diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-base/gst-libs/gst/video/gstvideodecoder.c b/subprojects/gst-plugins-base/gst-libs/gst/video/gstvideodecoder.c
index b96fd47dd0..74bcab1e72 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-base/gst-libs/gst/video/gstvideodecoder.c
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-base/gst-libs/gst/video/gstvideodecoder.c
@@ -536,6 +536,9 @@ static gboolean gst_video_decoder_transform_meta_default (GstVideoDecoder *
 static gboolean gst_video_decoder_handle_missing_data_default (GstVideoDecoder *
     decoder, GstClockTime timestamp, GstClockTime duration);
 
+static void gst_video_decoder_replace_input_buffer (GstVideoDecoder * decoder,
+    GstVideoCodecFrame * frame, GstBuffer ** dest_buffer);
+
 static void gst_video_decoder_copy_metas (GstVideoDecoder * decoder,
     GstVideoCodecFrame * frame, GstBuffer * src_buffer,
     GstBuffer * dest_buffer);
@@ -2459,11 +2462,7 @@ gst_video_decoder_chain_forward (GstVideoDecoder * decoder,
       GST_VIDEO_CODEC_FRAME_SET_SYNC_POINT (frame);
     }
 
-    if (frame->input_buffer) {
-      gst_video_decoder_copy_metas (decoder, frame, frame->input_buffer, buf);
-      gst_buffer_unref (frame->input_buffer);
-    }
-    frame->input_buffer = buf;
+    gst_video_decoder_replace_input_buffer (decoder, frame, &buf);
 
     if (decoder->input_segment.rate < 0.0) {
       priv->parse_gather = g_list_prepend (priv->parse_gather, frame);
@@ -3381,6 +3380,20 @@ gst_video_decoder_copy_metas (GstVideoDecoder * decoder,
   }
 }
 
+static void
+gst_video_decoder_replace_input_buffer (GstVideoDecoder * decoder,
+    GstVideoCodecFrame * frame, GstBuffer ** dest_buffer)
+{
+  if (frame->input_buffer) {
+    *dest_buffer = gst_buffer_make_writable (*dest_buffer);
+    gst_video_decoder_copy_metas (decoder, frame, frame->input_buffer,
+        *dest_buffer);
+    gst_buffer_unref (frame->input_buffer);
+  }
+
+  frame->input_buffer = *dest_buffer;
+}
+
 /**
  * gst_video_decoder_finish_frame:
  * @decoder: a #GstVideoDecoder
@@ -3821,12 +3834,8 @@ gst_video_decoder_have_frame (GstVideoDecoder * decoder)
     buffer = gst_buffer_new_and_alloc (0);
   }
 
-  if (priv->current_frame->input_buffer) {
-    gst_video_decoder_copy_metas (decoder, priv->current_frame,
-        priv->current_frame->input_buffer, buffer);
-    gst_buffer_unref (priv->current_frame->input_buffer);
-  }
-  priv->current_frame->input_buffer = buffer;
+  gst_video_decoder_replace_input_buffer (decoder, priv->current_frame,
+      &buffer);
 
   gst_video_decoder_get_buffer_info_at_offset (decoder,
       priv->frame_offset, &pts, &dts, &duration, &flags);
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-base/tests/check/libs/videodecoder.c b/subprojects/gst-plugins-base/tests/check/libs/videodecoder.c
index 16c1e4a266..c995321e20 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-base/tests/check/libs/videodecoder.c
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-base/tests/check/libs/videodecoder.c
@@ -1315,12 +1315,18 @@ GST_START_TEST (videodecoder_playback_event_order)
 
 GST_END_TEST;
 
+/*
+ * MODE_META_COPY: takes an extra ref to the input buffer to check metas
+ *                 are copied to a writable buffer.
+ *                 see: https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/gstreamer/gstreamer/-/merge_requests/4912
+ */
 typedef enum
 {
   MODE_NONE = 0,
   MODE_SUBFRAMES = 1,
   MODE_PACKETIZED = 1 << 1,
   MODE_META_ROI = 1 << 2,
+  MODE_META_COPY = 1 << 3,
 } SubframeMode;
 
 static void
@@ -1379,10 +1385,19 @@ videodecoder_playback_subframe_mode (SubframeMode mode)
       gst_buffer_add_video_region_of_interest_meta (buffer, "face", 0, 0, 10,
           10);
 
+    /* Take an extra ref to check that we ensure buffer is writable when copying metas
+     * https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/gstreamer/gstreamer/-/merge_requests/4912
+     */
+    if (mode & MODE_META_COPY) {
+      gst_buffer_ref (buffer);
+    }
     fail_unless (gst_pad_push (mysrcpad, buffer) == GST_FLOW_OK);
     fail_unless (gst_pad_push_event (mysrcpad,
             gst_event_new_custom (GST_EVENT_CUSTOM_DOWNSTREAM,
                 gst_structure_new_empty ("custom1"))));
+    if (mode & MODE_META_COPY) {
+      gst_buffer_unref (buffer);
+    }
   }
   /* Send EOS */
   fail_unless (gst_pad_push_event (mysrcpad, gst_event_new_eos ()));
@@ -1540,6 +1555,14 @@ GST_START_TEST (videodecoder_playback_packetized_subframes_metadata)
 
 GST_END_TEST;
 
+GST_START_TEST (videodecoder_playback_packetized_subframes_metadata_copy)
+{
+  videodecoder_playback_subframe_mode (MODE_SUBFRAMES |
+      MODE_PACKETIZED | MODE_META_ROI | MODE_META_COPY);
+}
+
+GST_END_TEST;
+
 GST_START_TEST (videodecoder_playback_invalid_ts_packetized)
 {
   videodecoder_playback_invalid_ts_subframe_mode (MODE_PACKETIZED);
@@ -1589,6 +1612,7 @@ gst_videodecoder_suite (void)
   tcase_add_test (tc, videodecoder_playback_parsed_subframes);
   tcase_add_test (tc, videodecoder_playback_packetized_subframes);
   tcase_add_test (tc, videodecoder_playback_packetized_subframes_metadata);
+  tcase_add_test (tc, videodecoder_playback_packetized_subframes_metadata_copy);
   tcase_add_test (tc, videodecoder_playback_invalid_ts_packetized);
   tcase_add_test (tc, videodecoder_playback_invalid_ts_packetized_subframes);