diff --git a/daemon/media_player.c b/daemon/media_player.c
index 2d6020a99..7179942c0 100644
--- a/daemon/media_player.c
+++ b/daemon/media_player.c
@@ -1019,7 +1019,7 @@ static int __ensure_codec_handler(struct media_player *mp, const rtp_payload_typ
 
 	// synthesise rtp payload type
 	rtp_payload_type src_pt = { .payload_type = -1 };
-	src_pt.codec_def = codec_find_by_av(mp->coder.avstream->CODECPAR->codec_id);
+	src_pt.codec_def = codec_def_make_generic_av(mp->coder.avstream->CODECPAR->codec_id);
 	if (!src_pt.codec_def || !src_pt.codec_def->support_decoding) {
 		ilog(LOG_ERR, "Attempting to play media from an unsupported file format/codec");
 		return -1;
diff --git a/lib/codeclib.c b/lib/codeclib.c
index 0d5393abc..83fd05c10 100644
--- a/lib/codeclib.c
+++ b/lib/codeclib.c
@@ -889,10 +889,14 @@ void (*codeclib_thread_loop)(void);
 
 TYPED_GHASHTABLE(codecs_by_name, str, struct codec_def_s, str_case_hash, str_case_equal, NULL, NULL)
 TYPED_GHASHTABLE(codecs_by_id, void, struct codec_def_s, g_direct_hash, g_direct_equal, NULL, NULL)
+TYPED_GHASHTABLE(codecs_by_id_alloc, void, struct codec_def_s, g_direct_hash, g_direct_equal, NULL, g_free)
 
 static codecs_by_name codecs_ht;
 static codecs_by_id codecs_ht_by_av;
 
+static rwlock_t generic_ffmpeg_codecs_lock = RWLOCK_STATIC_INIT;
+static codecs_by_id_alloc generic_ffmpeg_codecs;
+
 
 
 codec_def_t *codec_find(const str *name, enum media_type type) {
@@ -1365,6 +1369,7 @@ static void cc_cleanup(void);
 void codeclib_free(void) {
 	t_hash_table_destroy(codecs_ht);
 	t_hash_table_destroy(codecs_ht_by_av);
+	t_hash_table_destroy(generic_ffmpeg_codecs);
 	avformat_network_deinit();
 	cc_cleanup();
 	if (evs_lib_handle)
@@ -1580,6 +1585,7 @@ void codeclib_init(int print) {
 
 	codecs_ht = codecs_by_name_new();
 	codecs_ht_by_av = codecs_by_id_new();
+	generic_ffmpeg_codecs = codecs_by_id_alloc_new();
 
 	cc_init();
 
@@ -5322,3 +5328,44 @@ AVPacket *codec_cc_input_data(codec_cc_t *c, const str *data, unsigned long ts,
 	return NULL;
 #endif
 }
+
+
+
+codec_def_t *codec_def_make_generic_av(enum AVCodecID id) {
+	{
+		RWLOCK_R(&generic_ffmpeg_codecs_lock);
+
+		struct codec_def_s *ret = t_hash_table_lookup(generic_ffmpeg_codecs, GINT_TO_POINTER(id));
+		if (ret)
+			return ret;
+	}
+
+	{
+		RWLOCK_W(&generic_ffmpeg_codecs_lock);
+
+		struct codec_def_s *ret = t_hash_table_lookup(generic_ffmpeg_codecs, GINT_TO_POINTER(id));
+		if (ret)
+			return ret;
+
+		const AVCodec *codec = avcodec_find_decoder(id);
+		if (!codec)
+			return NULL;
+
+		ret = g_new(__typeof(*ret), 1);
+		*ret = (__typeof(*ret)) {
+			.rtpname = "generic ffmpeg codec",
+			.rtpname_str = STR_CONST("generic ffmpeg codec"),
+			.avcodec_id = id,
+			.default_clockrate_fact = {1,1},
+			.media_type = MT_AUDIO,
+			.codec_type = &codec_type_avcodec,
+			.decoder = codec,
+			.support_decoding = 1,
+			.support_encoding = 1, // just pretend
+		};
+
+		t_hash_table_insert(generic_ffmpeg_codecs, GINT_TO_POINTER(id), ret);
+
+		return ret;
+	}
+}
diff --git a/lib/codeclib.h b/lib/codeclib.h
index c2f4019ec..0c786b1a5 100644
--- a/lib/codeclib.h
+++ b/lib/codeclib.h
@@ -239,6 +239,9 @@ struct codec_def_s {
 	const AVCodec *decoder;
 };
 
+codec_def_t *codec_def_make_generic_av(enum AVCodecID);
+
+
 struct format_s {
 	int clockrate;
 	int channels;