diff --git a/libavcodec/avcodec.h b/libavcodec/avcodec.h
index 04617fecac4246bc1526f2a73e6ec942d31b142d..4e1c877219bd33a69f624106059f245dc49d2efb 100644
--- a/libavcodec/avcodec.h
+++ b/libavcodec/avcodec.h
@@ -1938,12 +1938,13 @@ typedef struct AVCodecContext {
      */
     int mb_lmax;
 
+#if FF_API_PRIVATE_OPT
     /**
-     *
-     * - encoding: Set by user.
-     * - decoding: unused
+     * @deprecated use encoder private options instead
      */
+    attribute_deprecated
     int me_penalty_compensation;
+#endif
 
     /**
      *
diff --git a/libavcodec/mpegvideo.h b/libavcodec/mpegvideo.h
index e7914fd0548ab1f1d85bac7ce9a9c535596a6952..7c1b48afb8a41ff9c6f421187e4858e1eea3e359 100644
--- a/libavcodec/mpegvideo.h
+++ b/libavcodec/mpegvideo.h
@@ -250,6 +250,7 @@ typedef struct MpegEncContext {
     int me_method;                       ///< ME algorithm
 #endif
     int motion_est;                      ///< ME algorithm
+    int me_penalty_compensation;
     int mv_dir;
 #define MV_DIR_FORWARD   1
 #define MV_DIR_BACKWARD  2
@@ -616,6 +617,7 @@ FF_MPV_OPT_CMP_FUNC, \
 {"noise_reduction", "Noise reduction",                              FF_MPV_OFFSET(noise_reduction), AV_OPT_TYPE_INT, {.i64 = 0 }, INT_MIN, INT_MAX, FF_MPV_OPT_FLAGS }, \
 {"mpeg_quant", "Use MPEG quantizers instead of H.263",              FF_MPV_OFFSET(mpeg_quant), AV_OPT_TYPE_INT, {.i64 = 0 }, 0, 1, FF_MPV_OPT_FLAGS }, \
 {"ps", "RTP payload size in bytes",                             FF_MPV_OFFSET(rtp_payload_size), AV_OPT_TYPE_INT, {.i64 = 0 }, INT_MIN, INT_MAX, FF_MPV_OPT_FLAGS }, \
+{"mepc", "Motion estimation bitrate penalty compensation (1.0 = 256)", FF_MPV_OFFSET(me_penalty_compensation), AV_OPT_TYPE_INT, {.i64 = 256 }, INT_MIN, INT_MAX, FF_MPV_OPT_FLAGS }, \
 
 extern const AVOption ff_mpv_generic_options[];
 
diff --git a/libavcodec/mpegvideo_enc.c b/libavcodec/mpegvideo_enc.c
index 599cd065fa37fd2c984a19e8dcd4c6d884f75ac6..213367a84efc7beea2d7714d8c1abbf5598cf91e 100644
--- a/libavcodec/mpegvideo_enc.c
+++ b/libavcodec/mpegvideo_enc.c
@@ -298,6 +298,8 @@ av_cold int ff_mpv_encode_init(AVCodecContext *avctx)
 FF_DISABLE_DEPRECATION_WARNINGS
     if (avctx->rtp_payload_size)
         s->rtp_payload_size = avctx->rtp_payload_size;
+    if (avctx->me_penalty_compensation)
+        s->me_penalty_compensation = avctx->me_penalty_compensation;
 FF_ENABLE_DEPRECATION_WARNINGS
 #endif
 
@@ -3460,8 +3462,8 @@ static int encode_picture(MpegEncContext *s, int picture_number)
 
     /* Estimate motion for every MB */
     if(s->pict_type != AV_PICTURE_TYPE_I){
-        s->lambda = (s->lambda * s->avctx->me_penalty_compensation + 128)>>8;
-        s->lambda2= (s->lambda2* (int64_t)s->avctx->me_penalty_compensation + 128)>>8;
+        s->lambda  = (s->lambda  * s->me_penalty_compensation + 128) >> 8;
+        s->lambda2 = (s->lambda2 * (int64_t) s->me_penalty_compensation + 128) >> 8;
         if (s->pict_type != AV_PICTURE_TYPE_B) {
             if((s->avctx->pre_me && s->last_non_b_pict_type==AV_PICTURE_TYPE_I) || s->avctx->pre_me==2){
                 s->avctx->execute(s->avctx, pre_estimate_motion_thread, &s->thread_context[0], NULL, context_count, sizeof(void*));
diff --git a/libavcodec/options_table.h b/libavcodec/options_table.h
index 11063176db7cabab4c352b0886210a64e0ffc8fb..fbf0967f31053d710e4e032b708d48b12292bb33 100644
--- a/libavcodec/options_table.h
+++ b/libavcodec/options_table.h
@@ -384,7 +384,9 @@ static const AVOption avcodec_options[] = {
 #endif
 {"mblmin", "minimum macroblock Lagrange factor (VBR)", OFFSET(mb_lmin), AV_OPT_TYPE_INT, {.i64 = FF_QP2LAMBDA * 2 }, 1, FF_LAMBDA_MAX, V|E},
 {"mblmax", "maximum macroblock Lagrange factor (VBR)", OFFSET(mb_lmax), AV_OPT_TYPE_INT, {.i64 = FF_QP2LAMBDA * 31 }, 1, FF_LAMBDA_MAX, V|E},
+#if FF_API_PRIVATE_OPT
 {"mepc", "motion estimation bitrate penalty compensation (1.0 = 256)", OFFSET(me_penalty_compensation), AV_OPT_TYPE_INT, {.i64 = 256 }, INT_MIN, INT_MAX, V|E},
+#endif
 {"skip_loop_filter", NULL, OFFSET(skip_loop_filter), AV_OPT_TYPE_INT, {.i64 = AVDISCARD_DEFAULT }, INT_MIN, INT_MAX, V|D, "avdiscard"},
 {"skip_idct"       , NULL, OFFSET(skip_idct)       , AV_OPT_TYPE_INT, {.i64 = AVDISCARD_DEFAULT }, INT_MIN, INT_MAX, V|D, "avdiscard"},
 {"skip_frame"      , NULL, OFFSET(skip_frame)      , AV_OPT_TYPE_INT, {.i64 = AVDISCARD_DEFAULT }, INT_MIN, INT_MAX, V|D, "avdiscard"},