diff --git a/core/transcoder/codecs.go b/core/transcoder/codecs.go
index e710eae40..87b26e6b3 100644
--- a/core/transcoder/codecs.go
+++ b/core/transcoder/codecs.go
@@ -330,27 +330,14 @@ func (c *VaapiCodec) ExtraArguments() string {
 
 // VariantFlags returns a string representing a single variant processed by this codec.
 func (c *VaapiCodec) VariantFlags(v *HLSVariant) string {
-	return ""
+	return "-compression_level 0"
 }
 
 // GetPresetForLevel returns the string preset for this codec given an integer level.
 func (c *VaapiCodec) GetPresetForLevel(l int) string {
-	presetMapping := map[int]string{
-		0: "ultrafast",
-		1: "superfast",
-		2: "veryfast",
-		3: "faster",
-		4: "fast",
-	}
-
-	preset, ok := presetMapping[l]
-	if !ok {
-		defaultPreset := presetMapping[1]
-		log.Errorf("Invalid level for vaapi preset %d, defaulting to %s", l, defaultPreset)
-		return defaultPreset
-	}
-
-	return preset
+	// This codec does not support presets. It uses a compression level instead.
+	// See the VariantFlags method.
+	return ""
 }
 
 // GetRepresentation returns the simplified codec representation of this codec.
diff --git a/core/transcoder/transcoder_vaapi_test.go b/core/transcoder/transcoder_vaapi_test.go
index a7d6be69c..dd0fa552a 100644
--- a/core/transcoder/transcoder_vaapi_test.go
+++ b/core/transcoder/transcoder_vaapi_test.go
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ func TestFFmpegVaapiCommand(t *testing.T) {
 	cmd := transcoder.getString()
 
 	expectedLogPath := filepath.Join("data", "logs", "transcoder.log")
-	expected := `FFREPORT=file="` + expectedLogPath + `":level=32 ` + transcoder.ffmpegPath + ` -hide_banner -loglevel warning -hwaccel vaapi -hwaccel_output_format vaapi -vaapi_device /dev/dri/renderD128 -fflags +genpts -flags +cgop -i  fakecontent.flv  -map v:0 -c:v:0 h264_vaapi -b:v:0 1008k -maxrate:v:0 1088k -g:v:0 90 -keyint_min:v:0 90 -r:v:0 30  -map a:0? -c:a:0 copy -preset veryfast -map v:0 -c:v:1 h264_vaapi -b:v:1 3308k -maxrate:v:1 3572k -g:v:1 72 -keyint_min:v:1 72 -r:v:1 24  -map a:0? -c:a:1 copy -preset fast -map v:0 -c:v:2 copy -map a:0? -c:a:2 copy -preset ultrafast  -var_stream_map "v:0,a:0 v:1,a:1 v:2,a:2 " -f hls -hls_time 3 -hls_list_size 10 -hls_flags program_date_time+independent_segments+omit_endlist  -segment_format_options mpegts_flags=mpegts_copyts=1  -pix_fmt vaapi -sc_threshold 0 -master_pl_name stream.m3u8 -hls_segment_filename http://127.0.0.1:8123/%v/stream-jdofFGg-%d.ts -max_muxing_queue_size 400 -method PUT http://127.0.0.1:8123/%v/stream.m3u8`
+	expected := `FFREPORT=file="` + expectedLogPath + `":level=32 ` + transcoder.ffmpegPath + ` -hide_banner -loglevel warning -hwaccel vaapi -hwaccel_output_format vaapi -vaapi_device /dev/dri/renderD128 -fflags +genpts -flags +cgop -i  fakecontent.flv  -map v:0 -c:v:0 h264_vaapi -b:v:0 1008k -maxrate:v:0 1088k -g:v:0 90 -keyint_min:v:0 90 -r:v:0 30 -compression_level 0 -map a:0? -c:a:0 copy -map v:0 -c:v:1 h264_vaapi -b:v:1 3308k -maxrate:v:1 3572k -g:v:1 72 -keyint_min:v:1 72 -r:v:1 24 -compression_level 0 -map a:0? -c:a:1 copy -map v:0 -c:v:2 copy -map a:0? -c:a:2 copy  -var_stream_map "v:0,a:0 v:1,a:1 v:2,a:2 " -f hls -hls_time 3 -hls_list_size 10 -hls_flags program_date_time+independent_segments+omit_endlist  -segment_format_options mpegts_flags=mpegts_copyts=1  -pix_fmt vaapi -sc_threshold 0 -master_pl_name stream.m3u8 -hls_segment_filename http://127.0.0.1:8123/%v/stream-jdofFGg-%d.ts -max_muxing_queue_size 400 -method PUT http://127.0.0.1:8123/%v/stream.m3u8`
 
 	if cmd != expected {
 		t.Errorf("ffmpeg command does not match expected.\nGot %s\n, want: %s", cmd, expected)