diff --git a/libavfilter/avfilter.c b/libavfilter/avfilter.c
index c4bd134fb2..80c9cf7b51 100644
--- a/libavfilter/avfilter.c
+++ b/libavfilter/avfilter.c
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ int avfilter_link(AVFilterContext *src, unsigned srcpad,
     li = av_mallocz(sizeof(*li));
     if (!li)
         return AVERROR(ENOMEM);
-    link = &li->l;
+    link = &li->l.pub;
 
     src->outputs[srcpad] = dst->inputs[dstpad] = link;
 
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ int avfilter_config_links(AVFilterContext *filter)
 
 static void update_link_current_pts(FilterLinkInternal *li, int64_t pts)
 {
-    AVFilterLink *const link = &li->l;
+    AVFilterLink *const link = &li->l.pub;
 
     if (pts == AV_NOPTS_VALUE)
         return;
@@ -1077,7 +1077,7 @@ static int samples_ready(FilterLinkInternal *link, unsigned min)
 static int take_samples(FilterLinkInternal *li, unsigned min, unsigned max,
                         AVFrame **rframe)
 {
-    AVFilterLink *link = &li->l;
+    AVFilterLink *link = &li->l.pub;
     AVFrame *frame0, *frame, *buf;
     unsigned nb_samples, nb_frames, i, p;
     int ret;
@@ -1169,7 +1169,7 @@ static int ff_filter_frame_to_filter(AVFilterLink *link)
 
 static int forward_status_change(AVFilterContext *filter, FilterLinkInternal *li_in)
 {
-    AVFilterLink *in = &li_in->l;
+    AVFilterLink *in = &li_in->l.pub;
     unsigned out = 0, progress = 0;
     int ret;
 
@@ -1431,7 +1431,7 @@ int ff_inlink_check_available_samples(AVFilterLink *link, unsigned min)
 
 static void consume_update(FilterLinkInternal *li, const AVFrame *frame)
 {
-    AVFilterLink *const link = &li->l;
+    AVFilterLink *const link = &li->l.pub;
     update_link_current_pts(li, frame->pts);
     ff_inlink_process_commands(link, frame);
     if (link == link->dst->inputs[0])
diff --git a/libavfilter/avfilter_internal.h b/libavfilter/avfilter_internal.h
index 2c31c3e7de..7084411d68 100644
--- a/libavfilter/avfilter_internal.h
+++ b/libavfilter/avfilter_internal.h
@@ -28,10 +28,11 @@
 #include <stdint.h>
 
 #include "avfilter.h"
+#include "filters.h"
 #include "framequeue.h"
 
 typedef struct FilterLinkInternal {
-    AVFilterLink l;
+    FilterLink l;
 
     struct FFFramePool *frame_pool;
 
diff --git a/libavfilter/avfiltergraph.c b/libavfilter/avfiltergraph.c
index 2791ffa64a..47655703cd 100644
--- a/libavfilter/avfiltergraph.c
+++ b/libavfilter/avfiltergraph.c
@@ -1326,7 +1326,7 @@ static void heap_bubble_up(FFFilterGraph *graph,
 
     while (index) {
         int parent = (index - 1) >> 1;
-        if (links[parent]->l.current_pts_us >= li->l.current_pts_us)
+        if (links[parent]->l.pub.current_pts_us >= li->l.pub.current_pts_us)
             break;
         links[index] = links[parent];
         links[index]->age_index = index;
@@ -1348,9 +1348,9 @@ static void heap_bubble_down(FFFilterGraph *graph,
         if (child >= graph->sink_links_count)
             break;
         if (child + 1 < graph->sink_links_count &&
-            links[child + 1]->l.current_pts_us < links[child]->l.current_pts_us)
+            links[child + 1]->l.pub.current_pts_us < links[child]->l.pub.current_pts_us)
             child++;
-        if (li->l.current_pts_us < links[child]->l.current_pts_us)
+        if (li->l.pub.current_pts_us < links[child]->l.pub.current_pts_us)
             break;
         links[index] = links[child];
         links[index]->age_index = index;
@@ -1372,13 +1372,13 @@ int avfilter_graph_request_oldest(AVFilterGraph *graph)
 {
     FFFilterGraph *graphi = fffiltergraph(graph);
     FilterLinkInternal *oldesti = graphi->sink_links[0];
-    AVFilterLink *oldest = &oldesti->l;
+    AVFilterLink *oldest = &oldesti->l.pub;
     int64_t frame_count;
     int r;
 
     while (graphi->sink_links_count) {
         oldesti = graphi->sink_links[0];
-        oldest  = &oldesti->l;
+        oldest  = &oldesti->l.pub;
         if (oldest->dst->filter->activate) {
             r = av_buffersink_get_frame_flags(oldest->dst, NULL,
                                               AV_BUFFERSINK_FLAG_PEEK);
diff --git a/libavfilter/filters.h b/libavfilter/filters.h
index 86bc49d459..2c856fead7 100644
--- a/libavfilter/filters.h
+++ b/libavfilter/filters.h
@@ -33,6 +33,16 @@
  */
 #define FFERROR_NOT_READY FFERRTAG('N','R','D','Y')
 
+/**
+ * Link properties exposed to filter code, but not external callers.
+ *
+ * Cf. AVFilterLink for public properties, FilterLinkInternal for
+ * properties private to the generic layer.
+ */
+typedef struct FilterLink {
+    AVFilterLink pub;
+} FilterLink;
+
 /**
  * Mark a filter ready and schedule it for activation.
  *