diff --git a/libavcodec/h264.c b/libavcodec/h264.c
index 8c909c2b00..99b99e7a29 100644
--- a/libavcodec/h264.c
+++ b/libavcodec/h264.c
@@ -621,9 +621,6 @@ static int h264_init_context(AVCodecContext *avctx, H264Context *h)
         return AVERROR(ENOMEM);
     }
 
-    h->DPB = av_mallocz_array(H264_MAX_PICTURE_COUNT, sizeof(*h->DPB));
-    if (!h->DPB)
-        return AVERROR(ENOMEM);
     for (i = 0; i < H264_MAX_PICTURE_COUNT; i++)
         av_frame_unref(&h->DPB[i].f);
     av_frame_unref(&h->cur_pic.f);
@@ -1084,9 +1081,8 @@ static void flush_dpb(AVCodecContext *avctx)
 
     ff_h264_flush_change(h);
 
-    if (h->DPB)
-        for (i = 0; i < H264_MAX_PICTURE_COUNT; i++)
-            ff_h264_unref_picture(h, &h->DPB[i]);
+    for (i = 0; i < H264_MAX_PICTURE_COUNT; i++)
+        ff_h264_unref_picture(h, &h->DPB[i]);
     h->cur_pic_ptr = NULL;
     ff_h264_unref_picture(h, &h->cur_pic);
 
@@ -1850,12 +1846,9 @@ av_cold void ff_h264_free_context(H264Context *h)
 
     ff_h264_free_tables(h);
 
-    if (h->DPB) {
-        for (i = 0; i < H264_MAX_PICTURE_COUNT; i++)
-            ff_h264_unref_picture(h, &h->DPB[i]);
-        memset(h->delayed_pic, 0, sizeof(h->delayed_pic));
-        av_freep(&h->DPB);
-    }
+    for (i = 0; i < H264_MAX_PICTURE_COUNT; i++)
+        ff_h264_unref_picture(h, &h->DPB[i]);
+    memset(h->delayed_pic, 0, sizeof(h->delayed_pic));
 
     h->cur_pic_ptr = NULL;
 
diff --git a/libavcodec/h264.h b/libavcodec/h264.h
index 12e5245c19..7ab1fdfda1 100644
--- a/libavcodec/h264.h
+++ b/libavcodec/h264.h
@@ -506,7 +506,7 @@ typedef struct H264Context {
     H264QpelContext h264qpel;
     GetBitContext gb;
 
-    H264Picture *DPB;
+    H264Picture DPB[H264_MAX_PICTURE_COUNT];
     H264Picture *cur_pic_ptr;
     H264Picture cur_pic;
     H264Picture last_pic_for_ec;
diff --git a/libavcodec/h264_slice.c b/libavcodec/h264_slice.c
index 867ff3914e..db6288d842 100644
--- a/libavcodec/h264_slice.c
+++ b/libavcodec/h264_slice.c
@@ -498,9 +498,9 @@ int ff_h264_update_thread_context(AVCodecContext *dst,
     h->droppable            = h1->droppable;
     h->low_delay            = h1->low_delay;
 
-    for (i = 0; h->DPB && i < H264_MAX_PICTURE_COUNT; i++) {
+    for (i = 0; i < H264_MAX_PICTURE_COUNT; i++) {
         ff_h264_unref_picture(h, &h->DPB[i]);
-        if (h1->DPB && h1->DPB[i].f.buf[0] &&
+        if (h1->DPB[i].f.buf[0] &&
             (ret = ff_h264_ref_picture(h, &h->DPB[i], &h1->DPB[i])) < 0)
             return ret;
     }