diff --git a/libavfilter/avfilter.c b/libavfilter/avfilter.c
index 5aa6f5532b..5d5243d33d 100644
--- a/libavfilter/avfilter.c
+++ b/libavfilter/avfilter.c
@@ -622,10 +622,28 @@ int avfilter_open(AVFilterContext **filter_ctx, AVFilter *filter, const char *in
 }
 #endif
 
+static void free_link(AVFilterLink *link)
+{
+    if (!link)
+        return;
+
+    if (link->src)
+        link->src->outputs[link->srcpad - link->src->output_pads] = NULL;
+    if (link->dst)
+        link->dst->inputs[link->dstpad - link->dst->input_pads] = NULL;
+
+    ff_formats_unref(&link->in_formats);
+    ff_formats_unref(&link->out_formats);
+    ff_formats_unref(&link->in_samplerates);
+    ff_formats_unref(&link->out_samplerates);
+    ff_channel_layouts_unref(&link->in_channel_layouts);
+    ff_channel_layouts_unref(&link->out_channel_layouts);
+    avfilter_link_free(&link);
+}
+
 void avfilter_free(AVFilterContext *filter)
 {
     int i;
-    AVFilterLink *link;
 
     if (!filter)
         return;
@@ -637,30 +655,10 @@ void avfilter_free(AVFilterContext *filter)
         filter->filter->uninit(filter);
 
     for (i = 0; i < filter->nb_inputs; i++) {
-        if ((link = filter->inputs[i])) {
-            if (link->src)
-                link->src->outputs[link->srcpad - link->src->output_pads] = NULL;
-            ff_formats_unref(&link->in_formats);
-            ff_formats_unref(&link->out_formats);
-            ff_formats_unref(&link->in_samplerates);
-            ff_formats_unref(&link->out_samplerates);
-            ff_channel_layouts_unref(&link->in_channel_layouts);
-            ff_channel_layouts_unref(&link->out_channel_layouts);
-        }
-        avfilter_link_free(&link);
+        free_link(filter->inputs[i]);
     }
     for (i = 0; i < filter->nb_outputs; i++) {
-        if ((link = filter->outputs[i])) {
-            if (link->dst)
-                link->dst->inputs[link->dstpad - link->dst->input_pads] = NULL;
-            ff_formats_unref(&link->in_formats);
-            ff_formats_unref(&link->out_formats);
-            ff_formats_unref(&link->in_samplerates);
-            ff_formats_unref(&link->out_samplerates);
-            ff_channel_layouts_unref(&link->in_channel_layouts);
-            ff_channel_layouts_unref(&link->out_channel_layouts);
-        }
-        avfilter_link_free(&link);
+        free_link(filter->outputs[i]);
     }
 
     if (filter->filter->priv_class)