diff --git a/libavcodec/h264.c b/libavcodec/h264.c
index 61ad63733b..87a27e2c21 100644
--- a/libavcodec/h264.c
+++ b/libavcodec/h264.c
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ static int decode_rbsp_trailing(H264Context *h, const uint8_t *src)
     return 0;
 }
 
-void ff_h264_free_tables(H264Context *h, int free_rbsp)
+void ff_h264_free_tables(H264Context *h)
 {
     int i;
 
@@ -392,11 +392,6 @@ void ff_h264_free_tables(H264Context *h, int free_rbsp)
         sl->edge_emu_buffer_allocated   = 0;
         sl->top_borders_allocated[0]    = 0;
         sl->top_borders_allocated[1]    = 0;
-
-        if (free_rbsp) {
-            av_freep(&sl->rbsp_buffer);
-            sl->rbsp_buffer_size            = 0;
-        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -453,7 +448,7 @@ int ff_h264_alloc_tables(H264Context *h)
     return 0;
 
 fail:
-    ff_h264_free_tables(h, 1);
+    ff_h264_free_tables(h);
     return AVERROR(ENOMEM);
 }
 
@@ -1097,7 +1092,7 @@ static void flush_dpb(AVCodecContext *avctx)
 
     h->mb_y = 0;
 
-    ff_h264_free_tables(h, 1);
+    ff_h264_free_tables(h);
     h->context_initialized = 0;
 }
 
@@ -1853,7 +1848,7 @@ av_cold void ff_h264_free_context(H264Context *h)
 {
     int i;
 
-    ff_h264_free_tables(h, 1); // FIXME cleanup init stuff perhaps
+    ff_h264_free_tables(h); // FIXME cleanup init stuff perhaps
 
     if (h->DPB) {
         for (i = 0; i < H264_MAX_PICTURE_COUNT; i++)
@@ -1864,6 +1859,8 @@ av_cold void ff_h264_free_context(H264Context *h)
 
     h->cur_pic_ptr = NULL;
 
+    for (i = 0; i < h->nb_slice_ctx; i++)
+        av_freep(&h->slice_ctx[i].rbsp_buffer);
     av_freep(&h->slice_ctx);
     h->nb_slice_ctx = 0;
 
diff --git a/libavcodec/h264.h b/libavcodec/h264.h
index 5026ab2ddf..12e5245c19 100644
--- a/libavcodec/h264.h
+++ b/libavcodec/h264.h
@@ -1184,7 +1184,7 @@ int ff_h264_update_thread_context(AVCodecContext *dst,
 
 void ff_h264_flush_change(H264Context *h);
 
-void ff_h264_free_tables(H264Context *h, int free_rbsp);
+void ff_h264_free_tables(H264Context *h);
 
 void ff_h264_set_erpic(ERPicture *dst, H264Picture *src);
 
diff --git a/libavcodec/h264_slice.c b/libavcodec/h264_slice.c
index 7551df7da5..24f5bd43d6 100644
--- a/libavcodec/h264_slice.c
+++ b/libavcodec/h264_slice.c
@@ -1090,7 +1090,7 @@ static int h264_slice_header_init(H264Context *h, int reinit)
     }
 
     if (reinit)
-        ff_h264_free_tables(h, 0);
+        ff_h264_free_tables(h);
     h->first_field           = 0;
     h->prev_interlaced_frame = 1;
 
@@ -1170,7 +1170,7 @@ static int h264_slice_header_init(H264Context *h, int reinit)
 
     return 0;
 fail:
-    ff_h264_free_tables(h, 0);
+    ff_h264_free_tables(h);
     h->context_initialized = 0;
     return ret;
 }