diff -uNrp src/common/common.c src.new/common/common.c
--- src/common/common.c	2012-07-19 14:15:23 +0300
+++ src.new/common/common.c	2012-07-19 16:28:27 +0300
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ void x264_param_default( x264_param_t *p
     param->i_fps_num       = 25;
     param->i_fps_den       = 1;
     param->i_level_idc     = -1;
+    param->b_level_force   = 0;
     param->i_slice_max_size = 0;
     param->i_slice_max_mbs = 0;
     param->i_slice_count = 0;
@@ -664,6 +665,8 @@ int x264_param_parse( x264_param_t *p, c
         else
             p->i_level_idc = atoi(value);
     }
+    OPT("level-force")
+        p->b_level_force = atobool(value);
     OPT("bluray-compat")
         p->b_bluray_compat = atobool(value);
     OPT("sar")
diff -uNrp src/encoder/set.c src.new/encoder/set.c
--- src/encoder/set.c	2012-07-19 11:29:04 +0300
+++ src.new/encoder/set.c	2012-07-19 16:29:04 +0300
@@ -767,6 +767,22 @@ int x264_validate_levels( x264_t *h, int
     while( l->level_idc != 0 && l->level_idc != h->param.i_level_idc )
         l++;
 
+    if( h->param.b_level_force && verbose )
+    {
+        int frame_ref_bak = h->param.i_frame_reference;
+        while( dpb > l->dpb && h->param.i_frame_reference > 1 )
+        {
+            h->param.i_frame_reference--;
+            h->sps->vui.i_max_dec_frame_buffering =
+            h->sps->i_num_ref_frames = X264_MIN(16, X264_MAX3(h->param.i_frame_reference, 1 + h->sps->vui.i_num_reorder_frames,
+                                                              h->param.i_bframe_pyramid ? 4 : 1 ));
+            h->sps->i_num_ref_frames -= h->param.i_bframe_pyramid == X264_B_PYRAMID_STRICT;
+            dpb = mbs * h->sps->vui.i_max_dec_frame_buffering;
+        }
+        if( frame_ref_bak != h->param.i_frame_reference )
+            x264_log( h, X264_LOG_INFO, "Force ref-frames %d -> %d\n", frame_ref_bak, h->param.i_frame_reference );
+    }
+
     if( l->frame_size < mbs
         || l->frame_size*8 < h->sps->i_mb_width * h->sps->i_mb_width
         || l->frame_size*8 < h->sps->i_mb_height * h->sps->i_mb_height )
@@ -780,8 +796,23 @@ int x264_validate_levels( x264_t *h, int
     if( (val) > (limit) ) \
         ERROR( name " (%"PRId64") > level limit (%d)\n", (int64_t)(val), (limit) );
 
-    CHECK( "VBV bitrate", (l->bitrate * cbp_factor) / 4, h->param.rc.i_vbv_max_bitrate );
-    CHECK( "VBV buffer", (l->cpb * cbp_factor) / 4, h->param.rc.i_vbv_buffer_size );
+    int vbv_br_limit = (l->bitrate * cbp_factor) / 4;
+    int vbv_buf_limit = (l->cpb * cbp_factor) / 4;
+    if( h->param.b_level_force && verbose )
+    {
+        if( h->param.rc.i_vbv_max_bitrate > vbv_br_limit )
+        {
+            x264_log( h, X264_LOG_INFO, "Force VBV-bitrate %d -> %d\n", h->param.rc.i_vbv_max_bitrate, vbv_br_limit );
+            h->param.rc.i_vbv_max_bitrate = vbv_br_limit;
+        }
+        if( h->param.rc.i_vbv_buffer_size > vbv_buf_limit )
+        {
+            x264_log( h, X264_LOG_INFO, "Force VBV-buffer %d -> %d\n", h->param.rc.i_vbv_buffer_size, vbv_buf_limit );
+            h->param.rc.i_vbv_buffer_size = vbv_buf_limit;
+        }
+    }
+    CHECK( "VBV bitrate", vbv_br_limit, h->param.rc.i_vbv_max_bitrate );
+    CHECK( "VBV buffer", vbv_buf_limit, h->param.rc.i_vbv_buffer_size );
     CHECK( "MV range", l->mv_range, h->param.analyse.i_mv_range );
     CHECK( "interlaced", !l->frame_only, h->param.b_interlaced );
     CHECK( "fake interlaced", !l->frame_only, h->param.b_fake_interlaced );
diff -uNrp src/x264.c src.new/x264.c
--- src/x264.c	2012-07-19 14:15:23 +0300
+++ src.new/x264.c	2012-07-19 16:29:28 +0300
@@ -853,6 +853,7 @@ static void help( x264_param_t *defaults
     H0( "      --seek <integer>        First frame to encode\n" );
     H0( "      --frames <integer>      Maximum number of frames to encode\n" );
     H0( "      --level <string>        Specify level (as defined by Annex A)\n" );
+    H1( "      --level-force           Force params to specifyed level\n" );
     H1( "      --bluray-compat         Enable compatibility hacks for Blu-ray support\n" );
     H1( "\n" );
     H1( "  -v, --verbose               Print stats for each frame\n" );
@@ -1023,6 +1024,7 @@ static struct option long_options[] =
     { "deadzone-inter", required_argument, NULL, 0 },
     { "deadzone-intra", required_argument, NULL, 0 },
     { "level",       required_argument, NULL, 0 },
+    { "level-force",       no_argument, NULL, 0 },
     { "ratetol",     required_argument, NULL, 0 },
     { "vbv-maxrate", required_argument, NULL, 0 },
     { "vbv-bufsize", required_argument, NULL, 0 },
diff -uNrp src/x264.h src.new/x264.h
--- src/x264.h	2012-07-19 14:15:23 +0300
+++ src.new/x264.h	2012-07-19 16:29:40 +0300
@@ -266,6 +266,7 @@ typedef struct x264_param_t
     int         i_height;
     int         i_csp;         /* CSP of encoded bitstream */
     int         i_level_idc;
+    int         b_level_force; /* force ref etc. for level */
     int         i_frame_total; /* number of frames to encode if known, else 0 */
 
     /* NAL HRD