diff --git a/libavcodec/apedec.c b/libavcodec/apedec.c
index 607304fe36..923f79046b 100644
--- a/libavcodec/apedec.c
+++ b/libavcodec/apedec.c
@@ -1666,7 +1666,7 @@ const AVCodec ff_ape_decoder = {
     .decode         = ape_decode_frame,
     .capabilities   = AV_CODEC_CAP_SUBFRAMES | AV_CODEC_CAP_DELAY |
                       AV_CODEC_CAP_DR1,
-    .caps_internal  = FF_CODEC_CAP_INIT_CLEANUP,
+    .caps_internal  = FF_CODEC_CAP_INIT_THREADSAFE | FF_CODEC_CAP_INIT_CLEANUP,
     .flush          = ape_flush,
     .sample_fmts    = (const enum AVSampleFormat[]) { AV_SAMPLE_FMT_U8P,
                                                       AV_SAMPLE_FMT_S16P,