diff --git a/av/codec/context.pxd b/av/codec/context.pxd
index 58bc6a07d..782a66f8f 100644
--- a/av/codec/context.pxd
+++ b/av/codec/context.pxd
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ cdef class CodecContext:
 
     # Whether AVCodecContext.extradata should be de-allocated upon destruction.
     cdef bint extradata_set
+    cdef bint _is_open
 
     # Used as a signal that this is within a stream, and also for us to access
     # that stream. This is set "manually" by the stream after constructing
diff --git a/av/codec/context.pyx b/av/codec/context.pyx
index b995bc9f7..c00dec1dd 100644
--- a/av/codec/context.pyx
+++ b/av/codec/context.pyx
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ cdef class CodecContext:
 
         self.options = {}
         self.stream_index = -1  # This is set by the container immediately.
+        self._is_open = False
 
     cdef _init(self, lib.AVCodecContext *ptr, const lib.AVCodec *codec):
         self.ptr = ptr
@@ -217,7 +218,7 @@ cdef class CodecContext:
 
     @property
     def is_open(self):
-        return lib.avcodec_is_open(self.ptr)
+        return self._is_open
 
     @property
     def is_encoder(self):
@@ -228,7 +229,7 @@ cdef class CodecContext:
         return lib.av_codec_is_decoder(self.ptr.codec)
 
     cpdef open(self, bint strict=True):
-        if lib.avcodec_is_open(self.ptr):
+        if self._is_open:
             if strict:
                 raise ValueError("CodecContext is already open.")
             return
@@ -241,7 +242,7 @@ cdef class CodecContext:
             self._set_default_time_base()
 
         err_check(lib.avcodec_open2(self.ptr, self.codec.ptr, &options.ptr))
-
+        self._is_open = True
         self.options = dict(options)
 
     cdef _set_default_time_base(self):
@@ -249,17 +250,17 @@ cdef class CodecContext:
         self.ptr.time_base.den = lib.AV_TIME_BASE
 
     cpdef close(self, bint strict=True):
-        if not lib.avcodec_is_open(self.ptr):
+        if not self._is_open:
             if strict:
                 raise ValueError("CodecContext is already closed.")
             return
-        err_check(lib.avcodec_close(self.ptr))
+        self._is_open = False
+        lib.avcodec_free_context(&self.ptr)
 
     def __dealloc__(self):
         if self.ptr and self.extradata_set:
             lib.av_freep(&self.ptr.extradata)
         if self.ptr:
-            lib.avcodec_close(self.ptr)
             lib.avcodec_free_context(&self.ptr)
         if self.parser:
             lib.av_parser_close(self.parser)
@@ -565,7 +566,7 @@ cdef class CodecContext:
 
     @thread_count.setter
     def thread_count(self, int value):
-        if lib.avcodec_is_open(self.ptr):
+        if self._is_open:
             raise RuntimeError("Cannot change thread_count after codec is open.")
         self.ptr.thread_count = value
 
@@ -580,7 +581,7 @@ cdef class CodecContext:
 
     @thread_type.setter
     def thread_type(self, value):
-        if lib.avcodec_is_open(self.ptr):
+        if self._is_open:
             raise RuntimeError("Cannot change thread_type after codec is open.")
         self.ptr.thread_type = ThreadType[value].value
 
diff --git a/include/libavcodec/avcodec.pxd b/include/libavcodec/avcodec.pxd
index f414e59d4..71121e976 100644
--- a/include/libavcodec/avcodec.pxd
+++ b/include/libavcodec/avcodec.pxd
@@ -291,9 +291,6 @@ cdef extern from "libavcodec/avcodec.h" nogil:
         AVDictionary **options,
     )
 
-    cdef int avcodec_is_open(AVCodecContext *ctx )
-    cdef int avcodec_close(AVCodecContext *ctx)
-
     cdef int AV_NUM_DATA_POINTERS
 
     cdef enum AVPacketSideDataType: