diff --git a/vp9/common/vp9_reconinter.h b/vp9/common/vp9_reconinter.h
index 10e16580e..3345d83e8 100644
--- a/vp9/common/vp9_reconinter.h
+++ b/vp9/common/vp9_reconinter.h
@@ -93,11 +93,6 @@ static void setup_pre_planes(MACROBLOCKD *xd, int idx,
   }
 }
 
-static void set_ref_ptrs(VP9_COMMON *cm, MACROBLOCKD *xd, int ref0, int ref1) {
-  xd->block_refs[0] = &cm->frame_refs[ref0 >= 0 ? ref0 : 0];
-  xd->block_refs[1] = &cm->frame_refs[ref1 >= 0 ? ref1 : 0];
-}
-
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }  // extern "C"
 #endif
diff --git a/vp9/encoder/vp9_encodeframe.c b/vp9/encoder/vp9_encodeframe.c
index 317ac9815..e5d4583fb 100644
--- a/vp9/encoder/vp9_encodeframe.c
+++ b/vp9/encoder/vp9_encodeframe.c
@@ -2681,6 +2681,7 @@ static void encode_superblock(VP9_COMP *cpi, TOKENEXTRA **t, int output_enabled,
       vp9_update_zbin_extra(cpi, x);
     }
   } else {
+    set_ref_ptrs(cm, xd, mbmi->ref_frame[0], mbmi->ref_frame[1]);
     vp9_setup_interp_filters(xd, mbmi->interp_filter, cm);
 
     if (cpi->oxcf.tuning == VP8_TUNE_SSIM) {
diff --git a/vp9/encoder/vp9_encodemb.c b/vp9/encoder/vp9_encodemb.c
index 5ea75c314..3b641a1dd 100644
--- a/vp9/encoder/vp9_encodemb.c
+++ b/vp9/encoder/vp9_encodemb.c
@@ -27,16 +27,6 @@
 
 void vp9_setup_interp_filters(MACROBLOCKD *xd, INTERP_FILTER filter,
                               VP9_COMMON *cm) {
-  if (xd->mi_8x8 && xd->mi_8x8[0]) {
-    MB_MODE_INFO *const mbmi = &xd->mi_8x8[0]->mbmi;
-
-    set_ref_ptrs(cm, xd, mbmi->ref_frame[0] - LAST_FRAME,
-                 mbmi->ref_frame[1] - LAST_FRAME);
-
-  } else {
-    set_ref_ptrs(cm, xd, -1, -1);
-  }
-
   xd->interp_kernel = vp9_get_interp_kernel(filter == SWITCHABLE ? EIGHTTAP
                                                                  : filter);
   assert(((intptr_t)xd->interp_kernel & 0xff) == 0);
diff --git a/vp9/encoder/vp9_onyx_if.c b/vp9/encoder/vp9_onyx_if.c
index 1852d1ea0..6e7ea47a9 100644
--- a/vp9/encoder/vp9_onyx_if.c
+++ b/vp9/encoder/vp9_onyx_if.c
@@ -3395,6 +3395,7 @@ int vp9_get_compressed_data(VP9_PTR ptr, unsigned int *frame_flags,
                             int64_t *time_stamp, int64_t *time_end, int flush) {
   VP9_COMP *cpi = (VP9_COMP *) ptr;
   VP9_COMMON *cm = &cpi->common;
+  MACROBLOCKD *xd = &cpi->mb.e_mbd;
   struct vpx_usec_timer  cmptimer;
   YV12_BUFFER_CONFIG *force_src_buffer = NULL;
   MV_REFERENCE_FRAME ref_frame;
@@ -3578,7 +3579,8 @@ int vp9_get_compressed_data(VP9_PTR ptr, unsigned int *frame_flags,
       vp9_extend_frame_borders(buf, cm->subsampling_x, cm->subsampling_y);
   }
 
-  vp9_setup_interp_filters(&cpi->mb.e_mbd, DEFAULT_INTERP_FILTER, cm);
+  set_ref_ptrs(cm, xd, LAST_FRAME, LAST_FRAME);
+  vp9_setup_interp_filters(xd, DEFAULT_INTERP_FILTER, cm);
 
   if (cpi->oxcf.aq_mode == VARIANCE_AQ) {
       vp9_vaq_init();
diff --git a/vp9/encoder/vp9_onyx_int.h b/vp9/encoder/vp9_onyx_int.h
index 9cf3f62d6..6b0d0a41e 100644
--- a/vp9/encoder/vp9_onyx_int.h
+++ b/vp9/encoder/vp9_onyx_int.h
@@ -821,6 +821,12 @@ static int get_token_alloc(int mb_rows, int mb_cols) {
   return mb_rows * mb_cols * (48 * 16 + 4);
 }
 
+static void set_ref_ptrs(VP9_COMMON *cm, MACROBLOCKD *xd,
+                         MV_REFERENCE_FRAME ref0, MV_REFERENCE_FRAME ref1) {
+  xd->block_refs[0] = &cm->frame_refs[ref0 - LAST_FRAME];
+  xd->block_refs[1] = &cm->frame_refs[ref1 - LAST_FRAME];
+}
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }  // extern "C"
 #endif
diff --git a/vp9/encoder/vp9_rdopt.c b/vp9/encoder/vp9_rdopt.c
index ebe5f80f2..e8a7464db 100644
--- a/vp9/encoder/vp9_rdopt.c
+++ b/vp9/encoder/vp9_rdopt.c
@@ -3277,7 +3277,7 @@ int64_t vp9_rd_pick_inter_mode_sb(VP9_COMP *cpi, MACROBLOCK *x,
           continue;
     }
 
-    set_ref_ptrs(cm, xd, ref_frame - 1, second_ref_frame - 1);
+    set_ref_ptrs(cm, xd, ref_frame, second_ref_frame);
     mbmi->uv_mode = DC_PRED;
 
     // Evaluate all sub-pel filters irrespective of whether we can use
@@ -3709,7 +3709,7 @@ int64_t vp9_rd_pick_inter_mode_sb(VP9_COMP *cpi, MACROBLOCK *x,
     vp9_zero(best_tx_diff);
   }
 
-  set_ref_ptrs(cm, xd, mbmi->ref_frame[0] - 1, mbmi->ref_frame[1] - 1);
+  set_ref_ptrs(cm, xd, mbmi->ref_frame[0], mbmi->ref_frame[1]);
   store_coding_context(x, ctx, best_mode_index,
                        &mbmi->ref_mvs[mbmi->ref_frame[0]][0],
                        &mbmi->ref_mvs[mbmi->ref_frame[1] < 0 ? 0 :
@@ -3902,7 +3902,7 @@ int64_t vp9_rd_pick_inter_mode_sub8x8(VP9_COMP *cpi, MACROBLOCK *x,
         vp9_is_scaled(&cm->frame_refs[second_ref_frame - 1].sf))
       continue;
 
-    set_ref_ptrs(cm, xd, ref_frame - 1, second_ref_frame - 1);
+    set_ref_ptrs(cm, xd, ref_frame, second_ref_frame);
     mbmi->uv_mode = DC_PRED;
 
     // Evaluate all sub-pel filters irrespective of whether we can use
@@ -4442,7 +4442,7 @@ int64_t vp9_rd_pick_inter_mode_sub8x8(VP9_COMP *cpi, MACROBLOCK *x,
     vp9_zero(best_tx_diff);
   }
 
-  set_ref_ptrs(cm, xd, mbmi->ref_frame[0] - 1, mbmi->ref_frame[1] - 1);
+  set_ref_ptrs(cm, xd, mbmi->ref_frame[0], mbmi->ref_frame[1]);
   store_coding_context(x, ctx, best_mode_index,
                        &mbmi->ref_mvs[mbmi->ref_frame[0]][0],
                        &mbmi->ref_mvs[mbmi->ref_frame[1] < 0 ? 0 :