A video coding mechanism is disclosed. The mechanism includes receiving a bitstream comprising a current picture and a reference picture list syntax structure (ref_pic_list_struct( )) comprising a number of reference entries (num_ref_entries) constrained to a range of zero to a maximum decoded picture buffer size plus an offset. The current picture is decoded based on the ref_pic_list_struct( ) to produce a decoded picture. The decoded picture is forwarded for display as part of a decoded video sequence.