diff --git a/libmpdemux/muxer.c b/libmpdemux/muxer.c
index cb3995af31..aa23cde24b 100644
--- a/libmpdemux/muxer.c
+++ b/libmpdemux/muxer.c
@@ -69,6 +69,34 @@ muxer_t *muxer_new_muxer(int type,stream_t *stream){
     return NULL;
 }
 
+off_t muxer_close(muxer_t *muxer)
+{
+    off_t size;
+    /* flush muxer just in case, this is a no-op unless
+     * we created a stream but never wrote frames to it... */
+    muxer_flush(muxer);
+    if (muxer->cont_write_index) muxer_write_index(muxer);
+    size=stream_tell(muxer->stream);
+    stream_seek(muxer->stream,0);
+    if (muxer->cont_write_header) muxer_write_header(muxer); // update header
+    return size;
+}
+
+void muxer_free(muxer_t *muxer)
+{
+    int num;
+    for (num = 0; muxer->streams[num]; ++num) {
+        free(muxer->streams[num]->priv);
+        muxer->streams[num]->priv = NULL;
+        free(muxer->streams[num]);
+        muxer->streams[num] = NULL;
+    }
+    free(muxer->idx);
+    muxer->idx = NULL;
+    muxer->idx_size = 0;
+    free(muxer);
+}
+
 /* Flush the internal muxer buffer.
  * This is normally called from muxer_write_chunk() once all streams
  * have seen frames. */
diff --git a/libmpdemux/muxer.h b/libmpdemux/muxer.h
index b6eeffe3b0..a53b951db9 100644
--- a/libmpdemux/muxer.h
+++ b/libmpdemux/muxer.h
@@ -133,6 +133,8 @@ extern const m_option_t mpegopts_conf[];
 extern const m_option_t nuvopts_conf[];
 
 muxer_t *muxer_new_muxer(int type,stream_t *stream);
+off_t muxer_close(muxer_t *muxer);
+void muxer_free(muxer_t *muxer);
 void muxer_flush(muxer_t *m);
 #define muxer_new_stream(muxer,a) muxer->cont_new_stream(muxer,a)
 #define muxer_stream_fix_parameters(muxer, a) muxer->fix_stream_parameters(a)
diff --git a/mencoder.c b/mencoder.c
index 9664846c3d..e522d45c14 100644
--- a/mencoder.c
+++ b/mencoder.c
@@ -1699,13 +1699,7 @@ if(aencoder)
     if(aencoder->fixup)
         aencoder->fixup(aencoder);
 
-/* flush muxer just in case, this is a no-op unless
- * we created a stream but never wrote frames to it... */
-muxer_flush(muxer);
-if (muxer->cont_write_index) muxer_write_index(muxer);
-muxer_f_size=stream_tell(muxer->stream);
-stream_seek(muxer->stream,0);
-if (muxer->cont_write_header) muxer_write_header(muxer); // update header
+muxer_f_size=muxer_close(muxer);
 #if 0
 if(ferror(muxer_f) || fclose(muxer_f) != 0) {
     mp_msg(MSGT_MENCODER,MSGL_FATAL,MSGTR_ErrorWritingFile, out_filename);
@@ -1730,6 +1724,9 @@ if(sh_audio)
 mp_msg(MSGT_MENCODER, MSGL_INFO, MSGTR_AudioStreamResult,
     (float)(mux_a->size/mux_a->timer*8.0f/1000.0f), (int)(mux_a->size/mux_a->timer), (uint64_t)mux_a->size, (float)mux_a->timer);
 
+muxer_free(muxer);
+muxer=NULL;
+mux_v=mux_a=NULL;
 m_config_free(mconfig);
 m_entry_list_free(filelist);
 if(sh_audio){ uninit_audio(sh_audio);sh_audio=NULL; }