diff --git a/.pick_status.json b/.pick_status.json
index 74dbd9169b6..c46e6cd37d8 100644
--- a/.pick_status.json
+++ b/.pick_status.json
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@
         "description": "frontends/va/context: don't set max_references with num_render_targets",
         "nominated": false,
         "nomination_type": null,
-        "resolution": 4,
+        "resolution": 1,
         "master_sha": null,
         "because_sha": null
     },
diff --git a/src/gallium/frontends/va/context.c b/src/gallium/frontends/va/context.c
index 0c596f3f811..ca2fcde38bd 100644
--- a/src/gallium/frontends/va/context.c
+++ b/src/gallium/frontends/va/context.c
@@ -271,7 +271,6 @@ vlVaCreateContext(VADriverContextP ctx, VAConfigID config_id, int picture_width,
          break;
 
      case PIPE_VIDEO_FORMAT_HEVC:
-         context->templat.max_references = num_render_targets;
          if (config->entrypoint != PIPE_VIDEO_ENTRYPOINT_ENCODE) {
             context->desc.h265.pps = CALLOC_STRUCT(pipe_h265_pps);
             if (!context->desc.h265.pps) {
@@ -288,7 +287,6 @@ vlVaCreateContext(VADriverContextP ctx, VAConfigID config_id, int picture_width,
          break;
 
       case PIPE_VIDEO_FORMAT_VP9:
-         context->templat.max_references = num_render_targets;
          break;
 
       default:
diff --git a/src/gallium/frontends/va/picture.c b/src/gallium/frontends/va/picture.c
index b4706665d3b..bcfb79e75f2 100644
--- a/src/gallium/frontends/va/picture.c
+++ b/src/gallium/frontends/va/picture.c
@@ -151,10 +151,6 @@ handlePictureParameterBuffer(vlVaDriver *drv, vlVaContext *context, vlVaBuffer *
       if (!context->target)
          return VA_STATUS_ERROR_INVALID_CONTEXT;
 
-      if (context->templat.max_references == 0 &&
-         format != PIPE_VIDEO_FORMAT_JPEG)
-         return VA_STATUS_ERROR_INVALID_BUFFER;
-
       if (format == PIPE_VIDEO_FORMAT_MPEG4_AVC)
          context->templat.level = u_get_h264_level(context->templat.width,
             context->templat.height, &context->templat.max_references);