diff --git a/src/h264.c b/src/h264.c
index 03cd634..b5e272c 100644
--- a/src/h264.c
+++ b/src/h264.c
@@ -221,7 +221,9 @@ static void h264_va_picture_to_v4l2(struct request_data *driver_data,
 {
 	h264_fill_dpb(driver_data, context, decode);
 
-	decode->num_slices = surface->slices_count;
+	/* num_slices is no longer carried by v4l2_ctrl_h264_decode_params; the
+	 * kernel infers slice count from the number of slice_params controls
+	 * queued (one per slice via the request API). */
 	decode->top_field_order_cnt = VAPicture->CurrPic.TopFieldOrderCnt;
 	decode->bottom_field_order_cnt = VAPicture->CurrPic.BottomFieldOrderCnt;