diff --git a/src/torchcodec/decoders/_core/VideoDecoderOps.cpp b/src/torchcodec/decoders/_core/VideoDecoderOps.cpp
index 89527244..073c21aa 100644
--- a/src/torchcodec/decoders/_core/VideoDecoderOps.cpp
+++ b/src/torchcodec/decoders/_core/VideoDecoderOps.cpp
@@ -43,10 +43,7 @@ TORCH_LIBRARY(torchcodec_ns, m) {
   m.def("scan_all_streams_to_update_metadata(Tensor(a!) decoder) -> ()");
 }
 
-// ==============================
-// Implementations for the operators
-// ==============================
-
+namespace {
 at::Tensor wrapDecoderPointerToTensor(
     std::unique_ptr<VideoDecoder> uniqueDecoder) {
   VideoDecoder* decoder = uniqueDecoder.release();
@@ -59,6 +56,18 @@ at::Tensor wrapDecoderPointerToTensor(
   return tensor;
 }
 
+VideoDecoder* unwrapTensorToGetDecoder(at::Tensor& tensor) {
+  TORCH_INTERNAL_ASSERT(tensor.is_contiguous());
+  void* buffer = tensor.mutable_data_ptr();
+  VideoDecoder* decoder = static_cast<VideoDecoder*>(buffer);
+  return decoder;
+}
+} // namespace
+
+// ==============================
+// Implementations for the operators
+// ==============================
+
 at::Tensor create_from_file(c10::string_view filename) {
   std::string filenameStr(filename);
   std::unique_ptr<VideoDecoder> uniqueDecoder =
@@ -99,7 +108,7 @@ void add_video_stream(
     options.shape = stdShape;
   }
 
-  auto videoDecoder = static_cast<VideoDecoder*>(decoder.mutable_data_ptr());
+  auto videoDecoder = unwrapTensorToGetDecoder(decoder);
   videoDecoder->addVideoStreamDecoder(stream_index.value_or(-1), options);
 }
 
@@ -109,7 +118,7 @@ void seek_to_pts(at::Tensor& decoder, double seconds) {
 }
 
 at::Tensor get_next_frame(at::Tensor& decoder) {
-  auto videoDecoder = static_cast<VideoDecoder*>(decoder.mutable_data_ptr());
+  auto videoDecoder = unwrapTensorToGetDecoder(decoder);
   auto result = videoDecoder->getNextDecodedOutput().frame;
   if (result.sizes().size() != 3) {
     throw std::runtime_error(
@@ -120,7 +129,7 @@ at::Tensor get_next_frame(at::Tensor& decoder) {
 }
 
 at::Tensor get_frame_at_pts(at::Tensor& decoder, double seconds) {
-  auto videoDecoder = static_cast<VideoDecoder*>(decoder.mutable_data_ptr());
+  auto videoDecoder = unwrapTensorToGetDecoder(decoder);
   auto result = videoDecoder->getFrameDisplayedAtTimestamp(seconds);
   return result.frame;
 }
@@ -129,7 +138,7 @@ at::Tensor get_frame_at_index(
     at::Tensor& decoder,
     int64_t stream_index,
     int64_t frame_index) {
-  auto videoDecoder = static_cast<VideoDecoder*>(decoder.mutable_data_ptr());
+  auto videoDecoder = unwrapTensorToGetDecoder(decoder);
   auto result = videoDecoder->getFrameAtIndex(stream_index, frame_index);
   return result.frame;
 }
@@ -148,7 +157,7 @@ at::Tensor get_frames_at_indices(
     at::Tensor& decoder,
     int64_t stream_index,
     at::IntArrayRef frame_indices) {
-  auto videoDecoder = static_cast<VideoDecoder*>(decoder.mutable_data_ptr());
+  auto videoDecoder = unwrapTensorToGetDecoder(decoder);
   std::vector<int64_t> frameIndicesVec(
       frame_indices.begin(), frame_indices.end());
   auto result = videoDecoder->getFramesAtIndexes(stream_index, frameIndicesVec);
@@ -161,7 +170,7 @@ at::Tensor get_frames_in_range(
     int64_t start,
     int64_t stop,
     std::optional<int64_t> step = std::nullopt) {
-  auto videoDecoder = static_cast<VideoDecoder*>(decoder.mutable_data_ptr());
+  auto videoDecoder = unwrapTensorToGetDecoder(decoder);
   auto result = videoDecoder->getFramesInRange(
       stream_index, start, stop, step.value_or(1));
   return result.frames;
@@ -195,7 +204,7 @@ std::string mapToJson(const std::map<std::string, std::string>& metadataMap) {
 }
 
 std::string get_json_metadata(at::Tensor& decoder) {
-  auto videoDecoder = static_cast<VideoDecoder*>(decoder.mutable_data_ptr());
+  auto videoDecoder = unwrapTensorToGetDecoder(decoder);
 
   VideoDecoder::ContainerMetadata videoMetadata =
       videoDecoder->getContainerMetadata();
@@ -261,7 +270,7 @@ std::string get_json_metadata(at::Tensor& decoder) {
 }
 
 std::string get_container_json_metadata(at::Tensor& decoder) {
-  auto videoDecoder = static_cast<VideoDecoder*>(decoder.mutable_data_ptr());
+  auto videoDecoder = unwrapTensorToGetDecoder(decoder);
 
   auto containerMetadata = videoDecoder->getContainerMetadata();
 
@@ -292,7 +301,7 @@ std::string get_container_json_metadata(at::Tensor& decoder) {
 std::string get_stream_json_metadata(
     at::Tensor& decoder,
     int64_t stream_index) {
-  auto videoDecoder = static_cast<VideoDecoder*>(decoder.mutable_data_ptr());
+  auto videoDecoder = unwrapTensorToGetDecoder(decoder);
   auto streams = videoDecoder->getContainerMetadata().streams;
   if (stream_index < 0 || stream_index >= streams.size()) {
     throw std::out_of_range(
@@ -365,7 +374,7 @@ std::string _get_json_ffmpeg_library_versions() {
 }
 
 void scan_all_streams_to_update_metadata(at::Tensor& decoder) {
-  auto videoDecoder = static_cast<VideoDecoder*>(decoder.mutable_data_ptr());
+  auto videoDecoder = unwrapTensorToGetDecoder(decoder);
   videoDecoder->scanFileAndUpdateMetadataAndIndex();
 }