diff --git a/vp9/encoder/vp9_mbgraph.c b/vp9/encoder/vp9_mbgraph.c
index 65fdcbe50cf614658a4cfe298dd5104b4ce5cd61..1b8f873184e6b71a16372f277cc88e22547bb985 100644
--- a/vp9/encoder/vp9_mbgraph.c
+++ b/vp9/encoder/vp9_mbgraph.c
@@ -35,8 +35,9 @@ static unsigned int do_16x16_motion_iteration(VP9_COMP *cpi,
   int_mv ref_full;
 
   // Further step/diamond searches as necessary
-  int step_param = cpi->sf.first_step +
+  int step_param = cpi->sf.reduce_first_step_size +
       (cpi->speed < 8 ? (cpi->speed > 5 ? 1 : 0) : 2);
+  step_param = MIN(step_param, (cpi->sf.max_step_search_steps - 2));
 
   vp9_clamp_mv_min_max(x, ref_mv);
 
diff --git a/vp9/encoder/vp9_mcomp.c b/vp9/encoder/vp9_mcomp.c
index 212dce3b8292583d846e9beb47418bafe6cf6a77..3df312af5dd6d4ec6eaf7ffcb5829412cb43197e 100644
--- a/vp9/encoder/vp9_mcomp.c
+++ b/vp9/encoder/vp9_mcomp.c
@@ -38,16 +38,17 @@ void vp9_clamp_mv_min_max(MACROBLOCK *x, int_mv *ref_mv) {
     x->mv_row_max = row_max;
 }
 
-int vp9_init_search_range(int width, int height) {
+int vp9_init_search_range(VP9_COMP *cpi, int size) {
   int sr = 0;
-  int frm = MIN(width, height);
 
-  while ((frm << sr) < MAX_FULL_PEL_VAL)
+  while ((size << sr) < MAX_FULL_PEL_VAL)
     sr++;
 
   if (sr)
     sr--;
 
+  sr += cpi->sf.reduce_first_step_size;
+  sr = MIN(sr, (cpi->sf.max_step_search_steps - 2));
   return sr;
 }
 
diff --git a/vp9/encoder/vp9_mcomp.h b/vp9/encoder/vp9_mcomp.h
index 28b2efd288b58b2426d442ef42b32f550a96b7e7..c13ea7597f2d0ab067379cd8b9e9bf0c2c92d81d 100644
--- a/vp9/encoder/vp9_mcomp.h
+++ b/vp9/encoder/vp9_mcomp.h
@@ -24,15 +24,15 @@
 #define MAX_FIRST_STEP (1 << (MAX_MVSEARCH_STEPS-1))
 
 void vp9_clamp_mv_min_max(MACROBLOCK *x, int_mv *ref_mv);
-int vp9_init_search_range(int width, int height);
-
 int vp9_mv_bit_cost(int_mv *mv, int_mv *ref, int *mvjcost,
                            int *mvcost[2], int weight, int ishp);
 void vp9_init_dsmotion_compensation(MACROBLOCK *x, int stride);
 void vp9_init3smotion_compensation(MACROBLOCK *x,  int stride);
 
-// Runs sequence of diamond searches in smaller steps for RD
 struct VP9_COMP;
+int vp9_init_search_range(struct VP9_COMP *cpi, int size);
+
+// Runs sequence of diamond searches in smaller steps for RD
 int vp9_full_pixel_diamond(struct VP9_COMP *cpi, MACROBLOCK *x,
                            int_mv *mvp_full, int step_param,
                            int sadpb, int further_steps, int do_refine,
diff --git a/vp9/encoder/vp9_onyx_if.c b/vp9/encoder/vp9_onyx_if.c
index 571d94a128071f6a0272c4e1319a09d6a94e368d..33b3a42c5154da70a4869b16e11c12c2d490f0a3 100644
--- a/vp9/encoder/vp9_onyx_if.c
+++ b/vp9/encoder/vp9_onyx_if.c
@@ -680,7 +680,7 @@ void vp9_set_speed_features(VP9_COMP *cpi) {
   sf->half_pixel_search = 1;
   sf->iterative_sub_pixel = 1;
   sf->optimize_coefficients = !cpi->oxcf.lossless;
-  sf->first_step = 0;
+  sf->reduce_first_step_size = 0;
   sf->max_step_search_steps = MAX_MVSEARCH_STEPS;
   sf->comp_inter_joint_search_thresh = BLOCK_SIZE_AB4X4;
   sf->adpative_rd_thresh = 0;
@@ -721,7 +721,7 @@ void vp9_set_speed_features(VP9_COMP *cpi) {
       if (speed == 1) {
         sf->comp_inter_joint_search_thresh = BLOCK_SIZE_TYPES;
         sf->optimize_coefficients = 0;
-        sf->first_step = 1;
+        sf->reduce_first_step_size = 1;
         sf->use_avoid_tested_higherror = 1;
         sf->adjust_thresholds_by_speed = 1;
         sf->use_largest_txform = !(cpi->common.frame_type == KEY_FRAME ||
@@ -731,27 +731,27 @@ void vp9_set_speed_features(VP9_COMP *cpi) {
       if (speed == 2) {
         sf->comp_inter_joint_search_thresh = BLOCK_SIZE_SB8X8;
         sf->use_lastframe_partitioning = 1;
-        sf->first_step = 0;
+        sf->reduce_first_step_size = 0;
       }
       if (speed == 3) {
         sf->comp_inter_joint_search_thresh = BLOCK_SIZE_SB8X8;
         sf->partition_by_variance = 1;
-        sf->first_step = 0;
+        sf->reduce_first_step_size = 0;
       }
       if (speed == 4) {
-        sf->first_step = 0;
+        sf->reduce_first_step_size = 0;
         sf->comp_inter_joint_search_thresh = BLOCK_SIZE_SB8X8;
         sf->use_one_partition_size_always = 1;
         sf->always_this_block_size = BLOCK_SIZE_MB16X16;
       }
       if (speed == 2) {
-        sf->first_step = 0;
+        sf->reduce_first_step_size = 0;
         sf->comp_inter_joint_search_thresh = BLOCK_SIZE_SB8X8;
         sf->use_partitions_less_than = 1;
         sf->less_than_block_size = BLOCK_SIZE_MB16X16;
       }
       if (speed == 3) {
-        sf->first_step = 0;
+        sf->reduce_first_step_size = 0;
         sf->comp_inter_joint_search_thresh = BLOCK_SIZE_SB8X8;
         sf->use_partitions_greater_than = 1;
         sf->greater_than_block_size = BLOCK_SIZE_SB8X8;
diff --git a/vp9/encoder/vp9_onyx_int.h b/vp9/encoder/vp9_onyx_int.h
index 0811976d0f18fe14341c518f09bb25257ca1ee43..1204ce0920c251bf98313429c005c2dc0c520a5b 100644
--- a/vp9/encoder/vp9_onyx_int.h
+++ b/vp9/encoder/vp9_onyx_int.h
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ typedef struct {
   int quarter_pixel_search;
   int thresh_mult[MAX_MODES];
   int max_step_search_steps;
-  int first_step;
+  int reduce_first_step_size;
   int optimize_coefficients;
   int search_best_filter;
   int static_segmentation;
diff --git a/vp9/encoder/vp9_rdopt.c b/vp9/encoder/vp9_rdopt.c
index fe724d5c098b8e8521209b38df043cd06e72881f..20080884cc5ab51805ed7d81f148928250c1b8d4 100644
--- a/vp9/encoder/vp9_rdopt.c
+++ b/vp9/encoder/vp9_rdopt.c
@@ -1989,12 +1989,11 @@ static void single_motion_search(VP9_COMP *cpi, MACROBLOCK *x,
   MB_MODE_INFO *mbmi = &xd->mode_info_context->mbmi;
   struct buf_2d backup_yv12[MAX_MB_PLANE] = {{0}};
   int bestsme = INT_MAX;
-  int further_steps, step_param = cpi->sf.first_step;
+  int further_steps, step_param;
   int sadpb = x->sadperbit16;
   int_mv mvp_full;
   int ref = mbmi->ref_frame[0];
   int_mv ref_mv = mbmi->ref_mvs[ref][0];
-  int sr = 0;
   const enum BlockSize block_size = get_plane_block_size(bsize, &xd->plane[0]);
 
   int tmp_col_min = x->mv_col_min;
@@ -2018,7 +2017,8 @@ static void single_motion_search(VP9_COMP *cpi, MACROBLOCK *x,
 
   vp9_clamp_mv_min_max(x, &ref_mv);
 
-  sr = vp9_init_search_range(cpi->common.width, cpi->common.height);
+  step_param = vp9_init_search_range(
+                 cpi, MIN(cpi->common.width, cpi->common.height));
 
   // mvp_full.as_int = ref_mv[0].as_int;
   mvp_full.as_int =
@@ -2027,9 +2027,6 @@ static void single_motion_search(VP9_COMP *cpi, MACROBLOCK *x,
   mvp_full.as_mv.col >>= 3;
   mvp_full.as_mv.row >>= 3;
 
-  // adjust search range according to sr from mv prediction
-  step_param = MAX(step_param, sr);
-
   // Further step/diamond searches as necessary
   further_steps = (cpi->sf.max_step_search_steps - 1) - step_param;
 
diff --git a/vp9/encoder/vp9_temporal_filter.c b/vp9/encoder/vp9_temporal_filter.c
index 872bf267a32cbd1176b95c2710e0cf84ef1028af..c1bd93bf579584cb20c6f77060ea4ef61045b9c2 100644
--- a/vp9/encoder/vp9_temporal_filter.c
+++ b/vp9/encoder/vp9_temporal_filter.c
@@ -148,9 +148,10 @@ static int temporal_filter_find_matching_mb_c(VP9_COMP *cpi,
 
   // Further step/diamond searches as necessary
   if (cpi->speed < 8)
-    step_param = cpi->sf.first_step + ((cpi->speed > 5) ? 1 : 0);
+    step_param = cpi->sf.reduce_first_step_size + ((cpi->speed > 5) ? 1 : 0);
   else
-    step_param = cpi->sf.first_step + 2;
+    step_param = cpi->sf.reduce_first_step_size + 2;
+  step_param = MIN(step_param, (cpi->sf.max_step_search_steps - 2));
 
   /*cpi->sf.search_method == HEX*/
   // TODO Check that the 16x16 vf & sdf are selected here