diff --git a/modules/video_coding/codecs/av1/av1_svc_config.cc b/modules/video_coding/codecs/av1/av1_svc_config.cc
index 43dcf96ab7..c480737096 100644
--- a/modules/video_coding/codecs/av1/av1_svc_config.cc
+++ b/modules/video_coding/codecs/av1/av1_svc_config.cc
@@ -23,6 +23,22 @@
 
 namespace webrtc {
 namespace {
+const int kMinAv1SpatialLayerLongSideLength = 240;
+const int kMinAv1SpatialLayerShortSideLength = 135;
+
+int GetLimitedNumSpatialLayers(int width, int height) {
+  const bool is_landscape = width >= height;
+  const int min_width = is_landscape ? kMinAv1SpatialLayerLongSideLength
+                                     : kMinAv1SpatialLayerShortSideLength;
+  const int min_height = is_landscape ? kMinAv1SpatialLayerShortSideLength
+                                      : kMinAv1SpatialLayerLongSideLength;
+  const int num_layers_fit_horz = static_cast<int>(
+      std::floor(1 + std::max(0.0f, std::log2(1.0f * width / min_width))));
+  const int num_layers_fit_vert = static_cast<int>(
+      std::floor(1 + std::max(0.0f, std::log2(1.0f * height / min_height))));
+  return std::min(num_layers_fit_horz, num_layers_fit_vert);
+}
+
 absl::optional<ScalabilityMode> BuildScalabilityMode(int num_temporal_layers,
                                                      int num_spatial_layers) {
   char name[20];
@@ -69,6 +85,16 @@ bool SetAv1SvcConfig(VideoCodec& video_codec,
     }
   }
 
+  if (ScalabilityMode reduced = LimitNumSpatialLayers(
+          *scalability_mode,
+          GetLimitedNumSpatialLayers(video_codec.width, video_codec.height));
+      *scalability_mode != reduced) {
+    RTC_LOG(LS_WARNING) << "Reduced number of spatial layers from "
+                        << ScalabilityModeToString(*scalability_mode) << " to "
+                        << ScalabilityModeToString(reduced);
+    scalability_mode = reduced;
+  }
+
   std::unique_ptr<ScalableVideoController> structure =
       CreateScalabilityStructure(*scalability_mode);
   if (structure == nullptr) {
diff --git a/modules/video_coding/codecs/av1/av1_svc_config_unittest.cc b/modules/video_coding/codecs/av1/av1_svc_config_unittest.cc
index 9f1da9865c..7ba7986f0d 100644
--- a/modules/video_coding/codecs/av1/av1_svc_config_unittest.cc
+++ b/modules/video_coding/codecs/av1/av1_svc_config_unittest.cc
@@ -18,9 +18,16 @@ namespace webrtc {
 namespace {
 constexpr int kDontCare = 0;
 
-TEST(Av1SvcConfigTest, TreatsEmptyAsL1T1) {
+VideoCodec GetDefaultVideoCodec() {
   VideoCodec video_codec;
   video_codec.codecType = kVideoCodecAV1;
+  video_codec.width = 1280;
+  video_codec.height = 720;
+  return video_codec;
+}
+
+TEST(Av1SvcConfigTest, TreatsEmptyAsL1T1) {
+  VideoCodec video_codec = GetDefaultVideoCodec();
 
   EXPECT_TRUE(SetAv1SvcConfig(video_codec, /*num_temporal_layers=*/kDontCare,
                               /*num_spatial_layers=*/kDontCare));
@@ -31,8 +38,7 @@ TEST(Av1SvcConfigTest, TreatsEmptyAsL1T1) {
 }
 
 TEST(Av1SvcConfigTest, ScalabilityModeFromNumberOfTemporalLayers) {
-  VideoCodec video_codec;
-  video_codec.codecType = kVideoCodecAV1;
+  VideoCodec video_codec = GetDefaultVideoCodec();
 
   EXPECT_TRUE(SetAv1SvcConfig(video_codec, /*num_temporal_layers=*/3,
                               /*num_spatial_layers=*/1));
@@ -40,8 +46,7 @@ TEST(Av1SvcConfigTest, ScalabilityModeFromNumberOfTemporalLayers) {
 }
 
 TEST(Av1SvcConfigTest, ScalabilityModeFromNumberOfSpatialLayers) {
-  VideoCodec video_codec;
-  video_codec.codecType = kVideoCodecAV1;
+  VideoCodec video_codec = GetDefaultVideoCodec();
 
   EXPECT_TRUE(SetAv1SvcConfig(video_codec, /*num_temporal_layers=*/3,
                               /*num_spatial_layers=*/2));
@@ -52,8 +57,7 @@ TEST(Av1SvcConfigTest, ScalabilityModeFromNumberOfSpatialLayers) {
 }
 
 TEST(Av1SvcConfigTest, SetsActiveSpatialLayersFromScalabilityMode) {
-  VideoCodec video_codec;
-  video_codec.codecType = kVideoCodecAV1;
+  VideoCodec video_codec = GetDefaultVideoCodec();
   video_codec.SetScalabilityMode(ScalabilityMode::kL2T1);
 
   EXPECT_TRUE(SetAv1SvcConfig(video_codec, /*num_temporal_layers=*/kDontCare,
@@ -98,9 +102,7 @@ TEST(Av1SvcConfigTest, ConfiguresSmallResolutionRatioFromScalabilityMode) {
 }
 
 TEST(Av1SvcConfigTest, CopiesFramrate) {
-  VideoCodec video_codec;
-  video_codec.codecType = kVideoCodecAV1;
-  // h mode uses 1.5:1 ratio
+  VideoCodec video_codec = GetDefaultVideoCodec();
   video_codec.SetScalabilityMode(ScalabilityMode::kL2T1);
   video_codec.maxFramerate = 27;
 
@@ -112,8 +114,7 @@ TEST(Av1SvcConfigTest, CopiesFramrate) {
 }
 
 TEST(Av1SvcConfigTest, SetsNumberOfTemporalLayers) {
-  VideoCodec video_codec;
-  video_codec.codecType = kVideoCodecAV1;
+  VideoCodec video_codec = GetDefaultVideoCodec();
   video_codec.SetScalabilityMode(ScalabilityMode::kL1T3);
 
   EXPECT_TRUE(SetAv1SvcConfig(video_codec, /*num_temporal_layers=*/kDontCare,
@@ -141,8 +142,7 @@ TEST(Av1SvcConfigTest, CopiesMinMaxBitrateForSingleSpatialLayer) {
 }
 
 TEST(Av1SvcConfigTest, SetsBitratesForMultipleSpatialLayers) {
-  VideoCodec video_codec;
-  video_codec.codecType = kVideoCodecAV1;
+  VideoCodec video_codec = GetDefaultVideoCodec();
   video_codec.SetScalabilityMode(ScalabilityMode::kL3T3);
 
   EXPECT_TRUE(SetAv1SvcConfig(video_codec, /*num_temporal_layers=*/kDontCare,
@@ -167,5 +167,17 @@ TEST(Av1SvcConfigTest, SetsBitratesForMultipleSpatialLayers) {
             video_codec.spatialLayers[2].maxBitrate);
 }
 
+TEST(Av1SvcConfigTest, ReduceSpatialLayersOnInsufficentInputResolution) {
+  VideoCodec video_codec = GetDefaultVideoCodec();
+  video_codec.width = 640;
+  video_codec.height = 360;
+  video_codec.SetScalabilityMode(ScalabilityMode::kL3T3);
+
+  EXPECT_TRUE(SetAv1SvcConfig(video_codec, /*num_temporal_layers=*/kDontCare,
+                              /*num_spatial_layers=*/kDontCare));
+
+  EXPECT_EQ(*video_codec.GetScalabilityMode(), ScalabilityMode::kL2T3);
+}
+
 }  // namespace
 }  // namespace webrtc