diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapidecoder.c b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapidecoder.c
index e0d1b7b209..2f54e7a43d 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapidecoder.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapidecoder.c
@@ -122,21 +122,15 @@ decode_step(GstVaapiDecoder *decoder)
     return status;
 }
 
-static gboolean
-push_surface(
-    GstVaapiDecoder      *decoder,
-    GstVaapiSurfaceProxy *proxy,
-    GstClockTime          timestamp
-)
+static inline void
+push_surface(GstVaapiDecoder *decoder, GstVaapiSurfaceProxy *proxy)
 {
     GstVaapiDecoderPrivate * const priv = decoder->priv;
 
     GST_DEBUG("queue decoded surface %" GST_VAAPI_ID_FORMAT,
               GST_VAAPI_ID_ARGS(gst_vaapi_surface_proxy_get_surface_id(proxy)));
 
-    gst_vaapi_surface_proxy_set_timestamp(proxy, timestamp);
     g_queue_push_tail(priv->surfaces, proxy);
-    return TRUE;
 }
 
 static inline GstVaapiSurfaceProxy *
@@ -559,28 +553,11 @@ gst_vaapi_decoder_push_buffer_sub(
     return TRUE;
 }
 
-gboolean
-gst_vaapi_decoder_push_surface(
-    GstVaapiDecoder *decoder,
-    GstVaapiSurface *surface,
-    GstClockTime     timestamp
-)
-{
-    GstVaapiDecoderPrivate * const priv = decoder->priv;
-    GstVaapiSurfaceProxy *proxy;
-
-    proxy = gst_vaapi_surface_proxy_new(priv->context, surface);
-    if (!proxy)
-        return FALSE;
-    return push_surface(decoder, proxy, timestamp);
-}
-
-gboolean
+void
 gst_vaapi_decoder_push_surface_proxy(
     GstVaapiDecoder      *decoder,
-    GstVaapiSurfaceProxy *proxy,
-    GstClockTime          timestamp
+    GstVaapiSurfaceProxy *proxy
 )
 {
-    return push_surface(decoder, g_object_ref(proxy), timestamp);
+    return push_surface(decoder, proxy);
 }
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapidecoder_ffmpeg.c b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapidecoder_ffmpeg.c
index 8fb9099d8e..21425ac884 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapidecoder_ffmpeg.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapidecoder_ffmpeg.c
@@ -483,12 +483,26 @@ gst_vaapi_decoder_ffmpeg_create(GstVaapiDecoderFfmpeg *ffdecoder)
     return TRUE;
 }
 
+static GstVaapiDecoderStatus
+render_frame(GstVaapiDecoderFfmpeg *decoder, AVFrame *frame)
+{
+    GstVaapiDecoder * const base_decoder = GST_VAAPI_DECODER(decoder);
+    GstVaapiSurfaceProxy *proxy;
+
+    proxy = GST_VAAPI_SURFACE_PROXY(frame->data[0]);
+    if (!proxy)
+        return GST_VAAPI_DECODER_STATUS_ERROR_INVALID_SURFACE;
+
+    gst_vaapi_surface_proxy_set_timestamp(proxy, frame->pts);
+    gst_vaapi_decoder_push_surface_proxy(base_decoder, g_object_ref(proxy));
+    return GST_VAAPI_DECODER_STATUS_SUCCESS;
+}
+
 static GstVaapiDecoderStatus
 decode_frame(GstVaapiDecoderFfmpeg *ffdecoder, guchar *buf, guint buf_size)
 {
     GstVaapiDecoderFfmpegPrivate * const priv = ffdecoder->priv;
     GstVaapiDisplay * const display = GST_VAAPI_DECODER_DISPLAY(ffdecoder);
-    GstVaapiSurfaceProxy *proxy;
     int bytes_read, got_picture = 0;
     AVPacket pkt;
 
@@ -509,14 +523,7 @@ decode_frame(GstVaapiDecoderFfmpeg *ffdecoder, guchar *buf, guint buf_size)
     if (bytes_read < 0)
         return GST_VAAPI_DECODER_STATUS_ERROR_UNKNOWN;
 
-    proxy = GST_VAAPI_SURFACE_PROXY(priv->frame->data[0]);
-    if (!proxy)
-        return GST_VAAPI_DECODER_STATUS_ERROR_INVALID_SURFACE;
-
-    if (!gst_vaapi_decoder_push_surface_proxy(GST_VAAPI_DECODER_CAST(ffdecoder),
-                                              proxy, priv->frame->pts))
-        return GST_VAAPI_DECODER_STATUS_ERROR_ALLOCATION_FAILED;
-    return GST_VAAPI_DECODER_STATUS_SUCCESS;
+    return render_frame(ffdecoder, priv->frame);
 }
 
 GstVaapiDecoderStatus
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapidecoder_objects.c b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapidecoder_objects.c
index 61ff4e6b19..c25e86cfea 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapidecoder_objects.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapidecoder_objects.c
@@ -224,19 +224,16 @@ gboolean
 gst_vaapi_picture_output(GstVaapiPicture *picture)
 {
     GstVaapiSurfaceProxy *proxy;
-    gboolean success;
 
     g_return_val_if_fail(GST_VAAPI_IS_PICTURE(picture), FALSE);
 
     proxy = gst_vaapi_surface_proxy_new(GET_CONTEXT(picture), picture->surface);
     if (!proxy)
         return FALSE;
-    success = gst_vaapi_decoder_push_surface_proxy(
-        GET_DECODER(picture),
-        proxy, picture->pts
-    );
-    g_object_unref(proxy); // ref'ed in gst_vaapi_decoder_push_surface_proxy()
-    return success;
+
+    gst_vaapi_surface_proxy_set_timestamp(proxy, picture->pts);
+    gst_vaapi_decoder_push_surface_proxy(GET_DECODER(picture), proxy);
+    return TRUE;
 }
 
 /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapidecoder_priv.h b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapidecoder_priv.h
index 27efee1144..87ce200b21 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapidecoder_priv.h
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapidecoder_priv.h
@@ -165,18 +165,10 @@ gst_vaapi_decoder_push_buffer_sub(
     guint            size
 ) attribute_hidden;
 
-gboolean
-gst_vaapi_decoder_push_surface(
-    GstVaapiDecoder *decoder,
-    GstVaapiSurface *surface,
-    GstClockTime     timestamp
-) attribute_hidden;
-
-gboolean
+void
 gst_vaapi_decoder_push_surface_proxy(
     GstVaapiDecoder      *decoder,
-    GstVaapiSurfaceProxy *proxy,
-    GstClockTime          timestamp
+    GstVaapiSurfaceProxy *proxy
 ) attribute_hidden;
 
 G_END_DECLS