diff --git a/doc/filters.texi b/doc/filters.texi
index 619542e7b5..341503c7f8 100644
--- a/doc/filters.texi
+++ b/doc/filters.texi
@@ -21209,9 +21209,9 @@ Specify the frame rate expected for the video stream.
 The sample (pixel) aspect ratio of the input video.
 
 @item sws_param
-Specify the optional parameters to be used for the scale filter which
-is automatically inserted when an input change is detected in the
-input size or format.
+This option is deprecated and ignored. Prepend @code{sws_flags=@var{flags};}
+to the filtergraph description to specify swscale flags for automatically
+inserted scalers. See @ref{Filtergraph syntax}.
 
 @item hw_frames_ctx
 When using a hardware pixel format, this should be a reference to an
@@ -21236,7 +21236,7 @@ buffer=size=320x240:pixfmt=6:time_base=1/24:pixel_aspect=1/1
 Alternatively, the options can be specified as a flat string, but this
 syntax is deprecated:
 
-@var{width}:@var{height}:@var{pix_fmt}:@var{time_base.num}:@var{time_base.den}:@var{pixel_aspect.num}:@var{pixel_aspect.den}[:@var{sws_param}]
+@var{width}:@var{height}:@var{pix_fmt}:@var{time_base.num}:@var{time_base.den}:@var{pixel_aspect.num}:@var{pixel_aspect.den}
 
 @section cellauto
 
diff --git a/libavfilter/buffersrc.c b/libavfilter/buffersrc.c
index 2fa9e00daf..64940d91e2 100644
--- a/libavfilter/buffersrc.c
+++ b/libavfilter/buffersrc.c
@@ -51,7 +51,9 @@ typedef struct BufferSourceContext {
     int               w, h;
     enum AVPixelFormat  pix_fmt;
     AVRational        pixel_aspect;
+#if FF_API_SWS_PARAM_OPTION
     char              *sws_param;
+#endif
 
     AVBufferRef *hw_frames_ctx;
 
@@ -271,10 +273,16 @@ static av_cold int init_video(AVFilterContext *ctx)
         return AVERROR(EINVAL);
     }
 
-    av_log(ctx, AV_LOG_VERBOSE, "w:%d h:%d pixfmt:%s tb:%d/%d fr:%d/%d sar:%d/%d sws_param:%s\n",
+    av_log(ctx, AV_LOG_VERBOSE, "w:%d h:%d pixfmt:%s tb:%d/%d fr:%d/%d sar:%d/%d\n",
            c->w, c->h, av_get_pix_fmt_name(c->pix_fmt),
            c->time_base.num, c->time_base.den, c->frame_rate.num, c->frame_rate.den,
-           c->pixel_aspect.num, c->pixel_aspect.den, (char *)av_x_if_null(c->sws_param, ""));
+           c->pixel_aspect.num, c->pixel_aspect.den);
+
+#if FF_API_SWS_PARAM_OPTION
+    if (c->sws_param)
+        av_log(ctx, AV_LOG_WARNING, "sws_param option is deprecated and ignored\n");
+#endif
+
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -296,7 +304,9 @@ static const AVOption buffer_options[] = {
     { "pixel_aspect",  "sample aspect ratio",    OFFSET(pixel_aspect),     AV_OPT_TYPE_RATIONAL, { .dbl = 0 }, 0, DBL_MAX, V },
     { "time_base",     NULL,                     OFFSET(time_base),        AV_OPT_TYPE_RATIONAL, { .dbl = 0 }, 0, DBL_MAX, V },
     { "frame_rate",    NULL,                     OFFSET(frame_rate),       AV_OPT_TYPE_RATIONAL, { .dbl = 0 }, 0, DBL_MAX, V },
+#if FF_API_SWS_PARAM_OPTION
     { "sws_param",     NULL,                     OFFSET(sws_param),        AV_OPT_TYPE_STRING,                    .flags = V },
+#endif
     { NULL },
 };
 
diff --git a/libavfilter/version.h b/libavfilter/version.h
index 8a9032859f..b029905ed4 100644
--- a/libavfilter/version.h
+++ b/libavfilter/version.h
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 
 #define LIBAVFILTER_VERSION_MAJOR   7
 #define LIBAVFILTER_VERSION_MINOR  70
-#define LIBAVFILTER_VERSION_MICRO 100
+#define LIBAVFILTER_VERSION_MICRO 101
 
 
 #define LIBAVFILTER_VERSION_INT AV_VERSION_INT(LIBAVFILTER_VERSION_MAJOR, \
@@ -59,6 +59,9 @@
 #ifndef FF_API_FILTER_GET_SET
 #define FF_API_FILTER_GET_SET               (LIBAVFILTER_VERSION_MAJOR < 8)
 #endif
+#ifndef FF_API_SWS_PARAM_OPTION
+#define FF_API_SWS_PARAM_OPTION             (LIBAVFILTER_VERSION_MAJOR < 8)
+#endif
 #ifndef FF_API_NEXT
 #define FF_API_NEXT                         (LIBAVFILTER_VERSION_MAJOR < 8)
 #endif