diff --git a/gst/vaapi/gstvaapivideobufferpool.c b/gst/vaapi/gstvaapivideobufferpool.c
index a97fa558d1..275ccc4f63 100644
--- a/gst/vaapi/gstvaapivideobufferpool.c
+++ b/gst/vaapi/gstvaapivideobufferpool.c
@@ -267,6 +267,8 @@ gst_vaapi_video_buffer_pool_alloc_buffer (GstBufferPool * pool,
 {
   GstVaapiVideoBufferPoolPrivate *const priv =
       GST_VAAPI_VIDEO_BUFFER_POOL (pool)->priv;
+  GstVaapiVideoBufferPoolAcquireParams *const priv_params =
+      (GstVaapiVideoBufferPoolAcquireParams *) params;
   GstVaapiVideoMeta *meta;
   GstMemory *mem;
   GstBuffer *buffer;
@@ -290,6 +292,9 @@ gst_vaapi_video_buffer_pool_alloc_buffer (GstBufferPool * pool,
   if (!buffer)
     goto error_create_buffer;
 
+  if (priv_params && priv_params->proxy)
+    gst_vaapi_video_meta_set_surface_proxy (meta, priv_params->proxy);
+
   if (priv->use_dmabuf_memory)
     mem = gst_vaapi_dmabuf_memory_new (priv->allocator, meta);
   else
diff --git a/gst/vaapi/gstvaapivideomemory.c b/gst/vaapi/gstvaapivideomemory.c
index ebb0065fc6..c37985b03e 100644
--- a/gst/vaapi/gstvaapivideomemory.c
+++ b/gst/vaapi/gstvaapivideomemory.c
@@ -945,6 +945,7 @@ gst_vaapi_dmabuf_memory_new (GstAllocator * base_allocator,
   gint dmabuf_fd;
   const GstVideoInfo *surface_info;
   guint surface_alloc_flags;
+  gboolean needs_surface;
   GstVaapiDmaBufAllocator *const allocator =
       GST_VAAPI_DMABUF_ALLOCATOR_CAST (base_allocator);
 
@@ -960,22 +961,36 @@ gst_vaapi_dmabuf_memory_new (GstAllocator * base_allocator,
   if (!display)
     return NULL;
 
-  surface = gst_vaapi_surface_new_full (display, surface_info,
-      surface_alloc_flags);
-  if (!surface)
-    goto error_create_surface;
+  proxy = gst_vaapi_video_meta_get_surface_proxy (meta);
+  needs_surface = (proxy == NULL);
 
-  proxy = gst_vaapi_surface_proxy_new (surface);
-  if (!proxy)
-    goto error_create_surface_proxy;
+  if (needs_surface) {
+    /* When exporting output VPP surfaces, or when exporting input
+     * surfaces to be filled/imported by an upstream element, such as
+     * v4l2src, we have to instantiate a VA surface to store it. */
+    surface = gst_vaapi_surface_new_full (display, surface_info,
+        surface_alloc_flags);
+    if (!surface)
+      goto error_create_surface;
+    proxy = gst_vaapi_surface_proxy_new (surface);
+    if (!proxy)
+      goto error_create_surface_proxy;
+  } else {
+    /* When exporting existing surfaces that come from decoder's
+     * context. */
+    surface = GST_VAAPI_SURFACE_PROXY_SURFACE (proxy);
+  }
 
   dmabuf_proxy = gst_vaapi_surface_get_dma_buf_handle (surface);
-  gst_vaapi_object_unref (surface);
   if (!dmabuf_proxy)
     goto error_create_dmabuf_proxy;
 
-  gst_vaapi_video_meta_set_surface_proxy (meta, proxy);
-  gst_vaapi_surface_proxy_unref (proxy);
+  if (needs_surface) {
+    /* The proxy has incremented the surface ref count.  */
+    gst_vaapi_object_unref (surface);
+    gst_vaapi_video_meta_set_surface_proxy (meta, proxy);
+    gst_vaapi_surface_proxy_unref (proxy);
+  }
 
   /* Need dup because GstDmabufMemory creates the GstFdMemory with flag
    * GST_FD_MEMORY_FLAG_NONE. So when being freed it calls close on the fd
@@ -989,9 +1004,19 @@ gst_vaapi_dmabuf_memory_new (GstAllocator * base_allocator,
   if (!mem)
     goto error_create_dmabuf_memory;
 
-  gst_mini_object_set_qdata (GST_MINI_OBJECT_CAST (mem),
-      GST_VAAPI_BUFFER_PROXY_QUARK, dmabuf_proxy,
-      (GDestroyNotify) gst_vaapi_buffer_proxy_unref);
+  if (needs_surface) {
+    /* Just set the GstVaapiBufferProxy (dmabuf_proxy) as qdata and
+     * forget about it. */
+    gst_mini_object_set_qdata (GST_MINI_OBJECT_CAST (mem),
+        GST_VAAPI_BUFFER_PROXY_QUARK, dmabuf_proxy,
+        (GDestroyNotify) gst_vaapi_buffer_proxy_unref);
+  } else {
+    /* When not allocating the surface from this pool, so when
+     * exporting from the decoder's VA context, we need to know which
+     * GstMemory belongs to a provided surface. */
+    gst_vaapi_buffer_proxy_set_mem (dmabuf_proxy, mem);
+    gst_vaapi_surface_set_buffer_proxy (surface, dmabuf_proxy);
+  }
 
   /* When a VA surface is going to be filled by a VAAPI element
    * (decoder or VPP), it has _not_ be marked as busy in the driver.
@@ -1020,7 +1045,10 @@ error_create_surface_proxy:
 error_create_dmabuf_proxy:
   {
     GST_ERROR ("failed to export VA surface to DMABUF");
-    gst_vaapi_surface_proxy_unref (proxy);
+    if (surface)
+      gst_vaapi_object_unref (surface);
+    if (proxy)
+      gst_vaapi_surface_proxy_unref (proxy);
     return NULL;
   }
 error_create_dmabuf_handle: