diff --git a/libavcodec/videotoolbox.c b/libavcodec/videotoolbox.c
index 9eeada30ba..d29607363c 100644
--- a/libavcodec/videotoolbox.c
+++ b/libavcodec/videotoolbox.c
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ int ff_videotoolbox_alloc_frame(AVCodecContext *avctx, AVFrame *frame)
 
 CFDataRef ff_videotoolbox_avcc_extradata_create(AVCodecContext *avctx)
 {
+    VTContext *vtctx = avctx->internal->hwaccel_priv_data;
     H264Context *h = avctx->priv_data;
     CFDataRef data = NULL;
     uint8_t *p;
@@ -116,6 +117,10 @@ CFDataRef ff_videotoolbox_avcc_extradata_create(AVCodecContext *avctx)
     p += 3 + h->ps.pps->data_size;
     av_assert0(p - vt_extradata == vt_extradata_size);
 
+    // save sps header (profile/level) used to create decoder session,
+    // so we can detect changes and recreate it.
+    memcpy(vtctx->sps, h->ps.sps->data + 1, 3);
+
     data = CFDataCreate(kCFAllocatorDefault, vt_extradata, vt_extradata_size);
     av_free(vt_extradata);
     return data;
@@ -320,16 +325,13 @@ static int videotoolbox_h264_decode_params(AVCodecContext *avctx,
     VTContext *vtctx = avctx->internal->hwaccel_priv_data;
 
     if (type == H264_NAL_SPS) {
-        if (!vtctx->sps || vtctx->sps_len != size || memcmp(buffer, vtctx->sps, size) != 0) {
-            vtctx->sps = av_fast_realloc(vtctx->sps, &vtctx->sps_capa, size);
-            if (vtctx->sps)
-                memcpy(vtctx->sps, buffer, size);
+        if (size > 4 && memcmp(vtctx->sps, buffer + 1, 3) != 0) {
             vtctx->reconfig_needed = true;
-            vtctx->sps_len = size;
+            memcpy(vtctx->sps, buffer + 1, 3);
         }
     }
 
-    // pass-through new PPS to the decoder
+    // pass-through SPS/PPS changes to the decoder
     return ff_videotoolbox_h264_decode_slice(avctx, buffer, size);
 }
 
@@ -365,7 +367,6 @@ int ff_videotoolbox_uninit(AVCodecContext *avctx)
     VTContext *vtctx = avctx->internal->hwaccel_priv_data;
     if (vtctx) {
         av_freep(&vtctx->bitstream);
-        av_freep(&vtctx->sps);
         if (vtctx->frame)
             CVPixelBufferRelease(vtctx->frame);
     }
diff --git a/libavcodec/vt_internal.h b/libavcodec/vt_internal.h
index fc27dad9f9..929fe423fc 100644
--- a/libavcodec/vt_internal.h
+++ b/libavcodec/vt_internal.h
@@ -40,9 +40,7 @@ typedef struct VTContext {
     struct AVVideotoolboxContext *vt_ctx;
 
     // Current H264 parameters (used to trigger decoder restart on SPS changes).
-    uint8_t                     *sps;
-    uint32_t                    sps_len;
-    unsigned int                sps_capa;
+    uint8_t                     sps[3];
     bool                        reconfig_needed;
 } VTContext;