diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvav1dec.c b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvav1dec.c
index bf717ecf98..d200cfe0fa 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvav1dec.c
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvav1dec.c
@@ -50,8 +50,6 @@ typedef struct _GstNvAV1Dec
 {
   GstAV1Decoder parent;
 
-  GstVideoCodecState *output_state;
-
   GstCudaContext *context;
   GstNvDecoder *decoder;
 
@@ -266,7 +264,6 @@ gst_nv_av1_dec_close (GstVideoDecoder * decoder)
 {
   GstNvAV1Dec *self = GST_NV_AV1_DEC (decoder);
 
-  g_clear_pointer (&self->output_state, gst_video_codec_state_unref);
   gst_clear_object (&self->decoder);
   gst_clear_object (&self->context);
 
@@ -292,8 +289,7 @@ gst_nv_av1_dec_negotiate (GstVideoDecoder * decoder)
 
   GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (self, "negotiate");
 
-  gst_nv_decoder_negotiate (self->decoder, decoder, av1dec->input_state,
-      &self->output_state);
+  gst_nv_decoder_negotiate (self->decoder, decoder, av1dec->input_state);
 
   return GST_VIDEO_DECODER_CLASS (parent_class)->negotiate (decoder);
 }
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvdecoder.c b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvdecoder.c
index bbffc7b12e..6284e2a90d 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvdecoder.c
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvdecoder.c
@@ -1454,8 +1454,7 @@ gst_nv_decoder_ensure_gl_context (GstNvDecoder * decoder, GstElement * videodec)
 
 gboolean
 gst_nv_decoder_negotiate (GstNvDecoder * decoder,
-    GstVideoDecoder * videodec, GstVideoCodecState * input_state,
-    GstVideoCodecState ** output_state)
+    GstVideoDecoder * videodec, GstVideoCodecState * input_state)
 {
   GstVideoCodecState *state;
   GstVideoInfo *info;
@@ -1463,7 +1462,6 @@ gst_nv_decoder_negotiate (GstNvDecoder * decoder,
   g_return_val_if_fail (GST_IS_NV_DECODER (decoder), FALSE);
   g_return_val_if_fail (GST_IS_VIDEO_DECODER (videodec), FALSE);
   g_return_val_if_fail (input_state != NULL, FALSE);
-  g_return_val_if_fail (output_state != NULL, FALSE);
 
   if (!decoder->configured) {
     GST_ERROR_OBJECT (videodec, "Should configure decoder first");
@@ -1476,9 +1474,8 @@ gst_nv_decoder_negotiate (GstNvDecoder * decoder,
       GST_VIDEO_INFO_WIDTH (info), GST_VIDEO_INFO_HEIGHT (info), input_state);
   state->caps = gst_video_info_to_caps (&state->info);
 
-  if (*output_state)
-    gst_video_codec_state_unref (*output_state);
-  *output_state = state;
+  /* decoder baseclass will hold other reference to output state */
+  gst_video_codec_state_unref (state);
 
   decoder->output_type = GST_NV_DECODER_OUTPUT_TYPE_SYSTEM;
 
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvdecoder.h b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvdecoder.h
index 635b301192..64758af91e 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvdecoder.h
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvdecoder.h
@@ -102,8 +102,7 @@ gboolean gst_nv_decoder_handle_context_query (GstNvDecoder * decoder,
 
 gboolean gst_nv_decoder_negotiate            (GstNvDecoder * decoder,
                                               GstVideoDecoder * videodec,
-                                              GstVideoCodecState * input_state,
-                                              GstVideoCodecState ** output_state);
+                                              GstVideoCodecState * input_state);
 
 gboolean gst_nv_decoder_decide_allocation    (GstNvDecoder * decoder,
                                               GstVideoDecoder * videodec,
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvh264dec.c b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvh264dec.c
index 61e9296c84..4e92702fde 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvh264dec.c
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvh264dec.c
@@ -103,8 +103,6 @@ typedef struct _GstNvH264Dec
 {
   GstH264Decoder parent;
 
-  GstVideoCodecState *output_state;
-
   GstCudaContext *context;
   GstNvDecoder *decoder;
   CUVIDPICPARAMS params;
@@ -354,7 +352,6 @@ gst_nv_h264_dec_close (GstVideoDecoder * decoder)
 {
   GstNvH264Dec *self = GST_NV_H264_DEC (decoder);
 
-  g_clear_pointer (&self->output_state, gst_video_codec_state_unref);
   gst_clear_object (&self->decoder);
   gst_clear_object (&self->context);
 
@@ -375,8 +372,7 @@ gst_nv_h264_dec_negotiate (GstVideoDecoder * decoder)
 
   GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (self, "negotiate");
 
-  gst_nv_decoder_negotiate (self->decoder, decoder, h264dec->input_state,
-      &self->output_state);
+  gst_nv_decoder_negotiate (self->decoder, decoder, h264dec->input_state);
 
   /* TODO: add support D3D11 memory */
 
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvh265dec.c b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvh265dec.c
index 0bba5b33da..9e5f2d4500 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvh265dec.c
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvh265dec.c
@@ -102,8 +102,6 @@ typedef struct _GstNvH265Dec
 {
   GstH265Decoder parent;
 
-  GstVideoCodecState *output_state;
-
   GstCudaContext *context;
   GstNvDecoder *decoder;
   CUVIDPICPARAMS params;
@@ -311,7 +309,6 @@ gst_nv_h265_dec_close (GstVideoDecoder * decoder)
 {
   GstNvH265Dec *self = GST_NV_H265_DEC (decoder);
 
-  g_clear_pointer (&self->output_state, gst_video_codec_state_unref);
   gst_clear_object (&self->decoder);
   gst_clear_object (&self->context);
 
@@ -332,8 +329,7 @@ gst_nv_h265_dec_negotiate (GstVideoDecoder * decoder)
 
   GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (self, "negotiate");
 
-  gst_nv_decoder_negotiate (self->decoder, decoder, h265dec->input_state,
-      &self->output_state);
+  gst_nv_decoder_negotiate (self->decoder, decoder, h265dec->input_state);
 
   /* TODO: add support D3D11 memory */
 
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvvp8dec.c b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvvp8dec.c
index 520c1697f1..9db15bb302 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvvp8dec.c
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvvp8dec.c
@@ -50,8 +50,6 @@ typedef struct _GstNvVp8Dec
 {
   GstVp8Decoder parent;
 
-  GstVideoCodecState *output_state;
-
   GstCudaContext *context;
   GstNvDecoder *decoder;
   CUVIDPICPARAMS params;
@@ -235,7 +233,6 @@ gst_nv_vp8_dec_close (GstVideoDecoder * decoder)
 {
   GstNvVp8Dec *self = GST_NV_VP8_DEC (decoder);
 
-  g_clear_pointer (&self->output_state, gst_video_codec_state_unref);
   gst_clear_object (&self->decoder);
   gst_clear_object (&self->context);
 
@@ -250,8 +247,7 @@ gst_nv_vp8_dec_negotiate (GstVideoDecoder * decoder)
 
   GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (self, "negotiate");
 
-  gst_nv_decoder_negotiate (self->decoder, decoder, vp8dec->input_state,
-      &self->output_state);
+  gst_nv_decoder_negotiate (self->decoder, decoder, vp8dec->input_state);
 
   /* TODO: add support D3D11 memory */
 
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvvp9dec.c b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvvp9dec.c
index c21fbd351b..009adac922 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvvp9dec.c
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvvp9dec.c
@@ -50,8 +50,6 @@ typedef struct _GstNvVp9Dec
 {
   GstVp9Decoder parent;
 
-  GstVideoCodecState *output_state;
-
   GstCudaContext *context;
   GstNvDecoder *decoder;
   CUVIDPICPARAMS params;
@@ -245,7 +243,6 @@ gst_nv_vp9_dec_close (GstVideoDecoder * decoder)
 {
   GstNvVp9Dec *self = GST_NV_VP9_DEC (decoder);
 
-  g_clear_pointer (&self->output_state, gst_video_codec_state_unref);
   gst_clear_object (&self->decoder);
   gst_clear_object (&self->context);
 
@@ -260,8 +257,7 @@ gst_nv_vp9_dec_negotiate (GstVideoDecoder * decoder)
 
   GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (self, "negotiate");
 
-  gst_nv_decoder_negotiate (self->decoder, decoder, vp9dec->input_state,
-      &self->output_state);
+  gst_nv_decoder_negotiate (self->decoder, decoder, vp9dec->input_state);
 
   /* TODO: add support D3D11 memory */