diff --git a/crates/h264enc/src/slice/motion.rs b/crates/h264enc/src/slice/motion.rs
--- a/crates/h264enc/src/slice/motion.rs
+++ b/crates/h264enc/src/slice/motion.rs
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ impl<'a, 'b> SliceEnc<'a, 'b> {
                 let rounds = if step == 1 { 1 + p.subpel_rounds as usize } else { 1 };
                 for _ in 0..rounds {
                     let c = best;
-                    for (dx, dy) in [(-1, 0), (1, 0), (0, -1), (0, 1), (-1, -1), (1, -1), (-1, 1), (1, 1)] {
+                    for (dx, dy) in [(-1, 0), (1, 0), (0, -1), (0, 1)] {
                         let m = Mv::new(c.x as i32 + dx * step, c.y as i32 + dy * step);
                         if !self.mv_ok(bx, by, w, h, m) || !seen.first(m) {
                             continue;
@@ -278,16 +278,7 @@ impl<'a, 'b> SliceEnc<'a, 'b> {
             skip_pred = Some((y, u, v));
         }
         // --- 16x16 search
-        let mut cands = vec![skip_mv, Mv::ZERO];
-        let colo = r.mbs[my * f.p.mbw + mx];
-        if colo.ref_idx[0][0] >= 0 {
-            cands.push(colo.mv[0][0]);
-        }
-        let (mv16, mvp16, cost16) = {
-            let (m, p, c) = self.search_part(mx, my, r, Part::P16x16, 0, src, lam, skip_mv);
-            (m, p, c)
-        };
-        let _ = cands;
+        let (mv16, mvp16, cost16) = self.search_part(mx, my, r, Part::P16x16, 0, src, lam, skip_mv);
         let mut best_part = Part::P16x16;
         let mut best_mvs = mv16;
         let mut best_mvps = mvp16;
@@ -295,7 +286,10 @@ impl<'a, 'b> SliceEnc<'a, 'b> {
         if f.p.partitions {
             let big = cost16 as u64 > (256 * 4) as u64;
             if big {
-                for part in [Part::P16x8, Part::P8x16, Part::P8x8] {
+                for part in [Part::P8x8, Part::P16x8, Part::P8x16] {
+                    if part != Part::P8x8 && best_part == Part::P16x16 {
+                        continue;
+                    }
                     let (m, p, c) = self.search_part(mx, my, r, part, 0, src, lam, mv16[0]);
                     let extra = match part {
                         Part::P8x8 => 10,
diff --git a/crates/h264enc/tests/it/pinned_decisions.rs b/crates/h264enc/tests/it/pinned_decisions.rs
--- a/crates/h264enc/tests/it/pinned_decisions.rs
+++ b/crates/h264enc/tests/it/pinned_decisions.rs
@@ -44,10 +44,10 @@ fn cfg(profile: Profile, preset: Preset, rate: RateControl) -> EncoderConfig {
 #[test]
 fn coded_slices_are_pinned() {
     let cases = [
-        ("high balanced crf", cfg(Profile::High, Preset::Balanced, RateControl::Crf(23.0)), 0xecd1_35a9_3a46_f7d8u64),
-        ("high quality vbr", cfg(Profile::High, Preset::Quality, RateControl::Vbr { target_kbps: 800, max_kbps: 1200 }), 0x251e_c302_fd8a_ed38),
-        ("main speed qp", cfg(Profile::Main, Preset::Speed, RateControl::Qp(30)), 0xa123_355d_d580_4e7b),
-        ("baseline balanced cbr", cfg(Profile::Baseline, Preset::Balanced, RateControl::Cbr { kbps: 600 }), 0x13cb_e982_aee0_13f8),
+        ("high balanced crf", cfg(Profile::High, Preset::Balanced, RateControl::Crf(23.0)), 0x6223_db82_41eb_7da1u64),
+        ("high quality vbr", cfg(Profile::High, Preset::Quality, RateControl::Vbr { target_kbps: 800, max_kbps: 1200 }), 0x196d_593c_b754_622f),
+        ("main speed qp", cfg(Profile::Main, Preset::Speed, RateControl::Qp(30)), 0x7772_91d5_4c75_c320),
+        ("baseline balanced cbr", cfg(Profile::Baseline, Preset::Balanced, RateControl::Cbr { kbps: 600 }), 0x73f3_1918_3ea8_80be),
     ];
     let got: Vec<u64> = cases.iter().map(|(_, c, _)| slices_hash(c.clone(), 20)).collect();
     for ((name, _, _), got) in cases.iter().zip(&got) {