diff --git a/src/surface.c b/src/surface.c
index 341637c..2bf0aba 100644
--- a/src/surface.c
+++ b/src/surface.c
@@ -339,7 +339,18 @@ VAStatus RequestSyncSurface(VADriverContextP context, VASurfaceID surface_id)
 	 * since iter4 (`74d8dd1`), so REINIT is no longer compromised by
 	 * the cluster-validation EINVAL pattern.
 	 */
-	rc = media_request_reinit(request_fd);
+	/*
+	 * iter19 α-23 TEST: skip REINIT to test mechanism 2.
+	 * If kernel sees correct controls after this change, REINIT was
+	 * clearing the request between S_EXT_CTRLS and IOC_QUEUE — but
+	 * looking at the code, REINIT runs AFTER wait_completion (i.e.,
+	 * AFTER decode is done), so this should only affect NEXT frame's
+	 * request reuse — not the current frame. Test it anyway since
+	 * libva uses 16 request_fds in rotation per output_pool slot;
+	 * each request_fd is REINIT'd before being reused next time.
+	 */
+	(void)media_request_reinit;
+	rc = 0; /* media_request_reinit(request_fd); */
 	if (rc < 0) {
 		status = VA_STATUS_ERROR_OPERATION_FAILED;
 		goto error;