diff --git a/gst/vaapi/gstvaapipluginbuffer.c b/gst/vaapi/gstvaapipluginbuffer.c
index 305eee886b..37171edf1d 100644
--- a/gst/vaapi/gstvaapipluginbuffer.c
+++ b/gst/vaapi/gstvaapipluginbuffer.c
@@ -70,7 +70,11 @@ gst_vaapi_video_buffer_new_from_pool(GstVaapiVideoPool *pool)
 GstBuffer *
 gst_vaapi_video_buffer_new_from_buffer(GstBuffer *buffer)
 {
-    return get_buffer(gst_buffer_get_vaapi_video_meta(buffer));
+    GstVaapiVideoMeta * const meta = gst_buffer_get_vaapi_video_meta(buffer);
+
+    if (!meta)
+        return NULL;
+    return get_buffer(gst_vaapi_video_meta_ref(meta));
 }
 
 GstBuffer *