diff --git a/av1/encoder/bitstream.c b/av1/encoder/bitstream.c
index 95e576d..9424f5c 100644
--- a/av1/encoder/bitstream.c
+++ b/av1/encoder/bitstream.c
@@ -3593,6 +3593,10 @@
   aom_wb_write_bit(wb, frame_size_override_flag);
 #endif
 
+#if CONFIG_FRAME_REFS_SIGNALING
+  cm->frame_refs_short_signaling = 0;
+#endif  // CONFIG_FRAME_REFS_SIGNALING
+
   if (cm->frame_type == KEY_FRAME) {
     write_bitdepth_colorspace_sampling(cm, wb);
 #if CONFIG_TIMING_INFO_IN_SEQ_HEADERS
@@ -3676,11 +3680,36 @@
         cm->is_reference_frame = 0;
       }
 
+#if CONFIG_FRAME_REFS_SIGNALING
+      // TODO(zoeliu@google.com): To complete the encoder-side implementation
+      // for the scenario cm->frame_refs_short_signaling == 1.
+      assert(cm->frame_refs_short_signaling == 0);
+      // NOTE: Error resilient mode turns off frame_refs_short_signaling
+      //       automatically.
+      if (!cm->error_resilient_mode)
+        aom_wb_write_bit(wb, cm->frame_refs_short_signaling);
+      else
+        assert(cm->frame_refs_short_signaling == 0);
+
+      if (cm->frame_refs_short_signaling) {
+        assert(get_ref_frame_map_idx(cpi, LAST_FRAME) != INVALID_IDX);
+        aom_wb_write_literal(wb, get_ref_frame_map_idx(cpi, LAST_FRAME),
+                             REF_FRAMES_LOG2);
+        assert(get_ref_frame_map_idx(cpi, GOLDEN_FRAME) != INVALID_IDX);
+        aom_wb_write_literal(wb, get_ref_frame_map_idx(cpi, GOLDEN_FRAME),
+                             REF_FRAMES_LOG2);
+      }
+#endif  // CONFIG_FRAME_REFS_SIGNALING
+
       for (MV_REFERENCE_FRAME ref_frame = LAST_FRAME; ref_frame <= ALTREF_FRAME;
            ++ref_frame) {
         assert(get_ref_frame_map_idx(cpi, ref_frame) != INVALID_IDX);
-        aom_wb_write_literal(wb, get_ref_frame_map_idx(cpi, ref_frame),
-                             REF_FRAMES_LOG2);
+#if CONFIG_FRAME_REFS_SIGNALING
+        if (!cm->frame_refs_short_signaling)
+#endif  // CONFIG_FRAME_REFS_SIGNALING
+          aom_wb_write_literal(wb, get_ref_frame_map_idx(cpi, ref_frame),
+                               REF_FRAMES_LOG2);
+
 #if CONFIG_REFERENCE_BUFFER
         if (cm->seq_params.frame_id_numbers_present_flag) {
           int i = get_ref_frame_map_idx(cpi, ref_frame);