diff --git a/DOCS/interface-changes/track-list-decoder-tag.txt b/DOCS/interface-changes/track-list-decoder-tag.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2e999af3c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/DOCS/interface-changes/track-list-decoder-tag.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+add `track-list/N/decoder`
diff --git a/DOCS/man/input.rst b/DOCS/man/input.rst
index 09efd95090..0931ddb289 100644
--- a/DOCS/man/input.rst
+++ b/DOCS/man/input.rst
@@ -3077,6 +3077,9 @@ Property list
         match even if the default (builtin) demuxer is used, but there is
         no hard guarantee.
 
+    ``track-list/N/decoder``
+        If this track is being decoded, the short decoder name,
+
     ``track-list/N/decoder-desc``
         If this track is being decoded, the human-readable decoder name,
 
diff --git a/common/av_common.c b/common/av_common.c
index e5733c3848..277601d2fc 100644
--- a/common/av_common.c
+++ b/common/av_common.c
@@ -410,4 +410,6 @@ void mp_codec_info_from_av(const AVCodecContext *avctx, struct mp_codec_params *
         c->codec_profile = avcodec_profile_name(avctx->codec_id, avctx->profile);
     c->codec = avctx->codec_descriptor->name;
     c->codec_desc = avctx->codec_descriptor->long_name;
+    c->decoder = avctx->codec->name;
+    c->decoder_desc = avctx->codec->long_name;
 }
diff --git a/demux/stheader.h b/demux/stheader.h
index 4f33bbc711..036c8f54e7 100644
--- a/demux/stheader.h
+++ b/demux/stheader.h
@@ -78,6 +78,12 @@ struct mp_codec_params {
     // Corresponding codec profile
     const char *codec_profile;
 
+    // E.g. "h264" (usually corresponds to AVCodec.name)
+    const char *decoder;
+
+    // Usually corresponds to AVCodec.long_name
+    const char *decoder_desc;
+
     // Usually a FourCC, exact meaning depends on codec.
     unsigned int codec_tag;
 
diff --git a/filters/f_decoder_wrapper.c b/filters/f_decoder_wrapper.c
index ba867621c5..7abe95116d 100644
--- a/filters/f_decoder_wrapper.c
+++ b/filters/f_decoder_wrapper.c
@@ -224,7 +224,6 @@ struct priv {
 
     // --- Protected by cache_lock.
     char *cur_hwdec;
-    char *decoder_desc;
     bool try_spdif;
     bool attached_picture;
     bool pts_reset;
@@ -397,9 +396,6 @@ static bool reinit_decoder(struct priv *p)
     reset_decoder(p);
     p->has_broken_packet_pts = -10; // needs 10 packets to reach decision
 
-    talloc_free(p->decoder_desc);
-    p->decoder_desc = NULL;
-
     const struct mp_decoder_fns *driver = NULL;
     struct mp_decoder_list *list = NULL;
     char *user_list = NULL;
@@ -451,11 +447,12 @@ static bool reinit_decoder(struct priv *p)
 
         p->decoder = driver->create(p->decf, p->codec, sel->decoder);
         if (p->decoder) {
-            mp_mutex_lock(&p->cache_lock);
-            const char *d = sel->desc && sel->desc[0] ? sel->desc : sel->decoder;
-            p->decoder_desc = talloc_strdup(p, d);
-            MP_VERBOSE(p, "Selected codec: %s\n", p->decoder_desc);
-            mp_mutex_unlock(&p->cache_lock);
+            p->codec->decoder = talloc_strdup(p, sel->decoder);
+            p->codec->decoder_desc = talloc_strdup(p, sel->desc && sel->desc[0] ? sel->desc : NULL);
+            MP_VERBOSE(p, "Selected decoder: %s", sel->decoder);
+            if (p->codec->decoder_desc)
+                MP_VERBOSE(p, " - %s", p->codec->decoder_desc);
+            MP_VERBOSE(p, "\n");
             break;
         }
 
@@ -482,15 +479,6 @@ bool mp_decoder_wrapper_reinit(struct mp_decoder_wrapper *d)
     return res;
 }
 
-void mp_decoder_wrapper_get_desc(struct mp_decoder_wrapper *d,
-                                 char *buf, size_t buf_size)
-{
-    struct priv *p = d->f->priv;
-    mp_mutex_lock(&p->cache_lock);
-    snprintf(buf, buf_size, "%s", p->decoder_desc ? p->decoder_desc : "");
-    mp_mutex_unlock(&p->cache_lock);
-}
-
 void mp_decoder_wrapper_set_frame_drops(struct mp_decoder_wrapper *d, int num)
 {
     struct priv *p = d->f->priv;
diff --git a/filters/f_decoder_wrapper.h b/filters/f_decoder_wrapper.h
index 9f1a8b5863..a352dc0c4d 100644
--- a/filters/f_decoder_wrapper.h
+++ b/filters/f_decoder_wrapper.h
@@ -43,10 +43,6 @@ struct mp_decoder_wrapper {
 struct mp_decoder_wrapper *mp_decoder_wrapper_create(struct mp_filter *parent,
                                                      struct sh_stream *src);
 
-// For informational purposes.
-void mp_decoder_wrapper_get_desc(struct mp_decoder_wrapper *d,
-                                 char *buf, size_t buf_size);
-
 // Legacy decoder framedrop control.
 void mp_decoder_wrapper_set_frame_drops(struct mp_decoder_wrapper *d, int num);
 int mp_decoder_wrapper_get_frames_dropped(struct mp_decoder_wrapper *d);
diff --git a/player/command.c b/player/command.c
index ff5ca353f0..4814a897fd 100644
--- a/player/command.c
+++ b/player/command.c
@@ -1977,10 +1977,6 @@ static int get_track_entry(int item, int action, void *arg, void *ctx)
     struct mp_codec_params p =
         track->stream ? *track->stream->codec : (struct mp_codec_params){0};
 
-    char decoder_desc[256] = {0};
-    if (track->dec)
-        mp_decoder_wrapper_get_desc(track->dec, decoder_desc, sizeof(decoder_desc));
-
     bool has_rg = track->stream && track->stream->codec->replaygain_data;
     struct replaygain_data rg = has_rg ? *track->stream->codec->replaygain_data
                                        : (struct replaygain_data){0};
@@ -2029,8 +2025,10 @@ static int get_track_entry(int item, int action, void *arg, void *ctx)
                         .unavailable = !track->hls_bitrate},
         {"program-id",  SUB_PROP_INT(track->program_id),
                         .unavailable = track->program_id < 0},
-        {"decoder-desc", SUB_PROP_STR(decoder_desc),
-                        .unavailable = !decoder_desc[0]},
+        {"decoder",     SUB_PROP_STR(p.decoder),
+                        .unavailable = !p.decoder},
+        {"decoder-desc", SUB_PROP_STR(p.decoder_desc),
+                        .unavailable = !p.decoder_desc},
         {"codec",       SUB_PROP_STR(p.codec),
                         .unavailable = !p.codec},
         {"codec-desc",  SUB_PROP_STR(p.codec_desc),