diff --git a/vp9/encoder/vp9_encodeframe.c b/vp9/encoder/vp9_encodeframe.c
index f39d14788..8d2f14f2c 100644
--- a/vp9/encoder/vp9_encodeframe.c
+++ b/vp9/encoder/vp9_encodeframe.c
@@ -2663,6 +2663,15 @@ static TX_MODE select_tx_mode(const VP9_COMP *cpi, MACROBLOCKD *const xd) {
     return cpi->common.tx_mode;
 }
 
+static void hybrid_intra_mode_search(VP9_COMP *cpi, MACROBLOCK *const x,
+                                     RD_COST *rd_cost, BLOCK_SIZE bsize,
+                                     PICK_MODE_CONTEXT *ctx) {
+  if (bsize < BLOCK_16X16)
+    vp9_rd_pick_intra_mode_sb(cpi, x, rd_cost, bsize, ctx, INT64_MAX);
+  else
+    vp9_pick_intra_mode(cpi, x, rd_cost, bsize, ctx);
+}
+
 static void nonrd_pick_sb_modes(VP9_COMP *cpi,
                                 TileDataEnc *tile_data, MACROBLOCK *const x,
                                 int mi_row, int mi_col, RD_COST *rd_cost,
@@ -2680,7 +2689,7 @@ static void nonrd_pick_sb_modes(VP9_COMP *cpi,
       x->rdmult = vp9_cyclic_refresh_get_rdmult(cpi->cyclic_refresh);
 
   if (cm->frame_type == KEY_FRAME)
-    vp9_pick_intra_mode(cpi, x, rd_cost, bsize, ctx);
+    hybrid_intra_mode_search(cpi, x, rd_cost, bsize, ctx);
   else if (vp9_segfeature_active(&cm->seg, mbmi->segment_id, SEG_LVL_SKIP))
     set_mode_info_seg_skip(x, cm->tx_mode, rd_cost, bsize);
   else
@@ -3609,6 +3618,7 @@ static void encode_frame_internal(VP9_COMP *cpi) {
     cm->tx_mode = ALLOW_16X16;
   }
 
+
 #if CONFIG_VP9_HIGHBITDEPTH
   if (cm->use_highbitdepth)
     x->fwd_txm4x4 = xd->lossless ? vp9_highbd_fwht4x4 : vp9_highbd_fdct4x4;
diff --git a/vp9/encoder/vp9_speed_features.c b/vp9/encoder/vp9_speed_features.c
index 4a0c79771..0fadb7f36 100644
--- a/vp9/encoder/vp9_speed_features.c
+++ b/vp9/encoder/vp9_speed_features.c
@@ -321,7 +321,6 @@ static void set_rt_speed_feature(VP9_COMP *cpi, SPEED_FEATURES *sf,
   if (speed >= 6) {
     // Adaptively switch between SOURCE_VAR_BASED_PARTITION and FIXED_PARTITION.
     sf->partition_search_type = VAR_BASED_PARTITION;
-
     // Turn on this to use non-RD key frame coding mode.
     sf->use_nonrd_pick_mode = 1;
     sf->mv.search_method = NSTEP;