diff --git a/src/inter.c b/src/inter.c
index 64e63485..177a745f 100644
--- a/src/inter.c
+++ b/src/inter.c
@@ -407,8 +407,8 @@ static void inter_clear_cu_unused(cu_info_t* cu) {
 /**
  * \brief Get merge candidates for current block
  * \param encoder encoder control struct to use
- * \param x_cu block x position in SCU
- * \param y_cu block y position in SCU
+ * \param x block x position in SCU
+ * \param y block y position in SCU
  * \param width current block width
  * \param height current block height
  * \param b0 candidate b0
@@ -694,13 +694,23 @@ void kvz_inter_get_mv_cand(const encoder_state_t * const state,
 
 /**
  * \brief Get merge predictions for current block
- * \param encoder encoder control struct to use
- * \param x_cu block x position in SCU
- * \param y_cu block y position in SCU
- * \param depth current block depth
- * \param mv_pred[MRG_MAX_NUM_CANDS][2] MRG_MAX_NUM_CANDS motion vector prediction
+ * \param state     the encoder state
+ * \param x         block x position in SCU
+ * \param y         block y position in SCU
+ * \param width     block width
+ * \param height    block height
+ * \param use_a1    true, if candidate a1 can be used
+ * \param use_b1    true, if candidate b1 can be used
+ * \param mv_cand   Returns the merge candidates.
+ * \param lcu       lcu containing the block
+ * \return          number of merge candidates
  */
-uint8_t kvz_inter_get_merge_cand(const encoder_state_t * const state, int32_t x, int32_t y, int8_t depth, inter_merge_cand_t mv_cand[MRG_MAX_NUM_CANDS], lcu_t *lcu)
+uint8_t kvz_inter_get_merge_cand(const encoder_state_t * const state,
+                                 int32_t x, int32_t y,
+                                 int32_t width, int32_t height,
+                                 bool use_a1, bool use_b1,
+                                 inter_merge_cand_t mv_cand[MRG_MAX_NUM_CANDS],
+                                 lcu_t *lcu)
 {
   uint8_t candidates = 0;
   int8_t duplicate = 0;
@@ -708,8 +718,10 @@ uint8_t kvz_inter_get_merge_cand(const encoder_state_t * const state, int32_t x,
   cu_info_t *b0, *b1, *b2, *a0, *a1;
   int8_t zero_idx = 0;
   b0 = b1 = b2 = a0 = a1 = NULL;
-  kvz_inter_get_spatial_merge_candidates(x, y, LCU_WIDTH >> depth, LCU_WIDTH >> depth, &b0, &b1, &b2, &a0, &a1, lcu);
+  kvz_inter_get_spatial_merge_candidates(x, y, width, height, &b0, &b1, &b2, &a0, &a1, lcu);
 
+  if (!use_a1) a1 = NULL;
+  if (!use_b1) b1 = NULL;
 
 #define CHECK_DUPLICATE(CU1,CU2) {duplicate = 0; if ((CU2) && \
                                                      (CU1)->inter.mv_dir == (CU2)->inter.mv_dir && \
diff --git a/src/inter.h b/src/inter.h
index ec5f271d..b2e85569 100644
--- a/src/inter.h
+++ b/src/inter.h
@@ -42,7 +42,32 @@ typedef struct {
 //void kvz_inter_set_block(image* im,uint32_t x_cu, uint32_t y_cu, uint8_t depth, cu_info *cur_cu);
 void kvz_inter_recon_lcu(const encoder_state_t * const state, const kvz_picture * ref, int32_t xpos, int32_t ypos, int32_t width, const int16_t mv_param[2], lcu_t* lcu, hi_prec_buf_t *hi_prec_out);
 void kvz_inter_recon_lcu_bipred(const encoder_state_t * const state, const kvz_picture * ref1, const kvz_picture * ref2, int32_t xpos, int32_t ypos, int32_t width, int16_t mv_param[2][2], lcu_t* lcu);
-void kvz_inter_get_spatial_merge_candidates(int32_t x, int32_t y, int32_t width, int32_t height, cu_info_t **b0, cu_info_t **b1, cu_info_t **b2, cu_info_t **a0, cu_info_t **a1, lcu_t *lcu);
-void kvz_inter_get_mv_cand(const encoder_state_t *state, int32_t x, int32_t y, int32_t width, int32_t height, int16_t mv_cand[2][2], cu_info_t* cur_cu, lcu_t *lcu, int8_t reflist);
-uint8_t kvz_inter_get_merge_cand(const encoder_state_t *state, int32_t x, int32_t y, int8_t depth, inter_merge_cand_t mv_cand[MRG_MAX_NUM_CANDS], lcu_t *lcu);
+
+void kvz_inter_get_spatial_merge_candidates(int32_t x,
+                                            int32_t y,
+                                            int32_t width,
+                                            int32_t height,
+                                            cu_info_t **b0,
+                                            cu_info_t **b1,
+                                            cu_info_t **b2,
+                                            cu_info_t **a0,
+                                            cu_info_t **a1,
+                                            lcu_t *lcu);
+
+void kvz_inter_get_mv_cand(const encoder_state_t * const state,
+                           int32_t x,
+                           int32_t y,
+                           int32_t width,
+                           int32_t height,
+                           int16_t mv_cand[2][2],
+                           cu_info_t* cur_cu,
+                           lcu_t *lcu,
+                           int8_t reflist);
+
+uint8_t kvz_inter_get_merge_cand(const encoder_state_t * const state,
+                                 int32_t x, int32_t y,
+                                 int32_t width, int32_t height,
+                                 bool use_a1, bool use_b1,
+                                 inter_merge_cand_t mv_cand[MRG_MAX_NUM_CANDS],
+                                 lcu_t *lcu);
 #endif
diff --git a/src/search_inter.c b/src/search_inter.c
index 989eca7d..17159f6d 100644
--- a/src/search_inter.c
+++ b/src/search_inter.c
@@ -1104,7 +1104,13 @@ int kvz_search_cu_inter(const encoder_state_t * const state, int x, int y, int d
   // Search for merge mode candidate
   inter_merge_cand_t merge_cand[MRG_MAX_NUM_CANDS];
   // Get list of candidates
-  int16_t num_cand = kvz_inter_get_merge_cand(state, x, y, depth, merge_cand, lcu);
+  int16_t num_cand = kvz_inter_get_merge_cand(state,
+                                              x, y,
+                                              LCU_WIDTH >> depth,
+                                              LCU_WIDTH >> depth,
+                                              true, true,
+                                              merge_cand,
+                                              lcu);
 
   uint32_t(*get_mvd_cost)(vector2d_t *, cabac_data_t*) = get_mvd_coding_cost;
   if (state->encoder_control->cfg->mv_rdo) {