diff --git a/av1/encoder/nonrd_pickmode.c b/av1/encoder/nonrd_pickmode.c
index 678658c..6dab777 100644
--- a/av1/encoder/nonrd_pickmode.c
+++ b/av1/encoder/nonrd_pickmode.c
@@ -148,7 +148,9 @@
   const int num_planes = av1_num_planes(cm);
   MB_MODE_INFO *mi = xd->mi[0];
   struct buf_2d backup_yv12[MAX_MB_PLANE] = { { 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 } };
-  int step_param = cpi->mv_search_params.mv_step_param;
+  int step_param = (cpi->sf.rt_sf.fullpel_search_step_param)
+                       ? cpi->sf.rt_sf.fullpel_search_step_param
+                       : cpi->mv_search_params.mv_step_param;
   FULLPEL_MV start_mv;
   const int ref = mi->ref_frame[0];
   const MV ref_mv = av1_get_ref_mv(x, mi->ref_mv_idx).as_mv;
diff --git a/av1/encoder/speed_features.c b/av1/encoder/speed_features.c
index a15091c..3aaf66d 100644
--- a/av1/encoder/speed_features.c
+++ b/av1/encoder/speed_features.c
@@ -695,6 +695,7 @@
   sf->tx_sf.intra_tx_size_search_init_depth_sqr = 1;
   sf->tx_sf.model_based_prune_tx_search_level = 1;
   sf->tx_sf.tx_type_search.use_reduced_intra_txset = 1;
+  sf->rt_sf.fullpel_search_step_param = 0;
 
   if (speed >= 1) {
     sf->gm_sf.gm_search_type = GM_REDUCED_REF_SEARCH_SKIP_L2_L3_ARF2;
@@ -898,6 +899,21 @@
     sf->rt_sf.nonrd_check_partition_split = 0;
     sf->rt_sf.hybrid_intra_pickmode = 1;
     sf->rt_sf.skip_intra_pred_if_tx_skip = 1;
+    // For SVC: use better mv search on base temporal layer, and only
+    // on base spatial layer if highest resolution is above 640x360.
+    if (cpi->svc.number_temporal_layers > 1) {
+      if (cpi->svc.temporal_layer_id == 0 &&
+          (cpi->svc.spatial_layer_id == 0 ||
+           cpi->oxcf.frm_dim_cfg.width * cpi->oxcf.frm_dim_cfg.height <=
+               640 * 360)) {
+        sf->mv_sf.search_method = NSTEP;
+        sf->mv_sf.subpel_search_method = SUBPEL_TREE;
+        sf->rt_sf.fullpel_search_step_param = 6;
+      } else if (cpi->svc.non_reference_frame) {
+        sf->mv_sf.subpel_search_method = SUBPEL_TREE_PRUNED_MORE;
+        sf->rt_sf.fullpel_search_step_param = 10;
+      }
+    }
   }
 
   if (speed >= 8) {
diff --git a/av1/encoder/speed_features.h b/av1/encoder/speed_features.h
index 6be4587..39440c7 100644
--- a/av1/encoder/speed_features.h
+++ b/av1/encoder/speed_features.h
@@ -998,6 +998,12 @@
 
   // uses results of temporal noise estimate
   int use_temporal_noise_estimate;
+
+  // Parameter indicating initial search window to be used in full-pixel search
+  // for nonrd_pickmode. Range [0, MAX_MVSEARCH_STEPS - 1]. Lower value
+  // indicates larger window. If set to 0, step_param is set based on internal
+  // logic in set_mv_search_params().
+  int fullpel_search_step_param;
 } REAL_TIME_SPEED_FEATURES;
 
 /*!\endcond */
diff --git a/av1/encoder/var_based_part.c b/av1/encoder/var_based_part.c
index 54de8fb..10e9fe2 100644
--- a/av1/encoder/var_based_part.c
+++ b/av1/encoder/var_based_part.c
@@ -326,16 +326,19 @@
 }
 
 // TODO(kyslov) Bring back threshold adjustment based on content state
-static int64_t scale_part_thresh_sumdiff(int64_t threshold_base, int speed,
+static int64_t scale_part_thresh_content(int64_t threshold_base, int speed,
                                          int width, int height,
-                                         int content_state) {
+                                         int content_state,
+                                         int non_reference_frame) {
   (void)width;
   (void)height;
   (void)content_state;
+  int64_t threshold = threshold_base;
+  if (non_reference_frame) threshold = (3 * threshold) >> 1;
   if (speed >= 8) {
-    return (5 * threshold_base) >> 2;
+    return (5 * threshold) >> 2;
   }
-  return threshold_base;
+  return threshold;
 }
 
 static AOM_INLINE void set_vbp_thresholds(AV1_COMP *cpi, int64_t thresholds[],
@@ -366,8 +369,9 @@
     }
 
     // Increase base variance threshold based on content_state/sum_diff level.
-    threshold_base = scale_part_thresh_sumdiff(
-        threshold_base, cpi->oxcf.speed, cm->width, cm->height, content_state);
+    threshold_base = scale_part_thresh_content(
+        threshold_base, cpi->oxcf.speed, cm->width, cm->height, content_state,
+        cpi->svc.non_reference_frame);
 
     thresholds[0] = threshold_base >> 1;
     thresholds[1] = threshold_base;