diff --git a/libavcodec/avcodec.h b/libavcodec/avcodec.h
index 828382a0b5..7eb4a01291 100644
--- a/libavcodec/avcodec.h
+++ b/libavcodec/avcodec.h
@@ -2472,19 +2472,19 @@ typedef struct AVCodecContext {
      * - decoding: unused
      */
     attribute_deprecated int deblockbeta;
-#endif
 
     /**
      * macroblock subpartition sizes to consider - p8x8, p4x4, b8x8, i8x8, i4x4
      * - encoding: Set by user.
      * - decoding: unused
      */
-    int partitions;
+    attribute_deprecated int partitions;
 #define X264_PART_I4X4 0x001  /* Analyze i4x4 */
 #define X264_PART_I8X8 0x002  /* Analyze i8x8 (requires 8x8 transform) */
 #define X264_PART_P8X8 0x010  /* Analyze p16x8, p8x16 and p8x8 */
 #define X264_PART_P4X4 0x020  /* Analyze p8x4, p4x8, p4x4 */
 #define X264_PART_B8X8 0x100  /* Analyze b16x8, b8x16 and b8x8 */
+#endif
 
     /**
      * direct MV prediction mode - 0 (none), 1 (spatial), 2 (temporal), 3 (auto)
diff --git a/libavcodec/libx264.c b/libavcodec/libx264.c
index 8eff59ceb9..10cb32eda2 100644
--- a/libavcodec/libx264.c
+++ b/libavcodec/libx264.c
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ typedef struct X264Context {
     int mbtree;
     char *deblock;
     float cplxblur;
+    char *partitions;
 } X264Context;
 
 static void X264_log(void *p, int level, const char *fmt, va_list args)
@@ -207,20 +208,6 @@ static av_cold int X264_init(AVCodecContext *avctx)
 
     x4->params.b_deblocking_filter         = avctx->flags & CODEC_FLAG_LOOP_FILTER;
 
-    x4->params.analyse.inter    = 0;
-    if (avctx->partitions) {
-        if (avctx->partitions & X264_PART_I4X4)
-            x4->params.analyse.inter |= X264_ANALYSE_I4x4;
-        if (avctx->partitions & X264_PART_I8X8)
-            x4->params.analyse.inter |= X264_ANALYSE_I8x8;
-        if (avctx->partitions & X264_PART_P8X8)
-            x4->params.analyse.inter |= X264_ANALYSE_PSUB16x16;
-        if (avctx->partitions & X264_PART_P4X4)
-            x4->params.analyse.inter |= X264_ANALYSE_PSUB8x8;
-        if (avctx->partitions & X264_PART_B8X8)
-            x4->params.analyse.inter |= X264_ANALYSE_BSUB16x16;
-    }
-
     x4->params.analyse.i_direct_mv_pred  = avctx->directpred;
 
     if (avctx->me_method == ME_EPZS)
@@ -320,6 +307,18 @@ static av_cold int X264_init(AVCodecContext *avctx)
         x4->params.i_deblocking_filter_beta    = avctx->deblockbeta;
     if (avctx->complexityblur >= 0)
         x4->params.rc.f_complexity_blur        = avctx->complexityblur;
+    if (avctx->partitions) {
+        if (avctx->partitions & X264_PART_I4X4)
+            x4->params.analyse.inter |= X264_ANALYSE_I4x4;
+        if (avctx->partitions & X264_PART_I8X8)
+            x4->params.analyse.inter |= X264_ANALYSE_I8x8;
+        if (avctx->partitions & X264_PART_P8X8)
+            x4->params.analyse.inter |= X264_ANALYSE_PSUB16x16;
+        if (avctx->partitions & X264_PART_P4X4)
+            x4->params.analyse.inter |= X264_ANALYSE_PSUB8x8;
+        if (avctx->partitions & X264_PART_B8X8)
+            x4->params.analyse.inter |= X264_ANALYSE_BSUB16x16;
+    }
     x4->params.analyse.b_ssim = avctx->flags2 & CODEC_FLAG2_SSIM;
     x4->params.b_intra_refresh = avctx->flags2 & CODEC_FLAG2_INTRA_REFRESH;
     x4->params.i_bframe_pyramid = avctx->flags2 & CODEC_FLAG2_BPYRAMID ? X264_B_PYRAMID_NORMAL : X264_B_PYRAMID_NONE;
@@ -357,6 +356,7 @@ static av_cold int X264_init(AVCodecContext *avctx)
         x4->params.rc.f_aq_strength = x4->aq_strength;
     PARSE_X264_OPT("psy-rd", psy_rd);
     PARSE_X264_OPT("deblock", deblock);
+    PARSE_X264_OPT("partitions", partitions);
     if (x4->psy >= 0)
         x4->params.analyse.b_psy  = x4->psy;
     if (x4->rc_lookahead >= 0)
@@ -486,6 +486,8 @@ static const AVOption options[] = {
     { "mbtree",        "Use macroblock tree ratecontrol.",                OFFSET(mbtree),        FF_OPT_TYPE_INT,    {-1 }, -1, 1, VE},
     { "deblock",       "Loop filter parameters, in <alpha:beta> form.",   OFFSET(deblock),       FF_OPT_TYPE_STRING, { 0 },  0, 0, VE},
     { "cplxblur",      "Reduce fluctuations in QP (before curve compression)", OFFSET(cplxblur), FF_OPT_TYPE_FLOAT,  {-1 }, -1, FLT_MAX, VE},
+    { "partitions",    "A comma-separated list of partitions to consider. "
+                       "Possible values: p8x8, p4x4, b8x8, i8x8, i4x4, none, all", OFFSET(partitions), FF_OPT_TYPE_STRING, { 0 }, 0, 0, VE},
     { NULL },
 };
 
diff --git a/libavcodec/options.c b/libavcodec/options.c
index f19a681a56..0d670056dc 100644
--- a/libavcodec/options.c
+++ b/libavcodec/options.c
@@ -416,13 +416,13 @@ static const AVOption options[]={
 {"complexityblur", "reduce fluctuations in qp (before curve compression)", OFFSET(complexityblur), FF_OPT_TYPE_FLOAT, {.dbl = -1 }, -1, FLT_MAX, V|E},
 {"deblockalpha", "in-loop deblocking filter alphac0 parameter", OFFSET(deblockalpha), FF_OPT_TYPE_INT, {.dbl = DEFAULT }, -6, 6, V|E},
 {"deblockbeta", "in-loop deblocking filter beta parameter", OFFSET(deblockbeta), FF_OPT_TYPE_INT, {.dbl = DEFAULT }, -6, 6, V|E},
-#endif
 {"partitions", "macroblock subpartition sizes to consider", OFFSET(partitions), FF_OPT_TYPE_FLAGS, {.dbl = DEFAULT }, INT_MIN, INT_MAX, V|E, "partitions"},
 {"parti4x4", NULL, 0, FF_OPT_TYPE_CONST, {.dbl = X264_PART_I4X4 }, INT_MIN, INT_MAX, V|E, "partitions"},
 {"parti8x8", NULL, 0, FF_OPT_TYPE_CONST, {.dbl = X264_PART_I8X8 }, INT_MIN, INT_MAX, V|E, "partitions"},
 {"partp4x4", NULL, 0, FF_OPT_TYPE_CONST, {.dbl = X264_PART_P4X4 }, INT_MIN, INT_MAX, V|E, "partitions"},
 {"partp8x8", NULL, 0, FF_OPT_TYPE_CONST, {.dbl = X264_PART_P8X8 }, INT_MIN, INT_MAX, V|E, "partitions"},
 {"partb8x8", NULL, 0, FF_OPT_TYPE_CONST, {.dbl = X264_PART_B8X8 }, INT_MIN, INT_MAX, V|E, "partitions"},
+#endif
 {"sc_factor", "multiplied by qscale for each frame and added to scene_change_score", OFFSET(scenechange_factor), FF_OPT_TYPE_INT, {.dbl = 6 }, 0, INT_MAX, V|E},
 {"mv0_threshold", NULL, OFFSET(mv0_threshold), FF_OPT_TYPE_INT, {.dbl = 256 }, 0, INT_MAX, V|E},
 #if FF_API_MPEGVIDEO_GLOBAL_OPTS
diff --git a/libavformat/ffmdec.c b/libavformat/ffmdec.c
index 07f790773c..143f20b5db 100644
--- a/libavformat/ffmdec.c
+++ b/libavformat/ffmdec.c
@@ -344,7 +344,6 @@ static int ffm_read_header(AVFormatContext *s, AVFormatParameters *ap)
             codec->thread_count = avio_r8(pb);
             codec->coder_type = avio_rb32(pb);
             codec->me_cmp = avio_rb32(pb);
-            codec->partitions = avio_rb32(pb);
             codec->me_subpel_quality = avio_rb32(pb);
             codec->me_range = avio_rb32(pb);
             codec->keyint_min = avio_rb32(pb);
diff --git a/libavformat/ffmenc.c b/libavformat/ffmenc.c
index 07876ccd4b..e9d25717b8 100644
--- a/libavformat/ffmenc.c
+++ b/libavformat/ffmenc.c
@@ -156,7 +156,6 @@ static int ffm_write_header(AVFormatContext *s)
             avio_w8(pb, codec->thread_count);
             avio_wb32(pb, codec->coder_type);
             avio_wb32(pb, codec->me_cmp);
-            avio_wb32(pb, codec->partitions);
             avio_wb32(pb, codec->me_subpel_quality);
             avio_wb32(pb, codec->me_range);
             avio_wb32(pb, codec->keyint_min);
diff --git a/tests/ref/lavf/ffm b/tests/ref/lavf/ffm
index b20e132b45..ac4922c942 100644
--- a/tests/ref/lavf/ffm
+++ b/tests/ref/lavf/ffm
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-f9bee27ea1b6b83a06b5f9efb0a4ac1f *./tests/data/lavf/lavf.ffm
+6d6db9474c5c10621bff51f20984797b *./tests/data/lavf/lavf.ffm
 376832 ./tests/data/lavf/lavf.ffm
 ./tests/data/lavf/lavf.ffm CRC=0xf361ed74