diff --git a/libavcodec/qsvenc.c b/libavcodec/qsvenc.c
index cf92ad453323a71e65f8e3625682e9766128e51e..13b97c7d67365ef5215a273db13dc4b44885bb8e 100644
--- a/libavcodec/qsvenc.c
+++ b/libavcodec/qsvenc.c
@@ -266,10 +266,93 @@ static void dump_video_param(AVCodecContext *avctx, QSVEncContext *q,
     }
 }
 
-static int init_video_param(AVCodecContext *avctx, QSVEncContext *q)
+static int select_rc_mode(AVCodecContext *avctx, QSVEncContext *q)
 {
-    const char *ratecontrol_desc;
+    const char *rc_desc;
+    mfxU16      rc_mode;
+
+    int want_la     = q->look_ahead;
+    int want_qscale = !!(avctx->flags & AV_CODEC_FLAG_QSCALE);
+    int want_vcm    = q->vcm;
+
+    if (want_la && !QSV_HAVE_LA) {
+        av_log(avctx, AV_LOG_ERROR,
+               "Lookahead ratecontrol mode requested, but is not supported by this SDK version\n");
+        return AVERROR(ENOSYS);
+    }
+    if (want_vcm && !QSV_HAVE_VCM) {
+        av_log(avctx, AV_LOG_ERROR,
+               "VCM ratecontrol mode requested, but is not supported by this SDK version\n");
+        return AVERROR(ENOSYS);
+    }
+
+    if (want_la + want_qscale + want_vcm > 1) {
+        av_log(avctx, AV_LOG_ERROR,
+               "More than one of: { constant qscale, lookahead, VCM } requested, "
+               "only one of them can be used at a time.\n");
+        return AVERROR(EINVAL);
+    }
+
+    if (want_qscale) {
+        rc_mode = MFX_RATECONTROL_CQP;
+        rc_desc = "constant quantization parameter (CQP)";
+    }
+#if QSV_HAVE_VCM
+    else if (want_vcm) {
+        rc_mode = MFX_RATECONTROL_VCM;
+        rc_desc = "video conferencing mode (VCM)";
+    }
+#endif
+#if QSV_HAVE_LA
+    else if (want_la) {
+        rc_mode = MFX_RATECONTROL_LA;
+        rc_desc = "VBR with lookahead (LA)";
+
+#if QSV_HAVE_ICQ
+        if (avctx->global_quality > 0) {
+            rc_mode = MFX_RATECONTROL_LA_ICQ;
+            rc_desc = "intelligent constant quality with lookahead (LA_ICQ)";
+        }
+#endif
+    }
+#endif
+#if QSV_HAVE_ICQ
+    else if (avctx->global_quality > 0) {
+        rc_mode = MFX_RATECONTROL_ICQ;
+        rc_desc = "intelligent constant quality (ICQ)";
+    }
+#endif
+    else if (avctx->rc_max_rate == avctx->bit_rate) {
+        rc_mode = MFX_RATECONTROL_CBR;
+        rc_desc = "constant bitrate (CBR)";
+    } else if (!avctx->rc_max_rate) {
+        rc_mode = MFX_RATECONTROL_AVBR;
+        rc_desc = "average variable bitrate (AVBR)";
+    } else {
+        rc_mode = MFX_RATECONTROL_VBR;
+        rc_desc = "variable bitrate (VBR)";
+    }
+
+    q->param.mfx.RateControlMethod = rc_mode;
+    av_log(avctx, AV_LOG_VERBOSE, "Using the %s ratecontrol method\n", rc_desc);
+
+    return 0;
+}
 
+static int rc_supported(QSVEncContext *q)
+{
+    mfxVideoParam param_out = { .mfx.CodecId = q->param.mfx.CodecId };
+    mfxStatus ret;
+
+    ret = MFXVideoENCODE_Query(q->session, &q->param, &param_out);
+    if (ret < 0 ||
+        param_out.mfx.RateControlMethod != q->param.mfx.RateControlMethod)
+        return 0;
+    return 1;
+}
+
+static int init_video_param(AVCodecContext *avctx, QSVEncContext *q)
+{
     float quant;
     int ret;
 
@@ -329,33 +412,16 @@ static int init_video_param(AVCodecContext *avctx, QSVEncContext *q)
         q->param.mfx.FrameInfo.FrameRateExtD  = avctx->time_base.num;
     }
 
-    if (avctx->flags & AV_CODEC_FLAG_QSCALE) {
-        q->param.mfx.RateControlMethod = MFX_RATECONTROL_CQP;
-        ratecontrol_desc = "constant quantization parameter (CQP)";
-    } else if (avctx->rc_max_rate == avctx->bit_rate) {
-        q->param.mfx.RateControlMethod = MFX_RATECONTROL_CBR;
-        ratecontrol_desc = "constant bitrate (CBR)";
-    } else if (!avctx->rc_max_rate) {
-#if QSV_VERSION_ATLEAST(1,7)
-        if (q->look_ahead) {
-            q->param.mfx.RateControlMethod = MFX_RATECONTROL_LA;
-            ratecontrol_desc = "lookahead (LA)";
-        } else
-#endif
-        {
-            q->param.mfx.RateControlMethod = MFX_RATECONTROL_AVBR;
-            ratecontrol_desc = "average variable bitrate (AVBR)";
-        }
-    } else {
-        q->param.mfx.RateControlMethod = MFX_RATECONTROL_VBR;
-        ratecontrol_desc = "variable bitrate (VBR)";
-    }
-
-    av_log(avctx, AV_LOG_VERBOSE, "Using the %s ratecontrol method\n", ratecontrol_desc);
+    ret = select_rc_mode(avctx, q);
+    if (ret < 0)
+        return ret;
 
     switch (q->param.mfx.RateControlMethod) {
     case MFX_RATECONTROL_CBR:
     case MFX_RATECONTROL_VBR:
+#if QSV_HAVE_VCM
+    case MFX_RATECONTROL_VCM:
+#endif
         q->param.mfx.InitialDelayInKB = avctx->rc_initial_buffer_occupancy / 1000;
         q->param.mfx.TargetKbps       = avctx->bit_rate / 1000;
         q->param.mfx.MaxKbps          = avctx->rc_max_rate / 1000;
@@ -369,13 +435,23 @@ static int init_video_param(AVCodecContext *avctx, QSVEncContext *q)
 
         break;
     case MFX_RATECONTROL_AVBR:
-#if QSV_VERSION_ATLEAST(1,7)
-    case MFX_RATECONTROL_LA:
-#endif
         q->param.mfx.TargetKbps  = avctx->bit_rate / 1000;
         q->param.mfx.Convergence = q->avbr_convergence;
         q->param.mfx.Accuracy    = q->avbr_accuracy;
         break;
+#if QSV_HAVE_LA
+    case MFX_RATECONTROL_LA:
+        q->param.mfx.TargetKbps  = avctx->bit_rate / 1000;
+        q->extco2.LookAheadDepth = q->look_ahead_depth;
+        break;
+#if QSV_HAVE_ICQ
+    case MFX_RATECONTROL_LA_ICQ:
+        q->extco2.LookAheadDepth = q->look_ahead_depth;
+    case MFX_RATECONTROL_ICQ:
+        q->param.mfx.ICQQuality  = avctx->global_quality;
+        break;
+#endif
+#endif
     }
 
     // the HEVC encoder plugin currently fails if coding options
@@ -391,24 +467,26 @@ static int init_video_param(AVCodecContext *avctx, QSVEncContext *q)
 
         q->extparam_internal[q->nb_extparam_internal++] = (mfxExtBuffer *)&q->extco;
 
-#if QSV_VERSION_ATLEAST(1,6)
-        q->extco2.Header.BufferId      = MFX_EXTBUFF_CODING_OPTION2;
-        q->extco2.Header.BufferSz      = sizeof(q->extco2);
+#if QSV_HAVE_CO2
+        if (avctx->codec_id == AV_CODEC_ID_H264) {
+            q->extco2.Header.BufferId     = MFX_EXTBUFF_CODING_OPTION2;
+            q->extco2.Header.BufferSz     = sizeof(q->extco2);
+            q->extparam_internal[q->nb_extparam_internal++] = (mfxExtBuffer *)&q->extco2;
 
-#if QSV_VERSION_ATLEAST(1,7)
-        // valid value range is from 10 to 100 inclusive
-        // to instruct the encoder to use the default value this should be set to zero
-        q->extco2.LookAheadDepth        = q->look_ahead_depth != 0 ? FFMAX(10, q->look_ahead_depth) : 0;
-#endif
 #if QSV_VERSION_ATLEAST(1,8)
-        q->extco2.LookAheadDS           = q->look_ahead_downsampling;
+            q->extco2.LookAheadDS           = q->look_ahead_downsampling;
 #endif
-
-        q->extparam_internal[q->nb_extparam_internal++] = (mfxExtBuffer *)&q->extco2;
-
+        }
 #endif
     }
 
+    if (!rc_supported(q)) {
+        av_log(avctx, AV_LOG_ERROR,
+               "Selected ratecontrol mode is not supported by the QSV "
+               "runtime. Choose a different mode.\n");
+        return AVERROR(ENOSYS);
+    }
+
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/libavcodec/qsvenc.h b/libavcodec/qsvenc.h
index 238be6a1aeba0c88cfbbd24c0b2b425f2c91458b..4c0f5a5efa60073dba46306148cdc35ea006a2e3 100644
--- a/libavcodec/qsvenc.h
+++ b/libavcodec/qsvenc.h
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@
 { "slow",        NULL, 0, AV_OPT_TYPE_CONST, { .i64 = MFX_TARGETUSAGE_3  },            INT_MIN, INT_MAX, VE, "preset" },                                                \
 { "slower",      NULL, 0, AV_OPT_TYPE_CONST, { .i64 = MFX_TARGETUSAGE_2  },            INT_MIN, INT_MAX, VE, "preset" },                                                \
 { "veryslow",    NULL, 0, AV_OPT_TYPE_CONST, { .i64 = MFX_TARGETUSAGE_BEST_QUALITY  }, INT_MIN, INT_MAX, VE, "preset" },                                                \
+{ "vcm",      "Use the video conferencing mode ratecontrol",  OFFSET(qsv.vcm),      AV_OPT_TYPE_INT, { .i64 = 0  },  0, 1,         VE },                                \
 
 typedef struct QSVEncContext {
     AVCodecContext *avctx;
@@ -74,7 +75,7 @@ typedef struct QSVEncContext {
     mfxFrameAllocRequest req;
 
     mfxExtCodingOption  extco;
-#if QSV_VERSION_ATLEAST(1,6)
+#if QSV_HAVE_CO2
     mfxExtCodingOption2 extco2;
 #endif
 
@@ -82,7 +83,7 @@ typedef struct QSVEncContext {
     mfxFrameSurface1       **opaque_surfaces;
     AVBufferRef             *opaque_alloc_buf;
 
-    mfxExtBuffer  *extparam_internal[3];
+    mfxExtBuffer  *extparam_internal[2 + QSV_HAVE_CO2];
     int         nb_extparam_internal;
 
     mfxExtBuffer **extparam;
@@ -100,6 +101,7 @@ typedef struct QSVEncContext {
     int look_ahead;
     int look_ahead_depth;
     int look_ahead_downsampling;
+    int vcm;
 
     char *load_plugins;
 } QSVEncContext;
diff --git a/libavcodec/qsvenc_h264.c b/libavcodec/qsvenc_h264.c
index 147194b96ce3cb3a8fdb9ce22480d25141111db8..542711bd4a89b4b8077144d6fdb002b6657c8bb6 100644
--- a/libavcodec/qsvenc_h264.c
+++ b/libavcodec/qsvenc_h264.c
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ static const AVOption options[] = {
     { "idr_interval", "Distance (in I-frames) between IDR frames", OFFSET(qsv.idr_interval), AV_OPT_TYPE_INT, { .i64 = 0 }, 0, INT_MAX, VE },
     { "pic_timing_sei",    "Insert picture timing SEI with pic_struct_syntax element", OFFSET(qsv.pic_timing_sei), AV_OPT_TYPE_INT, { .i64 = 1 }, 0, 1, VE },
 
-#if QSV_VERSION_ATLEAST(1,7)
+#if QSV_HAVE_LA
     { "look_ahead",       "Use VBR algorithm with look ahead",    OFFSET(qsv.look_ahead),       AV_OPT_TYPE_INT, { .i64 = 1 }, 0, 1, VE },
     { "look_ahead_depth", "Depth of look ahead in number frames", OFFSET(qsv.look_ahead_depth), AV_OPT_TYPE_INT, { .i64 = 0 }, 0, 100, VE },
 #endif