diff --git a/libavcodec/libxavs.c b/libavcodec/libxavs.c
index f257e5584d..7eb3083da7 100644
--- a/libavcodec/libxavs.c
+++ b/libavcodec/libxavs.c
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ static const AVOption options[] = {
     { "mbtree",        "Use macroblock tree ratecontrol.",                OFFSET(mbtree),        AV_OPT_TYPE_BOOL,    {.i64 = -1 }, -1, 1, VE},
     { "mixed-refs",    "One reference per partition, as opposed to one reference per macroblock", OFFSET(mixed_refs), AV_OPT_TYPE_BOOL, {.i64 = -1}, -1, 1, VE },
     { "fast-pskip",    NULL,                                              OFFSET(fast_pskip),    AV_OPT_TYPE_BOOL,    {.i64 = -1 }, -1, 1, VE},
-    { "motion-est",   "Set motion estimation method",                     OFFSET(motion_est),    AV_OPT_TYPE_INT,    { .i64 = -1 }, -1, XAVS_ME_TESA, VE, "motion-est"},
+    { "motion-est",   "Set motion estimation method",                     OFFSET(motion_est),    AV_OPT_TYPE_INT,    { .i64 = XAVS_ME_DIA }, -1, XAVS_ME_TESA, VE, "motion-est"},
     { "dia",           NULL,      0,    AV_OPT_TYPE_CONST, { .i64 = XAVS_ME_DIA },               INT_MIN, INT_MAX, VE, "motion-est" },
     { "hex",           NULL,      0,    AV_OPT_TYPE_CONST, { .i64 = XAVS_ME_HEX },               INT_MIN, INT_MAX, VE, "motion-est" },
     { "umh",           NULL,      0,    AV_OPT_TYPE_CONST, { .i64 = XAVS_ME_UMH },               INT_MIN, INT_MAX, VE, "motion-est" },