diff --git a/libavcodec/qsv.c b/libavcodec/qsv.c
index bb0d79588c..4d3fbafe04 100644
--- a/libavcodec/qsv.c
+++ b/libavcodec/qsv.c
@@ -83,6 +83,19 @@ int ff_qsv_profile_to_mfx(enum AVCodecID codec_id, int profile)
     return MFX_PROFILE_UNKNOWN;
 }
 
+int ff_qsv_level_to_mfx(enum AVCodecID codec_id, int level)
+{
+    if (level == FF_LEVEL_UNKNOWN)
+        return MFX_LEVEL_UNKNOWN;
+
+    switch (codec_id) {
+    case AV_CODEC_ID_HEVC:
+        return level / 3;
+    default:
+        return level;
+    }
+}
+
 static const struct {
     mfxStatus   mfxerr;
     int         averr;
diff --git a/libavcodec/qsv_internal.h b/libavcodec/qsv_internal.h
index 57d861d2be..b63a7d6a31 100644
--- a/libavcodec/qsv_internal.h
+++ b/libavcodec/qsv_internal.h
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ int ff_qsv_print_warning(void *log_ctx, mfxStatus err,
 
 int ff_qsv_codec_id_to_mfx(enum AVCodecID codec_id);
 int ff_qsv_profile_to_mfx(enum AVCodecID codec_id, int profile);
+int ff_qsv_level_to_mfx(enum AVCodecID codec_id, int level);
 
 int ff_qsv_map_pixfmt(enum AVPixelFormat format, uint32_t *fourcc);
 enum AVPictureType ff_qsv_map_pictype(int mfx_pic_type);
diff --git a/libavcodec/qsvdec.c b/libavcodec/qsvdec.c
index 2a8a032111..46aa2d6814 100644
--- a/libavcodec/qsvdec.c
+++ b/libavcodec/qsvdec.c
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ static int qsv_decode_init(AVCodecContext *avctx, QSVContext *q)
 
     param.mfx.CodecId      = ret;
     param.mfx.CodecProfile = ff_qsv_profile_to_mfx(avctx->codec_id, avctx->profile);
-    param.mfx.CodecLevel   = avctx->level == FF_LEVEL_UNKNOWN ? MFX_LEVEL_UNKNOWN : avctx->level;
+    param.mfx.CodecLevel   = ff_qsv_level_to_mfx(avctx->codec_id, avctx->level);
 
     param.mfx.FrameInfo.BitDepthLuma   = desc->comp[0].depth;
     param.mfx.FrameInfo.BitDepthChroma = desc->comp[0].depth;