diff --git a/media/codec2/components/avc/C2SoftAvcEnc.cpp b/media/codec2/components/avc/C2SoftAvcEnc.cpp
index 0b121ad..d65ffa5 100644
--- a/media/codec2/components/avc/C2SoftAvcEnc.cpp
+++ b/media/codec2/components/avc/C2SoftAvcEnc.cpp
@@ -393,6 +393,61 @@
                                          C2P<C2StreamPictureQuantizationTuning::output> &me) {
         (void)mayBlock;
         (void)me;
+
+        // TODO: refactor with same algorithm in the SetQp()
+        int32_t iMin = DEFAULT_I_QP_MIN, pMin = DEFAULT_P_QP_MIN, bMin = DEFAULT_B_QP_MIN;
+        int32_t iMax = DEFAULT_I_QP_MAX, pMax = DEFAULT_P_QP_MAX, bMax = DEFAULT_B_QP_MAX;
+
+        for (size_t i = 0; i < me.v.flexCount(); ++i) {
+            const C2PictureQuantizationStruct &layer = me.v.m.values[i];
+
+            if (layer.type_ == C2Config::picture_type_t(I_FRAME)) {
+                iMax = layer.max;
+                iMin = layer.min;
+                ALOGV("iMin %d iMax %d", iMin, iMax);
+            } else if (layer.type_ == C2Config::picture_type_t(P_FRAME)) {
+                pMax = layer.max;
+                pMin = layer.min;
+                ALOGV("pMin %d pMax %d", pMin, pMax);
+            } else if (layer.type_ == C2Config::picture_type_t(B_FRAME)) {
+                bMax = layer.max;
+                bMin = layer.min;
+                ALOGV("bMin %d bMax %d", bMin, bMax);
+            }
+        }
+
+        ALOGV("PictureQuantizationSetter(entry): i %d-%d p %d-%d b %d-%d",
+              iMin, iMax, pMin, pMax, bMin, bMax);
+
+        // ensure we have legal values
+        iMax = std::clamp(iMax, CODEC_QP_MIN, CODEC_QP_MAX);
+        iMin = std::clamp(iMin, CODEC_QP_MIN, CODEC_QP_MAX);
+        pMax = std::clamp(pMax, CODEC_QP_MIN, CODEC_QP_MAX);
+        pMin = std::clamp(pMin, CODEC_QP_MIN, CODEC_QP_MAX);
+        bMax = std::clamp(bMax, CODEC_QP_MIN, CODEC_QP_MAX);
+        bMin = std::clamp(bMin, CODEC_QP_MIN, CODEC_QP_MAX);
+
+        // put them back into the structure
+        for (size_t i = 0; i < me.v.flexCount(); ++i) {
+            const C2PictureQuantizationStruct &layer = me.v.m.values[i];
+
+            if (layer.type_ == C2Config::picture_type_t(I_FRAME)) {
+                me.set().m.values[i].max = iMax;
+                me.set().m.values[i].min = iMin;
+            }
+            if (layer.type_ == C2Config::picture_type_t(P_FRAME)) {
+                me.set().m.values[i].max = pMax;
+                me.set().m.values[i].min = pMin;
+            }
+            if (layer.type_ == C2Config::picture_type_t(B_FRAME)) {
+                me.set().m.values[i].max = bMax;
+                me.set().m.values[i].min = bMin;
+            }
+        }
+
+        ALOGV("PictureQuantizationSetter(exit): i %d-%d p %d-%d b %d-%d",
+              iMin, iMax, pMin, pMax, bMin, bMax);
+
         return C2R::Ok();
     }
 
@@ -765,10 +820,11 @@
     s_qp_ip.e_cmd = IVE_CMD_VIDEO_CTL;
     s_qp_ip.e_sub_cmd = IVE_CMD_CTL_SET_QP;
 
-    // these are the ones we're going to set, so want them to default ....
-    // to the DEFAULT values for the codec instea dof CODEC_ bounding
-    int32_t iMin = INT32_MIN, pMin = INT32_MIN, bMin = INT32_MIN;
-    int32_t iMax = INT32_MAX, pMax = INT32_MAX, bMax = INT32_MAX;
+    // TODO: refactor with same algorithm in the PictureQuantizationSetter()
+    int32_t iMin = DEFAULT_I_QP_MIN, pMin = DEFAULT_P_QP_MIN, bMin = DEFAULT_B_QP_MIN;
+    int32_t iMax = DEFAULT_I_QP_MAX, pMax = DEFAULT_P_QP_MAX, bMax = DEFAULT_B_QP_MAX;
+
+    IntfImpl::Lock lock = mIntf->lock();
 
     std::shared_ptr<C2StreamPictureQuantizationTuning::output> qp =
                     mIntf->getPictureQuantization_l();
@@ -790,22 +846,6 @@
         }
     }
 
-    // INT32_{MIN,MAX} means unspecified, so use the codec's default
-    if (iMax == INT32_MAX) iMax = DEFAULT_I_QP_MAX;
-    if (iMin == INT32_MIN) iMin = DEFAULT_I_QP_MIN;
-    if (pMax == INT32_MAX) pMax = DEFAULT_P_QP_MAX;
-    if (pMin == INT32_MIN) pMin = DEFAULT_P_QP_MIN;
-    if (bMax == INT32_MAX) bMax = DEFAULT_B_QP_MAX;
-    if (bMin == INT32_MIN) bMin = DEFAULT_B_QP_MIN;
-
-    // ensure we have legal values
-    iMax = std::clamp(iMax, CODEC_QP_MIN, CODEC_QP_MAX);
-    iMin = std::clamp(iMin, CODEC_QP_MIN, CODEC_QP_MAX);
-    pMax = std::clamp(pMax, CODEC_QP_MIN, CODEC_QP_MAX);
-    pMin = std::clamp(pMin, CODEC_QP_MIN, CODEC_QP_MAX);
-    bMax = std::clamp(bMax, CODEC_QP_MIN, CODEC_QP_MAX);
-    bMin = std::clamp(bMin, CODEC_QP_MIN, CODEC_QP_MAX);
-
     s_qp_ip.u4_i_qp_max = iMax;
     s_qp_ip.u4_i_qp_min = iMin;
     s_qp_ip.u4_p_qp_max = pMax;
@@ -818,7 +858,7 @@
     s_qp_ip.u4_p_qp = std::clamp(DEFAULT_P_QP, pMin, pMax);
     s_qp_ip.u4_b_qp = std::clamp(DEFAULT_B_QP, bMin, bMax);
 
-    ALOGV("setting QP: i %d-%d p %d-%d b %d-%d", iMin, iMax, pMin, pMax, bMin, bMax);
+    ALOGV("setQp(): i %d-%d p %d-%d b %d-%d", iMin, iMax, pMin, pMax, bMin, bMax);
 
 
     s_qp_ip.u4_timestamp_high = -1;
diff --git a/media/codec2/components/avc/C2SoftAvcEnc.h b/media/codec2/components/avc/C2SoftAvcEnc.h
index baf33e2..1fecd9e 100644
--- a/media/codec2/components/avc/C2SoftAvcEnc.h
+++ b/media/codec2/components/avc/C2SoftAvcEnc.h
@@ -99,8 +99,10 @@
 #define STRLENGTH                   500
 #define DEFAULT_CONSTRAINED_INTRA   0
 
-/** limits as specified by h264 */
-#define CODEC_QP_MIN                0
+/** limits as specified by h264
+ *  (QP_MIN==4 is actually a limitation of this SW codec, not the H.264 standard)
+ **/
+#define CODEC_QP_MIN                4
 #define CODEC_QP_MAX                51