diff --git a/webrtc/build/common.gypi b/webrtc/build/common.gypi
index 14f7e9a4a3..d483f24a53 100644
--- a/webrtc/build/common.gypi
+++ b/webrtc/build/common.gypi
@@ -137,16 +137,14 @@
     # Enabling this may break interop with Android clients that support H264.
     'use_objc_h264%': 0,
 
-    # Enable this to build H.264 encoder/decoder using third party libraries.
-    # Encoding uses OpenH264 and decoding uses FFmpeg. Because of this, OpenH264
-    # and FFmpeg have to be correctly enabled separately.
-    # - use_openh264=1 is required for OpenH264 targets to be defined.
-    # - ffmpeg_branding=Chrome is one way to support H.264 decoding in FFmpeg.
-    #   FFmpeg can be built with/without H.264 support, see 'ffmpeg_branding'.
-    #   Without it, it compiles but H264DecoderImpl fails to initialize.
+    # Enable this to build OpenH264 encoder/FFmpeg decoder. This is supported on
+    # all platforms except iOS. Because FFmpeg can be built with/without H.264
+    # support, |ffmpeg_branding| has to separately be set to a value that
+    # includes H.264, for example "Chrome". If FFmpeg is built without H.264,
+    # compilation succeeds but |H264DecoderImpl| fails to initialize.
     # CHECK THE OPENH264, FFMPEG AND H.264 LICENSES/PATENTS BEFORE BUILDING.
     # http://www.openh264.org, https://www.ffmpeg.org/
-    'use_third_party_h264%': 0,  # TODO(hbos): To be used in follow-up CL(s).
+    'rtc_use_h264%': 0,  # TODO(hbos): enc/dec in follow up CL(s).
 
     'conditions': [
       ['build_with_chromium==1', {
diff --git a/webrtc/build/webrtc.gni b/webrtc/build/webrtc.gni
index ed8894f3c9..f76aa36508 100644
--- a/webrtc/build/webrtc.gni
+++ b/webrtc/build/webrtc.gni
@@ -91,16 +91,14 @@ declare_args() {
   # Enabling this may break interop with Android clients that support H264.
   rtc_use_objc_h264 = false
 
-  # Enable this to build H.264 encoder/decoder using third party libraries.
-  # Encoding uses OpenH264 and decoding uses FFmpeg. Because of this, OpenH264
-  # and FFmpeg have to be correctly enabled separately.
-  # - use_openh264=true is required for OpenH264 targets to be defined.
-  # - ffmpeg_branding="Chrome" is one way to support H.264 decoding in FFmpeg.
-  #   FFmpeg can be built with/without H.264 support, see 'ffmpeg_branding'.
-  #   Without it, it compiles but H264DecoderImpl fails to initialize.
+  # Enable this to build OpenH264 encoder/FFmpeg decoder. This is supported on
+  # all platforms except iOS. Because FFmpeg can be built with/without H.264
+  # support, |ffmpeg_branding| has to separately be set to a value that
+  # includes H.264, for example "Chrome". If FFmpeg is built without H.264,
+  # compilation succeeds but |H264DecoderImpl| fails to initialize.
   # CHECK THE OPENH264, FFMPEG AND H.264 LICENSES/PATENTS BEFORE BUILDING.
   # http://www.openh264.org, https://www.ffmpeg.org/
-  use_third_party_h264 = false  # TODO(hbos): To be used in follow-up CL(s).
+  rtc_use_h264 = false  # TODO(hbos): enc/dec in follow up CL(s).
 }
 
 # A second declare_args block, so that declarations within it can
diff --git a/webrtc/modules/video_coding/BUILD.gn b/webrtc/modules/video_coding/BUILD.gn
index 32ac627ed2..74d1979599 100644
--- a/webrtc/modules/video_coding/BUILD.gn
+++ b/webrtc/modules/video_coding/BUILD.gn
@@ -137,12 +137,11 @@ source_set("webrtc_h264") {
     "../../system_wrappers",
   ]
 
-  if (use_third_party_h264) {
-    # Dependency added so that variables use_openh264 and ffmpeg_branding are
-    # recognized build arguments (avoid "Build argument has no effect" error).
-    # The variables and dependencies will be used for real as soon as
-    # https://codereview.webrtc.org/1306813009/ lands. In the meantime, the
-    # build arguments are to be used by waterfall/trybots.
+  if (rtc_use_h264) {
+    # Dependency for sake of compiling and so that variables use_openh264 and
+    # ffmpeg_branding are recognized build arguments (avoid "Build argument has
+    # no effect" error). The variables and dependencies will be used for real as
+    # soon as https://codereview.webrtc.org/1306813009/ lands.
     deps += [
       "//third_party/ffmpeg:ffmpeg",
       "//third_party/openh264:encoder",
diff --git a/webrtc/modules/video_coding/codecs/h264/h264.gypi b/webrtc/modules/video_coding/codecs/h264/h264.gypi
index a20865c3aa..e0c32de0f8 100644
--- a/webrtc/modules/video_coding/codecs/h264/h264.gypi
+++ b/webrtc/modules/video_coding/codecs/h264/h264.gypi
@@ -23,6 +23,14 @@
             'h264_objc.mm',
           ],
         }],
+        ['rtc_use_h264==1', {
+          # Dependency for sake of compiling The dependencies will be used for
+          # real as soon as https://codereview.webrtc.org/1306813009/ lands.
+          'dependencies': [
+            '<(DEPTH)/third_party/ffmpeg/ffmpeg.gyp:ffmpeg',
+            '<(DEPTH)/third_party/openh264/openh264.gyp:openh264_encoder',
+          ],
+        }],
       ],
       'sources': [
         'h264.cc',