diff --git a/daemon/jitter_buffer.c b/daemon/jitter_buffer.c
index 898eb0ca8..d70b34b98 100644
--- a/daemon/jitter_buffer.c
+++ b/daemon/jitter_buffer.c
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ static int get_clock_rate(struct media_packet *mp, int payload_type) {
 }
 
 static struct jb_packet* get_jb_packet(struct media_packet *mp, const str *s) {
-	if (rtp_payload(&mp->rtp, &mp->payload, s))
+	if (!(mp->rtp = rtp_payload(&mp->payload, s)))
 		return NULL;
 
 	char *buf = bufferpool_alloc(media_bufferpool, s->len + RTP_BUFFER_HEAD_ROOM + RTP_BUFFER_TAIL_ROOM);
diff --git a/daemon/media_socket.c b/daemon/media_socket.c
index 39273ff5a..b34137900 100644
--- a/daemon/media_socket.c
+++ b/daemon/media_socket.c
@@ -2320,7 +2320,7 @@ static void media_packet_rtp_in(struct packet_handler_ctx *phc)
 
 	const char *unkern = NULL;
 
-	if (G_LIKELY(!phc->rtcp && !rtp_payload(&phc->mp.rtp, &phc->mp.payload, &phc->s))) {
+	if (G_LIKELY(!phc->rtcp && (phc->mp.rtp = rtp_payload(&phc->mp.payload, &phc->s)))) {
 		unkern = __stream_ssrc_in(phc->in_srtp, phc->mp.rtp->ssrc, &phc->mp.ssrc_in,
 				&phc->mp.media->ssrc_hash_in);
 
diff --git a/daemon/rtp.c b/daemon/rtp.c
index e12181b9f..874c9c9da 100644
--- a/daemon/rtp.c
+++ b/daemon/rtp.c
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ int rtp_avp2savp(str *s, struct crypto_context *c, struct ssrc_entry_call *ssrc_
 
 	if (G_UNLIKELY(!ssrc_ctx))
 		return -1;
-	if (rtp_payload(&rtp, &payload, s))
+	if (!(rtp = rtp_payload(&payload, s)))
 		return -1;
 	if (check_session_keys(c))
 		return -1;
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ int rtp_update_index(str *s, struct packet_stream *ps, struct ssrc_entry_call *s
 
 	if (G_UNLIKELY(!ssrc))
 		return -1;
-	if (rtp_payload(&rtp, NULL, s))
+	if (!(rtp = rtp_payload(NULL, s)))
 		return -1;
 	g_autoptr(crypto_debug_string) cds = NULL;
 	packet_index(ssrc, rtp, &cds);
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ int rtp_savp2avp(str *s, struct crypto_context *c, struct ssrc_entry_call *ssrc_
 
 	if (G_UNLIKELY(!ssrc_ctx))
 		return -1;
-	if (rtp_payload(&rtp, &payload, s))
+	if (!(rtp = rtp_payload(&payload, s)))
 		return -1;
 	if (check_session_keys(c))
 		return -1;
diff --git a/lib/rtplib.c b/lib/rtplib.c
index 028e23418..909efa0c3 100644
--- a/lib/rtplib.c
+++ b/lib/rtplib.c
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ const int num_rfc_rtp_payload_types = G_N_ELEMENTS(rfc_rtp_payload_types);
 
 
 
-int rtp_payload(struct rtp_header **out, str *p, const str *s) {
+struct rtp_header *rtp_payload(str *p, const str *s) {
 	struct rtp_header *rtp;
 	struct rtp_extension *ext;
 	const char *err;
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ int rtp_payload(struct rtp_header **out, str *p, const str *s) {
 		goto error;
 
 	if (!p)
-		goto done;
+		return rtp;
 
 	*p = *s;
 	/* fixed header */
@@ -95,14 +95,11 @@ int rtp_payload(struct rtp_header **out, str *p, const str *s) {
 			goto error;
 	}
 
-done:
-	*out = rtp;
-
-	return 0;
+	return rtp;
 
 error:
 	ilog(LOG_DEBUG | LOG_FLAG_LIMIT, "Error parsing RTP header: %s", err);
-	return -1;
+	return NULL;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/lib/rtplib.h b/lib/rtplib.h
index cc2e59450..8e7c54830 100644
--- a/lib/rtplib.h
+++ b/lib/rtplib.h
@@ -127,7 +127,8 @@ extern const struct rtp_payload_type rfc_rtp_payload_types[];
 extern const int num_rfc_rtp_payload_types;
 
 
-int rtp_payload(struct rtp_header **out, str *p, const str *s);
+__attribute__((nonnull(2)))
+struct rtp_header *rtp_payload(str *p, const str *s);
 int rtp_padding(const struct rtp_header *header, str *payload);
 const struct rtp_payload_type *rtp_get_rfc_payload_type(unsigned int type);
 const struct rtp_payload_type *rtp_get_rfc_codec(const str *codec);
diff --git a/recording-daemon/packet.c b/recording-daemon/packet.c
index 77be65b62..b76bf062d 100644
--- a/recording-daemon/packet.c
+++ b/recording-daemon/packet.c
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ void packet_process(stream_t *stream, unsigned char *buf, unsigned len) {
 	if (rtcp_demux_is_rtcp(&bufstr))
 		goto ignore; // for now
 
-	if (rtp_payload(&packet->rtp, &packet->payload, &bufstr))
+	if (!(packet->rtp = rtp_payload(&packet->payload, &bufstr)))
 		goto err;
 	if (rtp_padding(packet->rtp, &packet->payload))
 		goto err;