diff --git a/src/modules/bluetooth/a2dp-codec-ldac-gst.c b/src/modules/bluetooth/a2dp-codec-ldac-gst.c
index 749cfbe14..836ae37e9 100644
--- a/src/modules/bluetooth/a2dp-codec-ldac-gst.c
+++ b/src/modules/bluetooth/a2dp-codec-ldac-gst.c
@@ -46,13 +46,6 @@ static bool can_be_supported(bool for_encoding) {
     }
     gst_object_unref(element_factory);
 
-    element_factory = gst_element_factory_find("rtpldacpay");
-    if (element_factory == NULL) {
-        pa_log_info("LDAC RTP payloader element `rtpldacpay` not found");
-        return false;
-    }
-    gst_object_unref(element_factory);
-
     return true;
 }
 
@@ -206,7 +199,6 @@ static uint8_t fill_preferred_configuration(const pa_sample_spec *default_sample
 
 GstElement *gst_init_ldac(struct gst_info *info, pa_sample_spec *ss, bool for_encoding) {
     GstElement *bin;
-    GstElement *rtpldacpay;
     GstElement *enc;
     GstPad *pad;
 
@@ -270,28 +262,16 @@ GstElement *gst_init_ldac(struct gst_info *info, pa_sample_spec *ss, bool for_en
             goto fail;
     }
 
-    rtpldacpay = gst_element_factory_make("rtpldacpay", "rtp_ldac_pay");
-    if (!rtpldacpay) {
-        pa_log_error("Could not create RTP LDAC payloader element");
-        goto fail;
-    }
-
     bin = gst_bin_new("ldac_enc_bin");
     pa_assert(bin);
 
-    gst_bin_add_many(GST_BIN(bin), enc, rtpldacpay, NULL);
-
-    if (!gst_element_link(enc, rtpldacpay)) {
-        pa_log_error("Failed to link LDAC encoder to LDAC RTP payloader");
-        gst_object_unref(bin);
-        return NULL;
-    }
+    gst_bin_add_many(GST_BIN(bin), enc, NULL);
 
     pad = gst_element_get_static_pad(enc, "sink");
     pa_assert_se(gst_element_add_pad(bin, gst_ghost_pad_new("sink", pad)));
     gst_object_unref(GST_OBJECT(pad));
 
-    pad = gst_element_get_static_pad(rtpldacpay, "src");
+    pad = gst_element_get_static_pad(enc, "src");
     pa_assert_se(gst_element_add_pad(bin, gst_ghost_pad_new("src", pad)));
     gst_object_unref(GST_OBJECT(pad));
 
@@ -421,12 +401,33 @@ static size_t reduce_encoder_bitrate(void *codec_info, size_t write_link_mtu) {
 }
 
 static size_t encode_buffer(void *codec_info, uint32_t timestamp, const uint8_t *input_buffer, size_t input_size, uint8_t *output_buffer, size_t output_size, size_t *processed) {
+    struct gst_info *info = (struct gst_info *) codec_info;
+    struct rtp_header *header;
+    struct rtp_sbc_payload *payload;
     size_t written;
 
-    written = gst_transcode_buffer(codec_info, input_buffer, input_size, output_buffer, output_size, processed);
+    if (PA_UNLIKELY(output_size < sizeof(*header) + sizeof(*payload))) {
+        *processed = 0;
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    written = gst_transcode_buffer(codec_info, input_buffer, input_size, output_buffer + sizeof(*header) + sizeof(*payload), output_size - sizeof(*header) - sizeof(*payload), processed);
     if (PA_UNLIKELY(*processed != input_size))
         pa_log_error("LDAC encoding error");
 
+    if (PA_LIKELY(written > 0)) {
+        header = (struct rtp_header *) output_buffer;
+        pa_zero(*header);
+        header->v = 2;
+        header->pt = 96;
+        header->sequence_number = htons(info->seq_num++);
+        header->timestamp = htonl(timestamp);
+        header->ssrc = htonl(1);
+        payload = (struct rtp_sbc_payload*) (output_buffer + sizeof(*header));
+        payload->frame_count = get_ldac_num_frames(codec_info, info->codec_type);
+        written += sizeof(*header) + sizeof(*payload);
+    }
+
     return written;
 }