diff --git a/codec_context.go b/codec_context.go
index fa34ccc..6302cef 100644
--- a/codec_context.go
+++ b/codec_context.go
@@ -53,6 +53,9 @@ func newCodecContextFromC(c *C.struct_AVCodecContext) *CodecContext {
 }
 
 func (cc *CodecContext) Free() {
+	if cc.c.hw_device_ctx != nil {
+		C.av_buffer_unref(&cc.c.hw_device_ctx)
+	}
 	C.avcodec_free_context(&cc.c)
 }
 
@@ -290,6 +293,9 @@ func (cc *CodecContext) SendFrame(f *Frame) error {
 }
 
 func (cc *CodecContext) SetHardwareDeviceContext(hdc *HardwareDeviceContext) {
+	if cc.c.hw_device_ctx != nil {
+		C.av_buffer_unref(&cc.c.hw_device_ctx)
+	}
 	cc.c.hw_device_ctx = C.av_buffer_ref(hdc.c)
 }
 
diff --git a/hardware_device_context.go b/hardware_device_context.go
index 12b11ad..c832745 100644
--- a/hardware_device_context.go
+++ b/hardware_device_context.go
@@ -29,9 +29,3 @@ func CreateHardwareDeviceContext(t HardwareDeviceType, device string, options *D
 	}
 	return &hdc, nil
 }
-
-func (hdc *HardwareDeviceContext) Free() {
-	if hdc.c != nil {
-		C.av_buffer_unref(&hdc.c)
-	}
-}