AV_LOG_DEBUG, "Output read for pic %"PRId64"/%"PRId64".\n",
@@ -723,7 +724,7 @@ static int vaapi_encode_output(AVCodecContext *avctx,
 fail_mapped:
     vaUnmapBuffer(ctx->hwctx->display, pic->output_buffer);
 fail:
-    av_buffer_unref(&pic->output_buffer_ref);
+    ff_refstruct_unref(&pic->output_buffer_ref);
     pic->output_buffer = VA_INVALID_ID;
     return err;
 }
@@ -738,7 +739,7 @@ static int vaapi_encode_discard(AVCodecContext *avctx,
                "%"PRId64"/%"PRId64".\n",
                pic->display_order, pic->encode_order);
 
-        av_buffer_unref(&pic->output_buffer_ref);
+        ff_refstruct_unref(&pic->output_buffer_ref);
         pic->output_buffer = VA_INVALID_ID;
     }
 
@@ -2420,28 +2421,25 @@ static av_cold int vaapi_encode_init_roi(AVCodecContext *avctx)
     return 0;
 }
 
-static void vaapi_encode_free_output_buffer(void *opaque,
-                                            uint8_t *data)
+static void vaapi_encode_free_output_buffer(FFRefStructOpaque opaque,
+                                            void *obj)
 {
-    AVCodecContext   *avctx = opaque;
+    AVCodecContext   *avctx = opaque.nc;
     VAAPIEncodeContext *ctx = avctx->priv_data;
-    VABufferID buffer_id;
-
-    buffer_id = (VABufferID)(uintptr_t)data;
+    VABufferID *buffer_id_ref = obj;
+    VABufferID buffer_id = *buffer_id_ref;
 
     vaDestroyBuffer(ctx->hwctx->display, buffer_id);
 
     av_log(avctx, AV_LOG_DEBUG, "Freed output buffer %#x\n", buffer_id);
 }
 
-static AVBufferRef *vaapi_encode_alloc_output_buffer(void *opaque,
-                                                     size_t size)
+static int vaapi_encode_alloc_output_buffer(FFRefStructOpaque opaque, void *obj)
 {
-    AVCodecContext   *avctx = opaque;
+    AVCodecContext   *avctx = opaque.nc;
     VAAPIEncodeContext *ctx = avctx->priv_data;
-    VABufferID buffer_id;
+    VABufferID *buffer_id = obj;
     VAStatus vas;
-    AVBufferRef *ref;
 
     // The output buffer size is fixed, so it needs to be large enough
     // to hold the largest possible compressed frame.  We assume here
@@ -2450,25 +2448,16 @@ static AVBufferRef *vaapi_encode_alloc_output_buffer(void *opaque,
     vas = vaCreateBuffer(ctx->hwctx->display, ctx->va_context,
                          VAEncCodedBufferType,
                          3 * ctx->surface_width * ctx->surface_height +
-                         (1 << 16), 1, 0, &buffer_id);
+                         (1 << 16), 1, 0, buffer_id);
     if (vas != VA_STATUS_SUCCESS) {
         av_log(avctx, AV_LOG_ERROR, "Failed to create bitstream "
                "output buffer: %d (%s).\n", vas, vaErrorStr(vas));
-        return NULL;
+        return AVERROR(ENOMEM);
     }
 
-    av_log(avctx, AV_LOG_DEBUG, "Allocated output buffer %#x\n", buffer_id);
+    av_log(avctx, AV_LOG_DEBUG, "Allocated output buffer %#x\n", *buffer_id);
 
-    ref = av_buffer_create((uint8_t*)(uintptr_t)buffer_id,
-                           sizeof(buffer_id),
-                           &vaapi_encode_free_output_buffer,
-                           avctx, AV_BUFFER_FLAG_READONLY);
-    if (!ref) {
-        vaDestroyBuffer(ctx->hwctx->display, buffer_id);
-        return NULL;
-    }
-
-    return ref;
+    return 0;
 }
 
 static av_cold int vaapi_encode_create_recon_frames(AVCodecContext *avctx)
@@ -2677,8 +2666,9 @@ av_cold int ff_vaapi_encode_init(AVCodecContext *avctx)
     }
 
     ctx->output_buffer_pool =
-        av_buffer_pool_init2(sizeof(VABufferID), avctx,
-                             &vaapi_encode_alloc_output_buffer, NULL);
+        ff_refstruct_pool_alloc_ext(sizeof(VABufferID), 0, avctx,
+                                    &vaapi_encode_alloc_output_buffer, NULL,
+                                    vaapi_encode_free_output_buffer, NULL);
     if (!ctx->output_buffer_pool) {
         err = AVERROR(ENOMEM);
         goto fail;
@@ -2776,7 +2766,7 @@ av_cold int ff_vaapi_encode_close(AVCodecContext *avctx)
         vaapi_encode_free(avctx, pic);
     }
 
-    av_buffer_pool_uninit(&ctx->output_buffer_pool);
+    ff_refstruct_pool_uninit(&ctx->output_buffer_pool);
 
     if (ctx->va_context != VA_INVALID_ID) {
         vaDestroyContext(ctx->hwctx->display, ctx->va_context);
diff --git a/libavcodec/vaapi_encode.h b/libavcodec/vaapi_encode.h
index bd25cd5c95..741f6c6a77 100644
--- a/libavcodec/vaapi_encode.h
+++ b/libavcodec/vaapi_encode.h
@@ -102,7 +102,8 @@ typedef struct VAAPIEncodePicture {
     int          nb_param_buffers;
     VABufferID     *param_buffers;
 
-    AVBufferRef    *output_buffer_ref;
+    /* Refcounted via the refstruct-API */
+    VABufferID     *output_buffer_ref;
     VABufferID      output_buffer;
 
     void           *priv_data;
@@ -262,7 +263,7 @@ typedef struct VAAPIEncodeContext {
     AVHWFramesContext *recon_frames;
 
     // Pool of (reusable) bitstream output buffers.
-    AVBufferPool   *output_buffer_pool;
+    struct FFRefStructPool *output_buffer_pool;
 
     // Global parameters which will be applied at the start of the
     // sequence (includes rate control parameters below).
