diff --git a/vp9/encoder/vp9_rdopt.c b/vp9/encoder/vp9_rdopt.c
index d402d7b40e6fc37e9dc66949b51cfedea1e8526d..393f68934f83a41b6120beda7983f2d1d4de5df8 100644
--- a/vp9/encoder/vp9_rdopt.c
+++ b/vp9/encoder/vp9_rdopt.c
@@ -3665,7 +3665,6 @@ int64_t vp9_rd_pick_inter_mode_sub8x8(VP9_COMP *cpi, MACROBLOCK *x,
   int_mv seg_mvs[4][MAX_REF_FRAMES];
   b_mode_info best_bmodes[4];
   int best_skip2 = 0;
-  int ref_frame_mask = 0;
   int mode_skip_mask = 0;
 
   x->skip_encode = cpi->sf.skip_encode_frame && x->q_index < QIDX_SKIP_THRESH;
@@ -3700,17 +3699,6 @@ int64_t vp9_rd_pick_inter_mode_sub8x8(VP9_COMP *cpi, MACROBLOCK *x,
     frame_mv[ZEROMV][ref_frame].as_int = 0;
   }
 
-  for (ref_frame = LAST_FRAME;
-       ref_frame <= ALTREF_FRAME && cpi->sf.reference_masking; ++ref_frame) {
-    int i;
-    for (i = LAST_FRAME; i <= ALTREF_FRAME; ++i) {
-      if ((x->pred_mv_sad[ref_frame] >> 1) > x->pred_mv_sad[i]) {
-        ref_frame_mask |= (1 << ref_frame);
-        break;
-      }
-    }
-  }
-
   for (ref_index = 0; ref_index < MAX_REFS; ++ref_index) {
     int mode_excluded = 0;
     int64_t this_rd = INT64_MAX;