diff --git a/av1/encoder/gop_structure.h b/av1/encoder/gop_structure.h
index df7798a..497e61a 100644
--- a/av1/encoder/gop_structure.h
+++ b/av1/encoder/gop_structure.h
@@ -40,13 +40,6 @@
   }
 }
 
-// Given the maximum allowed height of the pyramid structure, return the fixed
-// GF length to be used.
-static INLINE int get_fixed_gf_length(int max_pyr_height) {
-  const int max_gf_length_allowed = get_max_gf_length(max_pyr_height);
-  return AOMMIN(max_gf_length_allowed, MAX_GF_INTERVAL);
-}
-
 struct AV1_COMP;
 struct EncodeFrameParams;
 
diff --git a/av1/encoder/pass2_strategy.c b/av1/encoder/pass2_strategy.c
index 36debcb..b6e14ec 100644
--- a/av1/encoder/pass2_strategy.c
+++ b/av1/encoder/pass2_strategy.c
@@ -736,6 +736,13 @@
   }
 }
 
+// Given the maximum allowed height of the pyramid structure, return the fixed
+// GF length to be used.
+static INLINE int get_fixed_gf_length(int max_pyr_height) {
+  const int max_gf_length_allowed = get_max_gf_length(max_pyr_height);
+  return AOMMIN(max_gf_length_allowed, MAX_GF_INTERVAL);
+}
+
 // Returns true if KF group and GF group both are almost completely static.
 static INLINE int is_almost_static(double gf_zero_motion, int kf_zero_motion) {
   return (gf_zero_motion >= 0.995) &&
@@ -762,8 +769,6 @@
   int i;
 
   double boost_score = 0.0;
-  int active_min_gf_interval;
-  int active_max_gf_interval;
   double gf_group_err = 0.0;
 #if GROUP_ADAPTIVE_MAXQ
   double gf_group_raw_error = 0.0;
@@ -796,7 +801,7 @@
                             frame_params->frame_type == INTRA_ONLY_FRAME;
   const int arf_active_or_kf = is_intra_only || rc->source_alt_ref_active;
 
-  cpi->extra_arf_allowed = 1;
+  cpi->extra_arf_allowed = (oxcf->gf_max_pyr_height > 1);
 
   // Reset the GF group data structures unless this is a key
   // frame in which case it will already have been done.
@@ -829,8 +834,9 @@
       (cpi->initial_height + cpi->initial_width) / 4.0;
 
   // TODO(urvang): Try logic to vary min and max interval based on q.
-  active_min_gf_interval = rc->min_gf_interval;
-  active_max_gf_interval = rc->max_gf_interval;
+  const int active_min_gf_interval = rc->min_gf_interval;
+  const int active_max_gf_interval =
+      AOMMIN(rc->max_gf_interval, get_fixed_gf_length(oxcf->gf_max_pyr_height));
 
   double avg_sr_coded_error = 0;
   double avg_raw_err_stdev = 0;
diff --git a/av1/encoder/ratectrl.c b/av1/encoder/ratectrl.c
index cb412b7..84022ea 100644
--- a/av1/encoder/ratectrl.c
+++ b/av1/encoder/ratectrl.c
@@ -249,10 +249,10 @@
   // 4K60: 12
 }
 
-int av1_rc_get_default_max_gf_interval(double framerate, int min_gf_interval,
-                                       int max_pyr_height) {
+int av1_rc_get_default_max_gf_interval(double framerate, int min_gf_interval) {
   int interval = AOMMIN(MAX_GF_INTERVAL, (int)(framerate * 0.75));
-  interval = AOMMAX(get_fixed_gf_length(max_pyr_height), interval);
+  interval += (interval & 0x01);  // Round to even value
+  interval = AOMMAX(MAX_GF_INTERVAL, interval);
   return AOMMAX(interval, min_gf_interval);
 }
 
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@
         oxcf->width, oxcf->height, oxcf->init_framerate);
   if (rc->max_gf_interval == 0)
     rc->max_gf_interval = av1_rc_get_default_max_gf_interval(
-        oxcf->init_framerate, rc->min_gf_interval, oxcf->gf_max_pyr_height);
+        oxcf->init_framerate, rc->min_gf_interval);
   rc->baseline_gf_interval = (rc->min_gf_interval + rc->max_gf_interval) / 2;
 }
 
@@ -1803,7 +1803,7 @@
           oxcf->width, oxcf->height, cpi->framerate);
     if (rc->max_gf_interval == 0)
       rc->max_gf_interval = av1_rc_get_default_max_gf_interval(
-          cpi->framerate, rc->min_gf_interval, oxcf->gf_max_pyr_height);
+          cpi->framerate, rc->min_gf_interval);
 
     // Extended max interval for genuinely static scenes like slide shows.
     rc->static_scene_max_gf_interval = MAX_STATIC_GF_GROUP_LENGTH;
diff --git a/av1/encoder/ratectrl.h b/av1/encoder/ratectrl.h
index 5121c72..2d8a762 100644
--- a/av1/encoder/ratectrl.h
+++ b/av1/encoder/ratectrl.h
@@ -173,8 +173,7 @@
 // Note av1_rc_get_default_max_gf_interval() requires the min_gf_interval to
 // be passed in to ensure that the max_gf_interval returned is at least as bis
 // as that.
-int av1_rc_get_default_max_gf_interval(double framerate, int min_frame_rate,
-                                       int max_pyr_height);
+int av1_rc_get_default_max_gf_interval(double framerate, int min_gf_interval);
 
 // Generally at the high level, the following flow is expected
 // to be enforced for rate control: