diff --git a/examples/vp9_spatial_svc_encoder.c b/examples/vp9_spatial_svc_encoder.c
index d49a2307d..85014a0cc 100644
--- a/examples/vp9_spatial_svc_encoder.c
+++ b/examples/vp9_spatial_svc_encoder.c
@@ -589,10 +589,6 @@ void set_frame_flags_bypass_mode(int sl, int tl, int num_spatial_layers,
       } else {
         ref_frame_config->frame_flags[sl] =
             VP8_EFLAG_NO_REF_ARF | VP8_EFLAG_NO_UPD_LAST | VP8_EFLAG_NO_UPD_GF;
-        if (sl == num_spatial_layers - 1)
-          ref_frame_config->frame_flags[sl] =
-              VP8_EFLAG_NO_UPD_ARF | VP8_EFLAG_NO_REF_ARF |
-              VP8_EFLAG_NO_UPD_LAST | VP8_EFLAG_NO_UPD_GF;
       }
     }
     if (tl == 0) {
diff --git a/test/datarate_test.cc b/test/datarate_test.cc
index 158adf425..8e68174ee 100644
--- a/test/datarate_test.cc
+++ b/test/datarate_test.cc
@@ -1879,13 +1879,6 @@ TEST_P(DatarateOnePassCbrSvc, OnePassCbrSvc3SL2TLDynamicPatternChange) {
   ASSERT_NO_FATAL_FAILURE(RunLoop(&video));
   CheckLayerRateTargeting(&cfg_, number_spatial_layers_,
                           number_temporal_layers_, file_datarate_, 0.78, 1.15);
-#if CONFIG_VP9_DECODER
-  // Number of temporal layers > 1, so half of the frames in this SVC pattern
-  // will be non-reference frame and hence encoder will avoid loopfilter.
-  // Since frame dropper is off, we can expect 200 (half of the sequence)
-  // mismatched frames.
-  EXPECT_EQ(static_cast<unsigned int>(200), GetMismatchFrames());
-#endif
 }
 
 // Check basic rate targeting for 1 pass CBR SVC with 3 spatial layers and on
diff --git a/vp9/encoder/vp9_svc_layercontext.c b/vp9/encoder/vp9_svc_layercontext.c
index 54789ee70..35d5ec3e0 100644
--- a/vp9/encoder/vp9_svc_layercontext.c
+++ b/vp9/encoder/vp9_svc_layercontext.c
@@ -549,8 +549,6 @@ static void set_flags_and_fb_idx_for_temporal_mode2(VP9_COMP *const cpi) {
     if (!spatial_id) {
       cpi->ref_frame_flags = VP9_LAST_FLAG;
     } else {
-      if (spatial_id == cpi->svc.number_spatial_layers - 1)
-        cpi->ext_refresh_alt_ref_frame = 0;
       cpi->ref_frame_flags = VP9_LAST_FLAG | VP9_GOLD_FLAG;
     }
   }