diff --git a/libavcodec/vp6.c b/libavcodec/vp6.c
index 3acca16f3c..ae8e223349 100644
--- a/libavcodec/vp6.c
+++ b/libavcodec/vp6.c
@@ -637,36 +637,15 @@ static void vp6_filter(VP56Context *s, uint8_t *dst, uint8_t *src,
     }
 }
 
-static av_cold void vp6_decode_init_context(VP56Context *s);
-
-static av_cold int vp6_decode_init(AVCodecContext *avctx)
+static av_cold int vp6_decode_init_context(AVCodecContext *avctx,
+                                           VP56Context *s, int flip, int has_alpha)
 {
-    VP56Context *s = avctx->priv_data;
-    int ret;
-
-    if ((ret = ff_vp56_init(avctx, avctx->codec->id == AV_CODEC_ID_VP6,
-                            avctx->codec->id == AV_CODEC_ID_VP6A)) < 0)
+    int ret = ff_vp56_init_context(avctx, s, flip, has_alpha);
+    if (ret < 0)
         return ret;
+
     ff_vp6dsp_init(&s->vp56dsp);
 
-    vp6_decode_init_context(s);
-
-    if (s->has_alpha) {
-        /* Can only happen for ff_vp6a_decoder */
-        s->alpha_context = &s[1];
-        ret = ff_vp56_init_context(avctx, s->alpha_context,
-                                   s->flip == -1, s->has_alpha);
-        if (ret < 0)
-            return ret;
-        ff_vp6dsp_init(&s->alpha_context->vp56dsp);
-        vp6_decode_init_context(s->alpha_context);
-    }
-
-    return 0;
-}
-
-static av_cold void vp6_decode_init_context(VP56Context *s)
-{
     s->deblock_filtering = 0;
     s->vp56_coord_div = vp6_coord_div;
     s->parse_vector_adjustment = vp6_parse_vector_adjustment;
@@ -675,6 +654,30 @@ static av_cold void vp6_decode_init_context(VP56Context *s)
     s->parse_vector_models = vp6_parse_vector_models;
     s->parse_coeff_models = vp6_parse_coeff_models;
     s->parse_header = vp6_parse_header;
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+static av_cold int vp6_decode_init(AVCodecContext *avctx)
+{
+    VP56Context *s = avctx->priv_data;
+    int ret;
+
+    ret = vp6_decode_init_context(avctx, s, avctx->codec_id == AV_CODEC_ID_VP6,
+                                  avctx->codec_id == AV_CODEC_ID_VP6A);
+    if (ret < 0)
+        return ret;
+
+    if (s->has_alpha) {
+        /* Can only happen for ff_vp6a_decoder */
+        s->alpha_context = &s[1];
+        ret = vp6_decode_init_context(avctx, s->alpha_context,
+                                      s->flip == -1, s->has_alpha);
+        if (ret < 0)
+            return ret;
+    }
+
+    return 0;
 }
 
 static av_cold void vp6_decode_free_context(VP56Context *s);
@@ -683,11 +686,9 @@ static av_cold int vp6_decode_free(AVCodecContext *avctx)
 {
     VP56Context *s = avctx->priv_data;
 
-    ff_vp56_free(avctx);
     vp6_decode_free_context(s);
 
     if (s->alpha_context) {
-        ff_vp56_free_context(s->alpha_context);
         vp6_decode_free_context(s->alpha_context);
         s->alpha_context = NULL;
     }
@@ -699,6 +700,8 @@ static av_cold void vp6_decode_free_context(VP56Context *s)
 {
     int pt, ct, cg;
 
+    ff_vp56_free_context(s);
+
     for (pt=0; pt<2; pt++) {
         ff_free_vlc(&s->dccv_vlc[pt]);
         ff_free_vlc(&s->runv_vlc[pt]);