diff --git a/src/h264.c b/src/h264.c
index 6202001..284a2a5 100644
--- a/src/h264.c
+++ b/src/h264.c
@@ -220,8 +220,18 @@ static inline int32_t h264_strip_ffmpeg_poc_sentinel(int32_t poc, uint32_t flags
 {
 	if (flags & VA_PICTURE_H264_INVALID)
 		return 0;
-	if (poc & (1 << 16))
-		return poc - (1 << 16);
+	/*
+	 * iter8 α-2: pass POC values through unchanged for rkvdec. The
+	 * sentinel-subtract was added for hantro's tbl->poc[] prepare_table
+	 * which fed the value through unmasked. rkvdec writes POC to MMIO
+	 * via writel_relaxed (rkvdec-h264.c:975-978) and the macro
+	 * RKVDEC_CUR_POC is a 32-bit passthrough. kdirect (ffmpeg-v4l2request)
+	 * delivers the sentinel-encoded value directly and decodes
+	 * correctly; libva's strip was the cause of the 16x32 partial-fill
+	 * Bug 4 symptom. Hantro+H.264 isn't exercised on RK3399 (hantro-dec
+	 * doesn't advertise H.264 there) — restoring the strip per-driver
+	 * is iter9 work if it ever surfaces.
+	 */
 	return poc;
 }