diff --git a/vp9/encoder/vp9_onyx_if.c b/vp9/encoder/vp9_onyx_if.c
index 3d11d5bd736d1467c4eb4b412a57a439b41768a6..e15c44d14961257ac29a1f10b4df2c950c9e3562 100644
--- a/vp9/encoder/vp9_onyx_if.c
+++ b/vp9/encoder/vp9_onyx_if.c
@@ -766,7 +766,7 @@ void vp9_set_speed_features(VP9_COMP *cpi) {
       sf->static_segmentation = 0;
 #endif
       sf->use_avoid_tested_higherror = 1;
-      sf->adaptive_rd_thresh = 1;
+      sf->adaptive_rd_thresh = MIN((speed + 1), 4);
 
       if (speed == 1) {
         sf->comp_inter_joint_search_thresh = BLOCK_SIZES;
@@ -1402,7 +1402,7 @@ static void cal_nmvsadcosts_hp(int *mvsadcost[2]) {
 }
 
 VP9_PTR vp9_create_compressor(VP9_CONFIG *oxcf) {
-  int i;
+  int i, j;
   volatile union {
     VP9_COMP *cpi;
     VP9_PTR   ptr;
@@ -1604,9 +1604,10 @@ VP9_PTR vp9_create_compressor(VP9_CONFIG *oxcf) {
 
   vp9_set_speed_features(cpi);
 
-  // Set starting values of RD threshold multipliers (128 = *1)
-  for (i = 0; i < MAX_MODES; i++)
-    cpi->rd_thresh_mult[i] = 128;
+  // Default rd threshold factors for mode selection
+  for (i = 0; i < BLOCK_SIZES; ++i)
+    for (j = 0; j < MAX_MODES; ++j)
+      cpi->rd_thresh_freq_fact[i][j] = 32;
 
 #define BFP(BT, SDF, SDAF, VF, SVF, SVAF, SVFHH, SVFHV, SVFHHV, \
             SDX3F, SDX8F, SDX4DF)\
@@ -2636,8 +2637,6 @@ static void encode_frame_to_data_rate(VP9_COMP *cpi,
 
   // Set various flags etc to special state if it is a key frame
   if (cm->frame_type == KEY_FRAME) {
-    int i;
-
     // Reset the loop filter deltas and segmentation map
     setup_features(cm);
 
@@ -2650,10 +2649,6 @@ static void encode_frame_to_data_rate(VP9_COMP *cpi,
     // The alternate reference frame cannot be active for a key frame
     cpi->source_alt_ref_active = 0;
 
-    // Reset the RD threshold multipliers to default of * 1 (128)
-    for (i = 0; i < MAX_MODES; i++)
-      cpi->rd_thresh_mult[i] = 128;
-
     cm->error_resilient_mode = (cpi->oxcf.error_resilient_mode != 0);
     cm->frame_parallel_decoding_mode =
       (cpi->oxcf.frame_parallel_decoding_mode != 0);
diff --git a/vp9/encoder/vp9_onyx_int.h b/vp9/encoder/vp9_onyx_int.h
index fbde056d7a514ba889f0b9ec914e9db624ef4603..8328374d68c1f156a267913a5d86a8fe5e66bda2 100644
--- a/vp9/encoder/vp9_onyx_int.h
+++ b/vp9/encoder/vp9_onyx_int.h
@@ -381,8 +381,6 @@ typedef struct VP9_COMP {
   int ref_frame_mask;
   int set_ref_frame_mask;
 
-  int rd_thresh_mult[MAX_MODES];
-  int rd_baseline_thresh[BLOCK_SIZES][MAX_MODES];
   int rd_threshes[BLOCK_SIZES][MAX_MODES];
   int rd_thresh_freq_fact[BLOCK_SIZES][MAX_MODES];
 
diff --git a/vp9/encoder/vp9_rdopt.c b/vp9/encoder/vp9_rdopt.c
index 10afe097d6e28d5993f84838027e76cde6b6e21b..ee219572e3f91e54a324f8ba67f497cf4c50e561 100644
--- a/vp9/encoder/vp9_rdopt.c
+++ b/vp9/encoder/vp9_rdopt.c
@@ -104,9 +104,8 @@ const MODE_DEFINITION vp9_mode_order[MAX_MODES] = {
 static int rd_thresh_block_size_factor[BLOCK_SIZES] =
   {2, 3, 3, 4, 6, 6, 8, 12, 12, 16, 24, 24, 32};
 
-#define BASE_RD_THRESH_FREQ_FACT 16
-#define MAX_RD_THRESH_FREQ_FACT 32
-#define MAX_RD_THRESH_FREQ_INC 1
+#define MAX_RD_THRESH_FACT 64
+#define RD_THRESH_INC 1
 
 static void fill_token_costs(vp9_coeff_cost *c,
                              vp9_coeff_probs_model (*p)[BLOCK_TYPES]) {
@@ -212,12 +211,6 @@ void vp9_initialize_rd_consts(VP9_COMP *cpi, int qindex) {
         } else {
           cpi->rd_threshes[bsize][i] = INT_MAX;
         }
-        cpi->rd_baseline_thresh[bsize][i] = cpi->rd_threshes[bsize][i];
-
-        if (cpi->sf.adaptive_rd_thresh)
-          cpi->rd_thresh_freq_fact[bsize][i] = MAX_RD_THRESH_FREQ_FACT;
-        else
-          cpi->rd_thresh_freq_fact[bsize][i] = BASE_RD_THRESH_FREQ_FACT;
       }
     }
   } else {
@@ -236,12 +229,6 @@ void vp9_initialize_rd_consts(VP9_COMP *cpi, int qindex) {
         } else {
           cpi->rd_threshes[bsize][i] = INT_MAX;
         }
-        cpi->rd_baseline_thresh[bsize][i] = cpi->rd_threshes[bsize][i];
-
-        if (cpi->sf.adaptive_rd_thresh)
-          cpi->rd_thresh_freq_fact[bsize][i] = MAX_RD_THRESH_FREQ_FACT;
-        else
-          cpi->rd_thresh_freq_fact[bsize][i] = BASE_RD_THRESH_FREQ_FACT;
       }
     }
   }
@@ -3227,7 +3214,7 @@ int64_t vp9_rd_pick_inter_mode_sb(VP9_COMP *cpi, MACROBLOCK *x,
 
     // Test best rd so far against threshold for trying this mode.
     if ((best_rd < ((cpi->rd_threshes[bsize][mode_index] *
-                     cpi->rd_thresh_freq_fact[bsize][mode_index]) >> 4)) ||
+                     cpi->rd_thresh_freq_fact[bsize][mode_index]) >> 5)) ||
         cpi->rd_threshes[bsize][mode_index] == INT_MAX)
       continue;
 
@@ -3788,29 +3775,6 @@ int64_t vp9_rd_pick_inter_mode_sb(VP9_COMP *cpi, MACROBLOCK *x,
           }
         }
       }
-#if 0
-      // Testing this mode gave rise to an improvement in best error score.
-      // Lower threshold a bit for next time
-      cpi->rd_thresh_mult[mode_index] =
-          (cpi->rd_thresh_mult[mode_index] >= (MIN_THRESHMULT + 2)) ?
-              cpi->rd_thresh_mult[mode_index] - 2 : MIN_THRESHMULT;
-      cpi->rd_threshes[mode_index] =
-          (cpi->rd_baseline_thresh[mode_index] >> 7)
-              * cpi->rd_thresh_mult[mode_index];
-#endif
-    } else {
-      // If the mode did not help improve the best error case then
-      // raise the threshold for testing that mode next time around.
-#if 0
-      cpi->rd_thresh_mult[mode_index] += 4;
-
-      if (cpi->rd_thresh_mult[mode_index] > MAX_THRESHMULT)
-        cpi->rd_thresh_mult[mode_index] = MAX_THRESHMULT;
-
-      cpi->rd_threshes[mode_index] =
-          (cpi->rd_baseline_thresh[mode_index] >> 7)
-              * cpi->rd_thresh_mult[mode_index];
-#endif
     }
 
     /* keep record of best compound/single-only prediction */
@@ -3953,33 +3917,19 @@ int64_t vp9_rd_pick_inter_mode_sb(VP9_COMP *cpi, MACROBLOCK *x,
   if (cpi->sf.adaptive_rd_thresh) {
     for (mode_index = 0; mode_index < MAX_MODES; ++mode_index) {
       if (mode_index == best_mode_index) {
-        cpi->rd_thresh_freq_fact[bsize][mode_index] = BASE_RD_THRESH_FREQ_FACT;
+        cpi->rd_thresh_freq_fact[bsize][mode_index] -=
+          (cpi->rd_thresh_freq_fact[bsize][mode_index] >> 3);
       } else {
-        cpi->rd_thresh_freq_fact[bsize][mode_index] += MAX_RD_THRESH_FREQ_INC;
+        cpi->rd_thresh_freq_fact[bsize][mode_index] += RD_THRESH_INC;
         if (cpi->rd_thresh_freq_fact[bsize][mode_index] >
-            (cpi->sf.adaptive_rd_thresh * MAX_RD_THRESH_FREQ_FACT)) {
+            (cpi->sf.adaptive_rd_thresh * MAX_RD_THRESH_FACT)) {
           cpi->rd_thresh_freq_fact[bsize][mode_index] =
-            cpi->sf.adaptive_rd_thresh * MAX_RD_THRESH_FREQ_FACT;
+            cpi->sf.adaptive_rd_thresh * MAX_RD_THRESH_FACT;
         }
       }
     }
   }
 
-  // TODO(rbultje) integrate with RD trd_thresh_freq_facthresholding
-#if 0
-  // Reduce the activation RD thresholds for the best choice mode
-  if ((cpi->rd_baseline_thresh[best_mode_index] > 0) &&
-      (cpi->rd_baseline_thresh[best_mode_index] < (INT_MAX >> 2))) {
-    int best_adjustment = (cpi->rd_thresh_mult[best_mode_index] >> 2);
-
-    cpi->rd_thresh_mult[best_mode_index] =
-      (cpi->rd_thresh_mult[best_mode_index] >= (MIN_THRESHMULT + best_adjustment)) ?
-      cpi->rd_thresh_mult[best_mode_index] - best_adjustment : MIN_THRESHMULT;
-    cpi->rd_threshes[best_mode_index] =
-      (cpi->rd_baseline_thresh[best_mode_index] >> 7) * cpi->rd_thresh_mult[best_mode_index];
-  }
-#endif
-
   // macroblock modes
   *mbmi = best_mbmode;
   x->skip |= best_skip2;