diff --git a/libavfilter/buffersrc.c b/libavfilter/buffersrc.c
index bf30f54177..da1cf9941e 100644
--- a/libavfilter/buffersrc.c
+++ b/libavfilter/buffersrc.c
@@ -149,33 +149,6 @@ int attribute_align_arg av_buffersrc_add_frame(AVFilterContext *ctx, AVFrame *fr
     return av_buffersrc_add_frame_flags(ctx, frame, 0);
 }
 
-static int av_buffersrc_add_frame_internal(AVFilterContext *ctx,
-                                           AVFrame *frame, int flags);
-
-int attribute_align_arg av_buffersrc_add_frame_flags(AVFilterContext *ctx, AVFrame *frame, int flags)
-{
-    AVFrame *copy = NULL;
-    int ret = 0;
-
-    if (frame && frame->channel_layout &&
-        av_get_channel_layout_nb_channels(frame->channel_layout) != frame->channels) {
-        av_log(ctx, AV_LOG_ERROR, "Layout indicates a different number of channels than actually present\n");
-        return AVERROR(EINVAL);
-    }
-
-    if (!(flags & AV_BUFFERSRC_FLAG_KEEP_REF) || !frame)
-        return av_buffersrc_add_frame_internal(ctx, frame, flags);
-
-    if (!(copy = av_frame_alloc()))
-        return AVERROR(ENOMEM);
-    ret = av_frame_ref(copy, frame);
-    if (ret >= 0)
-        ret = av_buffersrc_add_frame_internal(ctx, copy, flags);
-
-    av_frame_free(&copy);
-    return ret;
-}
-
 static int push_frame(AVFilterGraph *graph)
 {
     int ret;
@@ -190,13 +163,18 @@ static int push_frame(AVFilterGraph *graph)
     return 0;
 }
 
-static int av_buffersrc_add_frame_internal(AVFilterContext *ctx,
-                                           AVFrame *frame, int flags)
+int attribute_align_arg av_buffersrc_add_frame_flags(AVFilterContext *ctx, AVFrame *frame, int flags)
 {
     BufferSourceContext *s = ctx->priv;
     AVFrame *copy;
     int refcounted, ret;
 
+    if (frame && frame->channel_layout &&
+        av_get_channel_layout_nb_channels(frame->channel_layout) != frame->channels) {
+        av_log(ctx, AV_LOG_ERROR, "Layout indicates a different number of channels than actually present\n");
+        return AVERROR(EINVAL);
+    }
+
     s->nb_failed_requests = 0;
 
     if (!frame)
@@ -229,7 +207,7 @@ static int av_buffersrc_add_frame_internal(AVFilterContext *ctx,
     if (!(copy = av_frame_alloc()))
         return AVERROR(ENOMEM);
 
-    if (refcounted) {
+    if (refcounted && !(flags & AV_BUFFERSRC_FLAG_KEEP_REF)) {
         av_frame_move_ref(copy, frame);
     } else {
         ret = av_frame_ref(copy, frame);