In one example, an apparatus for coding video data comprises a video coder configured to, for a parallel motion estimation (PME) region comprising a plurality of blocks of video data within the PME region, identify a common set of spatial candidate blocks outside of and adjacent to the PME region, each of the common set of spatial candidate blocks at a respective, predefined location relative to the PME region and, for each of the blocks within the PME region for which motion information prediction is performed, generate a respective motion information candidate list, wherein, for at least some of the blocks within the PME region for which motion information prediction is performed, generating the motion information candidate list comprises evaluating motion information of at least one of the common set of spatial candidate blocks for inclusion in the motion information candidate list for the block.