diff --git a/libavformat/avc.c b/libavformat/avc.c
index a041e84357..34edec04f0 100644
--- a/libavformat/avc.c
+++ b/libavformat/avc.c
@@ -308,27 +308,24 @@ static inline int get_se_golomb(GetBitContext *gb) {
     return ((v >> 1) ^ sign) - sign;
 }
 
-H264SequenceParameterSet *ff_avc_decode_sps(const uint8_t *buf, int buf_size)
+int ff_avc_decode_sps(H264SPS *sps, const uint8_t *buf, int buf_size)
 {
     int i, j, ret, rbsp_size, aspect_ratio_idc, pic_order_cnt_type;
     int num_ref_frames_in_pic_order_cnt_cycle;
     int delta_scale, lastScale = 8, nextScale = 8;
     int sizeOfScalingList;
-    H264SequenceParameterSet *sps = NULL;
     GetBitContext gb;
     uint8_t *rbsp_buf;
 
     rbsp_buf = ff_nal_unit_extract_rbsp(buf, buf_size, &rbsp_size, 0);
     if (!rbsp_buf)
-        return NULL;
+        return AVERROR(ENOMEM);
 
     ret = init_get_bits8(&gb, rbsp_buf, rbsp_size);
     if (ret < 0)
         goto end;
 
-    sps = av_mallocz(sizeof(*sps));
-    if (!sps)
-        goto end;
+    memset(sps, 0, sizeof(*sps));
 
     sps->profile_idc = get_bits(&gb, 8);
     sps->constraint_set_flags |= get_bits1(&gb) << 0; // constraint_set0_flag
@@ -423,7 +420,8 @@ H264SequenceParameterSet *ff_avc_decode_sps(const uint8_t *buf, int buf_size)
         sps->sar.den = 1;
     }
 
+    ret = 0;
  end:
     av_free(rbsp_buf);
-    return sps;
+    return ret;
 }
diff --git a/libavformat/avc.h b/libavformat/avc.h
index a79bf9b2db..f75d7a9c72 100644
--- a/libavformat/avc.h
+++ b/libavformat/avc.h
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@ typedef struct {
     uint8_t bit_depth_luma;
     uint8_t frame_mbs_only_flag;
     AVRational sar;
-} H264SequenceParameterSet;
+} H264SPS;
 
-H264SequenceParameterSet *ff_avc_decode_sps(const uint8_t *src, int src_len);
+int ff_avc_decode_sps(H264SPS *sps, const uint8_t *buf, int buf_size);
 
 #endif /* AVFORMAT_AVC_H */
diff --git a/libavformat/mxfenc.c b/libavformat/mxfenc.c
index 2e54320cf0..9a75899906 100644
--- a/libavformat/mxfenc.c
+++ b/libavformat/mxfenc.c
@@ -2247,14 +2247,14 @@ static int mxf_parse_h264_frame(AVFormatContext *s, AVStream *st,
 {
     MXFContext *mxf = s->priv_data;
     MXFStreamContext *sc = st->priv_data;
-    H264SequenceParameterSet *sps = NULL;
+    H264SPS seq, *const sps = &seq;
     GetBitContext gb;
     const uint8_t *buf = pkt->data;
     const uint8_t *buf_end = pkt->data + pkt->size;
     const uint8_t *nal_end;
     uint32_t state = -1;
     int extra_size = 512; // support AVC Intra files without SPS/PPS header
-    int i, frame_size, slice_type, intra_only = 0;
+    int i, frame_size, slice_type, has_sps = 0, intra_only = 0, ret;
 
     for (;;) {
         buf = avpriv_find_start_code(buf, buf_end, &state);
@@ -2269,11 +2269,12 @@ static int mxf_parse_h264_frame(AVFormatContext *s, AVStream *st,
                 break;
 
             nal_end = ff_avc_find_startcode(buf, buf_end);
-            sps = ff_avc_decode_sps(buf, nal_end - buf);
-            if (!sps) {
+            ret = ff_avc_decode_sps(sps, buf, nal_end - buf);
+            if (ret < 0) {
                 av_log(s, AV_LOG_ERROR, "error parsing sps\n");
                 return 0;
             }
+            has_sps = 1;
 
             sc->aspect_ratio.num = st->codecpar->width * sps->sar.num;
             sc->aspect_ratio.den = st->codecpar->height * sps->sar.den;
@@ -2319,7 +2320,7 @@ static int mxf_parse_h264_frame(AVFormatContext *s, AVStream *st,
     if (mxf->header_written)
         return 1;
 
-    if (!sps)
+    if (!has_sps)
         sc->interlaced = st->codecpar->field_order != AV_FIELD_PROGRESSIVE ? 1 : 0;
     sc->codec_ul = NULL;
     frame_size = pkt->size + extra_size;
@@ -2336,7 +2337,7 @@ static int mxf_parse_h264_frame(AVFormatContext *s, AVStream *st,
             if (sc->interlaced)
                 sc->field_dominance = 1; // top field first is mandatory for AVC Intra
             break;
-        } else if (sps && mxf_h264_codec_uls[i].frame_size == 0 &&
+        } else if (has_sps && mxf_h264_codec_uls[i].frame_size == 0 &&
                    mxf_h264_codec_uls[i].profile == sps->profile_idc &&
                    (mxf_h264_codec_uls[i].intra_only < 0 ||
                     mxf_h264_codec_uls[i].intra_only == intra_only)) {
@@ -2347,8 +2348,6 @@ static int mxf_parse_h264_frame(AVFormatContext *s, AVStream *st,
         }
     }
 
-    av_free(sps);
-
     if (!sc->codec_ul) {
         av_log(s, AV_LOG_ERROR, "h264 profile not supported\n");
         return 0;