diff --git a/include/vlc_picture.h b/include/vlc_picture.h
index 54171e140f..69b3b4d459 100644
--- a/include/vlc_picture.h
+++ b/include/vlc_picture.h
@@ -28,14 +28,12 @@
 #include <assert.h>
 #include <vlc_atomic.h>
 #include <vlc_es.h>
+#include <vlc_ancillary.h>
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C" {
 #endif
 
-struct vlc_ancillary;
-typedef uint32_t vlc_ancillary_id;
-
 /**
  * \defgroup picture Generic picture API
  * \ingroup output
@@ -417,6 +415,27 @@ VLC_API void picture_Copy( picture_t *p_dst, const picture_t *p_src );
  */
 VLC_API picture_t *picture_Clone(picture_t *pic);
 
+/**
+ * Merge two ancillary arrays
+ *
+ * @param picture the picture that hold the destination ancillary array
+ * @param src_array pointer to an ancillary array
+ * @return VLC_SUCCESS in case of success, VLC_ENOMEM in case of alloc error
+ */
+VLC_API int
+picture_MergeAncillaries(picture_t *pic, const vlc_ancillary_array *src_array);
+
+/**
+ * Merge and clear two ancillary arrays
+ *
+ * @param picture the picture that hold the destination ancillary array
+ * @param src_array pointer to the source ancillary array, will point to empty
+ * data after this call.
+ * @return VLC_SUCCESS in case of success, VLC_ENOMEM in case of alloc error
+ */
+VLC_API int
+picture_MergeAndClearAncillaries(picture_t *pic, vlc_ancillary_array *src_array);
+
 /**
  * Attach an ancillary to the picture
  *
diff --git a/src/libvlccore.sym b/src/libvlccore.sym
index 63958d9039..3dad7d10dd 100644
--- a/src/libvlccore.sym
+++ b/src/libvlccore.sym
@@ -318,6 +318,8 @@ net_Read
 net_SetCSCov
 net_Write
 picture_AttachAncillary
+picture_MergeAncillaries
+picture_MergeAndClearAncillaries
 picture_AttachNewAncillary
 picture_BlendSubpicture
 picture_Clone
diff --git a/src/misc/picture.c b/src/misc/picture.c
index 6c7c7c593a..ed6e52d937 100644
--- a/src/misc/picture.c
+++ b/src/misc/picture.c
@@ -484,6 +484,20 @@ picture_t *picture_Clone(picture_t *picture)
     return clone;
 }
 
+int
+picture_MergeAncillaries(picture_t *pic, const vlc_ancillary_array *src_array)
+{
+    picture_priv_t *priv = container_of(pic, picture_priv_t, picture);
+    return vlc_ancillary_array_Merge(&priv->ancillaries, src_array);
+}
+
+int
+picture_MergeAndClearAncillaries(picture_t *pic, vlc_ancillary_array *src_array)
+{
+    picture_priv_t *priv = container_of(pic, picture_priv_t, picture);
+    return vlc_ancillary_array_MergeAndClear(&priv->ancillaries, src_array);
+}
+
 int
 picture_AttachAncillary(picture_t *pic, struct vlc_ancillary *ancillary)
 {