diff --git a/doc/APIchanges b/doc/APIchanges
index 9b9f46ef49..e7a0b14038 100644
--- a/doc/APIchanges
+++ b/doc/APIchanges
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@ libavutil:     2015-08-28
 
 API changes, most recent first:
 
+2017-02-11 - xxxxxxx - lavu 55.32.0 - frame.h
+  Add AVFrame.opaque_ref.
+
 2017-02-xx - xxxxxxx - lavu 55.31.1 - frame.h
   Allow passing the value of 0 (meaning "automatic") as the required alignment
   to av_frame_get_buffer().
diff --git a/libavutil/frame.c b/libavutil/frame.c
index aa5820c0e9..9cd5f9ab37 100644
--- a/libavutil/frame.c
+++ b/libavutil/frame.c
@@ -317,6 +317,8 @@ void av_frame_unref(AVFrame *frame)
 
     av_buffer_unref(&frame->hw_frames_ctx);
 
+    av_buffer_unref(&frame->opaque_ref);
+
     get_frame_defaults(frame);
 }
 
@@ -440,6 +442,13 @@ FF_ENABLE_DEPRECATION_WARNINGS
         av_dict_copy(&sd_dst->metadata, sd_src->metadata, 0);
     }
 
+    av_buffer_unref(&dst->opaque_ref);
+    if (src->opaque_ref) {
+        dst->opaque_ref = av_buffer_ref(src->opaque_ref);
+        if (!dst->opaque_ref)
+            return AVERROR(ENOMEM);
+    }
+
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/libavutil/frame.h b/libavutil/frame.h
index 4f63fb0249..f9ffb5bbbf 100644
--- a/libavutil/frame.h
+++ b/libavutil/frame.h
@@ -395,6 +395,17 @@ typedef struct AVFrame {
     /**
      * @}
      */
+
+    /**
+     * AVBufferRef for free use by the API user. Libav will never check the
+     * contents of the buffer ref. Libav calls av_buffer_unref() on it when
+     * the frame is unreferenced. av_frame_copy_props() calls create a new
+     * reference with av_buffer_ref() for the target frame's opaque_ref field.
+     *
+     * This is unrelated to the opaque field, although it serves a similar
+     * purpose.
+     */
+    AVBufferRef *opaque_ref;
 } AVFrame;
 
 /**
diff --git a/libavutil/version.h b/libavutil/version.h
index 0768f9fe99..5dbc57cc1b 100644
--- a/libavutil/version.h
+++ b/libavutil/version.h
@@ -54,8 +54,8 @@
  */
 
 #define LIBAVUTIL_VERSION_MAJOR 55
-#define LIBAVUTIL_VERSION_MINOR 31
-#define LIBAVUTIL_VERSION_MICRO  1
+#define LIBAVUTIL_VERSION_MINOR 32
+#define LIBAVUTIL_VERSION_MICRO  0
 
 #define LIBAVUTIL_VERSION_INT   AV_VERSION_INT(LIBAVUTIL_VERSION_MAJOR, \
                                                LIBAVUTIL_VERSION_MINOR, \