diff --git a/vp9/encoder/vp9_onyx_if.c b/vp9/encoder/vp9_onyx_if.c
index d7bac6f0bcd7b0d7646272cedc920987c4341efb..f9855451746c219b67a8f99a6a0b08dd72cc8b38 100644
--- a/vp9/encoder/vp9_onyx_if.c
+++ b/vp9/encoder/vp9_onyx_if.c
@@ -859,7 +859,7 @@ static void set_rt_speed_feature(VP9_COMMON *cm,
   if (speed >= 7) {
     sf->partition_search_type = VAR_BASED_FIXED_PARTITION;
     sf->use_nonrd_pick_mode = 1;
-    sf->search_method = NSTEP;
+    sf->search_method = FAST_HEX;
   }
   if (speed >= 8) {
     int i;