diff --git a/av1/encoder/intra_mode_search.c b/av1/encoder/intra_mode_search.c
index e8bbe11..cc6c0b6 100644
--- a/av1/encoder/intra_mode_search.c
+++ b/av1/encoder/intra_mode_search.c
@@ -1414,7 +1414,7 @@
 
     for (int mode_idx = 0; mode_idx < x->winner_mode_count; mode_idx++) {
       *mbmi = x->winner_mode_stats[mode_idx].mbmi;
-      if (is_winner_mode_processing_enabled(cpi, mbmi, mbmi->mode)) {
+      if (is_winner_mode_processing_enabled(cpi, x, mbmi, mbmi->mode)) {
         // Restore color_map of palette mode before winner mode processing
         if (mbmi->palette_mode_info.palette_size[0] > 0) {
           uint8_t *color_map_src =
@@ -1446,7 +1446,7 @@
     // If previous searches use only the default tx type/no R-D optimization of
     // quantized coeffs, do an extra search for the best tx type/better R-D
     // optimization of quantized coeffs
-    if (is_winner_mode_processing_enabled(cpi, mbmi, best_mbmi.mode)) {
+    if (is_winner_mode_processing_enabled(cpi, x, mbmi, best_mbmi.mode)) {
       // Set params for winner mode evaluation
       set_mode_eval_params(cpi, x, WINNER_MODE_EVAL);
       *mbmi = best_mbmi;
diff --git a/av1/encoder/rdopt.c b/av1/encoder/rdopt.c
index 05928d0..9acc81d 100644
--- a/av1/encoder/rdopt.c
+++ b/av1/encoder/rdopt.c
@@ -3526,7 +3526,8 @@
   int64_t best_rd;
   const int num_planes = av1_num_planes(cm);
 
-  if (!is_winner_mode_processing_enabled(cpi, best_mbmode, best_mbmode->mode))
+  if (!is_winner_mode_processing_enabled(cpi, x, best_mbmode,
+                                         best_mbmode->mode))
     return;
 
   // Set params for winner mode evaluation
@@ -3550,7 +3551,7 @@
 
     if (xd->lossless[winner_mbmi->segment_id] == 0 &&
         winner_mode_index != THR_INVALID &&
-        is_winner_mode_processing_enabled(cpi, winner_mbmi,
+        is_winner_mode_processing_enabled(cpi, x, winner_mbmi,
                                           winner_mbmi->mode)) {
       RD_STATS rd_stats = *winner_rd_stats;
       int skip_blk = 0;
diff --git a/av1/encoder/rdopt_utils.h b/av1/encoder/rdopt_utils.h
index f52082a..7076f91 100644
--- a/av1/encoder/rdopt_utils.h
+++ b/av1/encoder/rdopt_utils.h
@@ -389,10 +389,18 @@
 }
 // Checks the conditions to enable winner mode processing
 static INLINE int is_winner_mode_processing_enabled(
-    const struct AV1_COMP *cpi, MB_MODE_INFO *const mbmi,
-    const PREDICTION_MODE best_mode) {
+    const struct AV1_COMP *cpi, const MACROBLOCK *const x,
+    MB_MODE_INFO *const mbmi, const PREDICTION_MODE best_mode) {
   const SPEED_FEATURES *sf = &cpi->sf;
 
+  // Disable winner mode processing for blocks with low source variance.
+  // The aggressiveness of this pruning logic reduces as qindex increases.
+  // The threshold decreases linearly from 64 as qindex varies from 0 to 255.
+  if (sf->winner_mode_sf.prune_winner_mode_processing_using_src_var) {
+    const unsigned int src_var_thresh = 64 - 48 * x->qindex / (MAXQ + 1);
+    if (x->source_variance < src_var_thresh) return 0;
+  }
+
   // TODO(any): Move block independent condition checks to frame level
   if (is_inter_block(mbmi)) {
     if (is_inter_mode(best_mode) &&
diff --git a/av1/encoder/speed_features.c b/av1/encoder/speed_features.c
index eb93a6c..2fcd9f7 100644
--- a/av1/encoder/speed_features.c
+++ b/av1/encoder/speed_features.c
@@ -501,6 +501,7 @@
     sf->lpf_sf.lpf_pick = LPF_PICK_FROM_Q;
 
     sf->winner_mode_sf.multi_winner_mode_type = MULTI_WINNER_MODE_OFF;
+    sf->winner_mode_sf.prune_winner_mode_processing_using_src_var = 1;
   }
   // The following should make all-intra mode speed 7 approximately equal
   // to real-time speed 6,
@@ -1827,6 +1828,7 @@
   winner_mode_sf->multi_winner_mode_type = 0;
   winner_mode_sf->dc_blk_pred_level = 0;
   winner_mode_sf->winner_mode_ifs = 0;
+  winner_mode_sf->prune_winner_mode_processing_using_src_var = 0;
 }
 
 static AOM_INLINE void init_lpf_sf(LOOP_FILTER_SPEED_FEATURES *lpf_sf) {
diff --git a/av1/encoder/speed_features.h b/av1/encoder/speed_features.h
index 690c030..e2e4680 100644
--- a/av1/encoder/speed_features.h
+++ b/av1/encoder/speed_features.h
@@ -1193,6 +1193,10 @@
   // performs it during winner mode processing by \ref
   // tx_search_best_inter_candidates.
   int winner_mode_ifs;
+
+  // Flag used to enable the pruning of winner mode processing for blocks with
+  // low source variance.
+  int prune_winner_mode_processing_using_src_var;
 } WINNER_MODE_SPEED_FEATURES;
 
 typedef struct LOOP_FILTER_SPEED_FEATURES {