diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index eded98ad4..61e141d91 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -2423,7 +2423,6 @@ else
 fi
 else # Linux, OS X
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES([LIBAVCODEC], [libavcodec >= 53.35.0 ], [found_libavcodec=yes], [found_libavcodec=no])
-PKG_CHECK_MODULES([LIBAVCODEC_GE_55], [libavcodec >= 55.0.0 ], [libavcodec_ge_55=yes], [libavcodec_ge_55=no])
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES([LIBAVUTIL], [libavutil >= 51.22.1 ], [found_libavutil=yes], [found_libavutil=no])
 fi
 
@@ -2433,12 +2432,11 @@ then
         AC_DEFINE([HAVE_LAVC], [1], [Build with LAVC support])
         AC_SUBST(LIBAVCODEC_COMPRESS_LIB_TARGET, "lib/ultragrid/vcompress_libavcodec.so.$video_compress_abi_version")
         AC_SUBST(LIBAVCODEC_DECOMPRESS_LIB_TARGET, "lib/ultragrid/vdecompress_libavcodec.so.$video_decompress_abi_version")
-        if test $libavcodec_ge_55 = yes; then
-                AC_SUBST(LIBAVCODEC_AUDIO_CODEC_LIB_TARGET, "lib/ultragrid/acodec_libavcodec.so.$audio_codec_abi_version")
-                AC_DEFINE([HAVE_LAVC_AUDIO], [1], [Build with LAVC audio support])
-                libavcodec_audio=yes
-                LIBAVCODEC_AUDIO_CODEC_OBJ=src/audio/codec/libavcodec.o
-        fi
+
+        AC_SUBST(LIBAVCODEC_AUDIO_CODEC_LIB_TARGET, "lib/ultragrid/acodec_libavcodec.so.$audio_codec_abi_version")
+        AC_DEFINE([HAVE_LAVC_AUDIO], [1], [Build with LAVC audio support])
+        LIBAVCODEC_AUDIO_CODEC_OBJ=src/audio/codec/libavcodec.o
+
         LIB_TARGETS="$LIB_TARGETS $LIBAVCODEC_COMPRESS_LIB_TARGET $LIBAVCODEC_DECOMPRESS_LIB_TARGET $LIBAVCODEC_AUDIO_CODEC_LIB_TARGET"
         LIBAVCODEC_COMPRESS_OBJ=src/video_compress/libavcodec.o
         LIBAVCODEC_DECOMPRESS_OBJ=src/video_decompress/libavcodec.o
@@ -2587,7 +2585,7 @@ RESULT=\
   Realtime DXT (OpenGL) ....... $rtdxt
   JPEG ........................ $jpeg (static: $jpeg_static)
   UYVY dummy compression ...... $uyvy
-  Libavcodec .................. $libavcodec (audio: $libavcodec_audio)
+  Libavcodec .................. $libavcodec
 
   scale postprocessor ......... $scale
   testcard extras ............. $testcard_extras_req
diff --git a/src/audio/codec/libavcodec.c b/src/audio/codec/libavcodec.c
index 25423cbf6..94b680285 100644
--- a/src/audio/codec/libavcodec.c
+++ b/src/audio/codec/libavcodec.c
@@ -55,7 +55,9 @@
 #include "audio/codec/libavcodec.h"
 
 #include <libavcodec/avcodec.h>
+#if LIBAVCODEC_VERSION_MAJOR >= 55
 #include <libavutil/channel_layout.h>
+#endif
 #include <libavutil/mem.h>
 
 #include "audio/audio.h"
@@ -99,7 +101,9 @@ static const audio_codec_t_to_codec_id_mapping_t mapping[] =
         [AC_MULAW] = { .codec_id = AV_CODEC_ID_PCM_MULAW },
         [AC_ADPCM_IMA_WAV] = { .codec_id = AV_CODEC_ID_ADPCM_IMA_WAV },
         [AC_SPEEX] = { .codec_id = AV_CODEC_ID_SPEEX },
+#if LIBAVCODEC_VERSION_MAJOR >= 55
         [AC_OPUS] = { .codec_id = AV_CODEC_ID_OPUS },
+#endif
         [AC_G722] = { .codec_id = AV_CODEC_ID_ADPCM_G722 },
         [AC_G726] = { .codec_id = AV_CODEC_ID_ADPCM_G726 },
 };
@@ -240,7 +244,9 @@ static bool reinitialize_coder(struct libavcodec_codec_state *s, struct audio_de
 
         s->av_frame->nb_samples     = s->codec_ctx->frame_size;
         s->av_frame->format         = s->codec_ctx->sample_fmt;
+#if LIBAVCODEC_VERSION_MAJOR >= 55
         s->av_frame->channel_layout = AV_CH_LAYOUT_MONO;
+#endif
 
         int channels = 1;
         /* the codec gives us the frame size, in samples,
@@ -432,7 +438,11 @@ static void libavcodec_done(void *state)
         free(s->tmp.data);
         av_free_packet(&s->pkt);
         av_freep(&s->samples);
+#if LIBAVCODEC_VERSION_MAJOR >= 55
         avcodec_free_frame(&s->av_frame);
+#else
+        av_free(s->av_frame);
+#endif
 
         free(s);
 }