diff --git a/include/vlc_input.h b/include/vlc_input.h
index 7b052e9ebf..455241a41e 100644
--- a/include/vlc_input.h
+++ b/include/vlc_input.h
@@ -543,6 +543,8 @@ VLC_API int input_vaControl( input_thread_t *, int i_query, va_list  );
 
 VLC_API int input_Control( input_thread_t *, int i_query, ...  );
 
+VLC_API int input_Close( input_thread_t * );
+
 /**
  * Get the input item for an input thread
  *
diff --git a/src/input/input.c b/src/input/input.c
index 63a148029d..cfbe3cc1a6 100644
--- a/src/input/input.c
+++ b/src/input/input.c
@@ -250,6 +250,17 @@ void input_Stop( input_thread_t *p_input, bool b_abort )
     input_ControlPush( p_input, INPUT_CONTROL_SET_DIE, NULL );
 }
 
+/**
+ * Close an input
+ *
+ * It does not call input_Stop itself.
+ */
+int input_Close( input_thread_t *p_input )
+{
+    vlc_thread_join( p_input );
+    vlc_object_release( p_input );
+}
+
 /**
  * Get the item from an input thread
  * FIXME it does not increase ref count of the item.
diff --git a/src/libvlccore.sym b/src/libvlccore.sym
index 896153737b..b53b0a0821 100644
--- a/src/libvlccore.sym
+++ b/src/libvlccore.sym
@@ -226,6 +226,7 @@ input_SplitMRL
 input_Start
 input_Stop
 input_vaControl
+input_Close
 intf_Create
 intf_Eject
 IsUTF8