diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 8c41b24067..0e222b5b3c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 ## [Unreleased]
 ### Added
 - This Changelog
+- New MediaCodec helper function: `sxplayer_release_frame_mediacodec()`
 
 ### Changed
 - Switch build system from GNU/Make to [Meson](https://mesonbuild.com/)
diff --git a/sxplayer.c b/sxplayer.c
index 5284856e30..edce18bcb7 100644
--- a/sxplayer.c
+++ b/sxplayer.c
@@ -36,6 +36,10 @@
 #include "log.h"
 #include "internal.h"
 
+#if HAVE_MEDIACODEC_HWACCEL
+#include <libavcodec/mediacodec.h>
+#endif
+
 struct sxplayer_ctx {
     const AVClass *class;                   // necessary for the AVOption mechanism
     struct log_ctx *log_ctx;
@@ -547,6 +551,25 @@ void sxplayer_release_frame(struct sxplayer_frame *frame)
     }
 }
 
+int sxplayer_release_frame_mediacodec(struct sxplayer_frame **framep)
+{
+#if HAVE_MEDIACODEC_HWACCEL
+    struct sxplayer_frame *frame = *framep;
+    if (!frame)
+        return 0;
+    av_assert0(frame->pix_fmt == SXPLAYER_PIXFMT_MEDIACODEC);
+    AVMediaCodecBuffer *buffer = (AVMediaCodecBuffer *)frame->data;
+    int ret = av_mediacodec_release_buffer(buffer, 1);
+    sxplayer_release_frame(frame);
+    *framep = NULL;
+    if (ret < 0)
+        return -1;
+    return 0;
+#else
+    av_assert0(0);
+#endif
+}
+
 int sxplayer_set_drop_ref(struct sxplayer_ctx *s, int drop)
 {
     return -1; // TODO
diff --git a/sxplayer.h.in b/sxplayer.h.in
index 90aceed86e..77f8e79661 100644
--- a/sxplayer.h.in
+++ b/sxplayer.h.in
@@ -336,6 +336,20 @@ int sxplayer_set_drop_ref(struct sxplayer_ctx *s, int drop);
 /* Release a frame obtained with sxplayer_get_frame() */
 void sxplayer_release_frame(struct sxplayer_frame *frame);
 
+/**
+ * Render to surface and release a MediaCodec frame obtained with
+ * sxplayer_get_frame().
+ *
+ * @param framep the address of a sxplayer_frame pointer to be rendered
+ *               and released
+ *
+ * Note: the sxplayer_frame is released even if the underlying MediaCodec
+ * buffer failed to be rendered.
+ *
+ * Return 0 on success, a negative value on error
+ */
+int sxplayer_release_frame_mediacodec(struct sxplayer_frame **framep);
+
 /* Close and free everything */
 void sxplayer_free(struct sxplayer_ctx **ss);