diff --git a/src/dsp/enc.c b/src/dsp/enc.c
index ae2c830a..a6f05a5b 100644
--- a/src/dsp/enc.c
+++ b/src/dsp/enc.c
@@ -631,13 +631,13 @@ static int QuantizeBlock(int16_t in[16], int16_t out[16],
   for (; n < 16; ++n) {
     const int j = kZigzag[n];
     const int sign = (in[j] < 0);
-    int coeff = (sign ? -in[j] : in[j]) + mtx->sharpen_[j];
-    if (coeff > 2047) coeff = 2047;
+    const int coeff = (sign ? -in[j] : in[j]) + mtx->sharpen_[j];
     if (coeff > mtx->zthresh_[j]) {
       const int Q = mtx->q_[j];
       const int iQ = mtx->iq_[j];
       const int B = mtx->bias_[j];
       out[n] = QUANTDIV(coeff, iQ, B);
+      if (out[n] > MAX_LEVEL) out[n] = MAX_LEVEL;
       if (sign) out[n] = -out[n];
       in[j] = out[n] * Q;
       if (out[n]) last = n;
diff --git a/src/dsp/enc_sse2.c b/src/dsp/enc_sse2.c
index c4148b56..619e6c5c 100644
--- a/src/dsp/enc_sse2.c
+++ b/src/dsp/enc_sse2.c
@@ -776,7 +776,7 @@ static int Disto16x16SSE2(const uint8_t* const a, const uint8_t* const b,
 // Simple quantization
 static int QuantizeBlockSSE2(int16_t in[16], int16_t out[16],
                              int n, const VP8Matrix* const mtx) {
-  const __m128i max_coeff_2047 = _mm_set1_epi16(2047);
+  const __m128i max_coeff_2047 = _mm_set1_epi16(MAX_LEVEL);
   const __m128i zero = _mm_setzero_si128();
   __m128i coeff0, coeff8;
   __m128i out0, out8;
@@ -812,10 +812,6 @@ static int QuantizeBlockSSE2(int16_t in[16], int16_t out[16],
   coeff0 = _mm_add_epi16(coeff0, sharpen0);
   coeff8 = _mm_add_epi16(coeff8, sharpen8);
 
-  // if (coeff > 2047) coeff = 2047
-  coeff0 = _mm_min_epi16(coeff0, max_coeff_2047);
-  coeff8 = _mm_min_epi16(coeff8, max_coeff_2047);
-
   // out = (coeff * iQ + B) >> QFIX;
   {
     // doing calculations with 32b precision (QFIX=17)
@@ -843,9 +839,14 @@ static int QuantizeBlockSSE2(int16_t in[16], int16_t out[16],
     out_04 = _mm_srai_epi32(out_04, QFIX);
     out_08 = _mm_srai_epi32(out_08, QFIX);
     out_12 = _mm_srai_epi32(out_12, QFIX);
+
     // pack result as 16b
     out0 = _mm_packs_epi32(out_00, out_04);
     out8 = _mm_packs_epi32(out_08, out_12);
+
+    // if (coeff > 2047) coeff = 2047
+    out0 = _mm_min_epi16(out0, max_coeff_2047);
+    out8 = _mm_min_epi16(out8, max_coeff_2047);
   }
 
   // get sign back (if (sign[j]) out_n = -out_n)
diff --git a/src/enc/cost.c b/src/enc/cost.c
index 92e0cc71..dd528b8b 100644
--- a/src/enc/cost.c
+++ b/src/enc/cost.c
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ const uint16_t VP8LevelCodes[MAX_VARIABLE_LEVEL][2] = {
 
 // fixed costs for coding levels, deduce from the coding tree.
 // This is only the part that doesn't depend on the probability state.
-const uint16_t VP8LevelFixedCosts[2048] = {
+const uint16_t VP8LevelFixedCosts[MAX_LEVEL + 1] = {
      0,  256,  256,  256,  256,  432,  618,  630,
    731,  640,  640,  828,  901,  948, 1021, 1101,
   1174, 1221, 1294, 1042, 1085, 1115, 1158, 1202,
diff --git a/src/enc/cost.h b/src/enc/cost.h
index 09b75b69..e264d321 100644
--- a/src/enc/cost.h
+++ b/src/enc/cost.h
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@
 extern "C" {
 #endif
 
-extern const uint16_t VP8LevelFixedCosts[2048];   // approximate cost per level
+// approximate cost per level:
+extern const uint16_t VP8LevelFixedCosts[MAX_LEVEL + 1];
 extern const uint16_t VP8EntropyCost[256];        // 8bit fixed-point log(p)
 
 // Cost of coding one event with probability 'proba'.
diff --git a/src/enc/vp8enci.h b/src/enc/vp8enci.h
index 6164703e..6aa3f436 100644
--- a/src/enc/vp8enci.h
+++ b/src/enc/vp8enci.h
@@ -55,8 +55,9 @@ enum { NUM_MB_SEGMENTS = 4,
        NUM_BANDS = 8,
        NUM_CTX = 3,
        NUM_PROBAS = 11,
-       MAX_LF_LEVELS = 64,      // Maximum loop filter level
-       MAX_VARIABLE_LEVEL = 67  // last (inclusive) level with variable cost
+       MAX_LF_LEVELS = 64,       // Maximum loop filter level
+       MAX_VARIABLE_LEVEL = 67,  // last (inclusive) level with variable cost
+       MAX_LEVEL = 2047          // max level (note: max codable is 2047 + 67)
      };
 
 typedef enum {   // Rate-distortion optimization levels