diff --git a/pkg/rtc/mediatrack.go b/pkg/rtc/mediatrack.go
index 266616e1b..1bdf69e47 100644
--- a/pkg/rtc/mediatrack.go
+++ b/pkg/rtc/mediatrack.go
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ func NewMediaTrack(params MediaTrackParams, ti *livekit.TrackInfo) *MediaTrack {
 				t.dynacastManager.NotifySubscriberMaxQuality(
 					subscriberID,
 					mimeType,
-					buffer.SpatialLayerToVideoQuality(layer, t.MediaTrackReceiver.TrackInfo()),
+					buffer.GetVideoQualityForSpatialLayer(layer, t.MediaTrackReceiver.TrackInfo()),
 				)
 			},
 		)
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ func (t *MediaTrack) OnSubscribedMaxQualityChange(
 		for _, q := range maxSubscribedQualities {
 			receiver := t.Receiver(q.CodecMime)
 			if receiver != nil {
-				receiver.SetMaxExpectedSpatialLayer(buffer.VideoQualityToSpatialLayer(q.Quality, t.MediaTrackReceiver.TrackInfo()))
+				receiver.SetMaxExpectedSpatialLayer(buffer.GetSpatialLayerForVideoQuality(q.Quality, t.MediaTrackReceiver.TrackInfo()))
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ func (t *MediaTrack) AddReceiver(receiver *webrtc.RTPReceiver, track sfu.TrackRe
 	t.lock.Lock()
 	var regressCodec bool
 	mimeType := mime.NormalizeMimeType(track.Codec().MimeType)
-	layer := buffer.RidToSpatialLayer(track.RID(), ti, buffer.DefaultVideoLayersRid)
+	layer := buffer.GetSpatialLayerForRid(track.RID(), ti)
 	t.params.Logger.Debugw(
 		"AddReceiver",
 		"rid", track.RID(),
@@ -272,6 +272,17 @@ func (t *MediaTrack) AddReceiver(receiver *webrtc.RTPReceiver, track sfu.TrackRe
 		"codec", track.Codec(),
 		"trackInfo", logger.Proto(ti),
 	)
+	// TODO-REMOVE-AFTER-DEBUG
+	if layer < 0 {
+		t.params.Logger.Infow(
+			"negative layer AddReceiver",
+			"rid", track.RID(),
+			"layer", layer,
+			"ssrc", track.SSRC(),
+			"codec", track.Codec(),
+			"trackInfo", logger.Proto(ti),
+		)
+	}
 	wr := t.MediaTrackReceiver.Receiver(mimeType)
 	if wr == nil {
 		priority := -1
diff --git a/pkg/rtc/mediatrackreceiver.go b/pkg/rtc/mediatrackreceiver.go
index b32b6a3a2..a63386af1 100644
--- a/pkg/rtc/mediatrackreceiver.go
+++ b/pkg/rtc/mediatrackreceiver.go
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ func NewMediaTrackReceiver(params MediaTrackReceiverParams, ti *livekit.TrackInf
 }
 
 func (t *MediaTrackReceiver) Restart() {
-	hq := buffer.VideoQualityToSpatialLayer(livekit.VideoQuality_HIGH, t.TrackInfo())
+	hq := buffer.GetSpatialLayerForVideoQuality(livekit.VideoQuality_HIGH, t.TrackInfo())
 
 	for _, receiver := range t.loadReceivers() {
 		receiver.SetMaxExpectedSpatialLayer(hq)
@@ -671,12 +671,12 @@ func (t *MediaTrackReceiver) updateTrackInfoOfReceivers() {
 func (t *MediaTrackReceiver) SetLayerSsrc(mimeType mime.MimeType, rid string, ssrc uint32) {
 	t.lock.Lock()
 	trackInfo := t.TrackInfoClone()
-	layer := buffer.RidToSpatialLayer(rid, trackInfo, buffer.DefaultVideoLayersRid)
+	layer := buffer.GetSpatialLayerForRid(rid, trackInfo)
 	if layer == buffer.InvalidLayerSpatial {
 		// non-simulcast case will not have `rid`
 		layer = 0
 	}
-	quality := buffer.SpatialLayerToVideoQuality(layer, trackInfo)
+	quality := buffer.GetVideoQualityForSpatialLayer(layer, trackInfo)
 	// set video layer ssrc info
 	for i, ci := range trackInfo.Codecs {
 		if mime.NormalizeMimeType(ci.MimeType) != mimeType {
@@ -846,7 +846,7 @@ func (t *MediaTrackReceiver) TrackInfoClone() *livekit.TrackInfo {
 
 func (t *MediaTrackReceiver) NotifyMaxLayerChange(maxLayer int32) {
 	trackInfo := t.TrackInfo()
-	quality := buffer.SpatialLayerToVideoQuality(maxLayer, trackInfo)
+	quality := buffer.GetVideoQualityForSpatialLayer(maxLayer, trackInfo)
 	ti := &livekit.TrackInfo{
 		Sid:    trackInfo.Sid,
 		Type:   trackInfo.Type,
diff --git a/pkg/rtc/mediatracksubscriptions.go b/pkg/rtc/mediatracksubscriptions.go
index 6c66fd238..94ee24688 100644
--- a/pkg/rtc/mediatracksubscriptions.go
+++ b/pkg/rtc/mediatracksubscriptions.go
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ func (t *MediaTrackSubscriptions) AddSubscriber(sub types.LocalParticipant, wr *
 		if !wr.DetermineReceiver(codec) {
 			if t.onSubscriberMaxQualityChange != nil {
 				go func() {
-					spatial := buffer.VideoQualityToSpatialLayer(livekit.VideoQuality_HIGH, t.params.MediaTrack.ToProto())
+					spatial := buffer.GetSpatialLayerForVideoQuality(livekit.VideoQuality_HIGH, t.params.MediaTrack.ToProto())
 					t.onSubscriberMaxQualityChange(downTrack.SubscriberID(), mime.NormalizeMimeType(codec.MimeType), spatial)
 				}()
 			}
diff --git a/pkg/rtc/participant.go b/pkg/rtc/participant.go
index 9703e743d..10445fe53 100644
--- a/pkg/rtc/participant.go
+++ b/pkg/rtc/participant.go
@@ -1140,7 +1140,7 @@ func (p *ParticipantImpl) handleMigrateTracks() []*MediaTrack {
 			p.pubLogger.Warnw("too many pending migrated tracks", nil, "trackID", pti.trackInfos[0].Sid, "count", len(pti.trackInfos), "cid", cid)
 		}
 
-		mt := p.addMigratedTrack(cid, pti.trackInfos[0], pti.sdpRids)
+		mt := p.addMigratedTrack(cid, pti.trackInfos[0])
 		if mt != nil {
 			addedTracks = append(addedTracks, mt)
 		} else {
@@ -2843,7 +2843,7 @@ func (p *ParticipantImpl) mediaTrackReceived(track sfu.TrackRemote, rtpReceiver
 			}
 		}
 
-		mt = p.addMediaTrack(signalCid, track.ID(), ti, sdpRids)
+		mt = p.addMediaTrack(signalCid, track.ID(), ti)
 		newTrack = true
 
 		// if the addTrackRequest is sent before participant active then it means the client tries to publish
@@ -2891,7 +2891,7 @@ func (p *ParticipantImpl) mediaTrackReceived(track sfu.TrackRemote, rtpReceiver
 	return mt, newTrack
 }
 
-func (p *ParticipantImpl) addMigratedTrack(cid string, ti *livekit.TrackInfo, sdpRids buffer.VideoLayersRid) *MediaTrack {
+func (p *ParticipantImpl) addMigratedTrack(cid string, ti *livekit.TrackInfo) *MediaTrack {
 	p.pubLogger.Infow("add migrated track", "cid", cid, "trackID", ti.Sid, "track", logger.Proto(ti))
 	rtpReceiver := p.TransportManager.GetPublisherRTPReceiver(ti.Mid)
 	if rtpReceiver == nil {
@@ -2899,7 +2899,7 @@ func (p *ParticipantImpl) addMigratedTrack(cid string, ti *livekit.TrackInfo, sd
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	mt := p.addMediaTrack(cid, cid, ti, sdpRids)
+	mt := p.addMediaTrack(cid, cid, ti)
 
 	potentialCodecs := make([]webrtc.RTPCodecParameters, 0, len(ti.Codecs))
 	parameters := rtpReceiver.GetParameters()
@@ -2944,7 +2944,7 @@ func (p *ParticipantImpl) addMigratedTrack(cid string, ti *livekit.TrackInfo, sd
 	return mt
 }
 
-func (p *ParticipantImpl) addMediaTrack(signalCid string, sdpCid string, ti *livekit.TrackInfo, sdpRids buffer.VideoLayersRid) *MediaTrack {
+func (p *ParticipantImpl) addMediaTrack(signalCid string, sdpCid string, ti *livekit.TrackInfo) *MediaTrack {
 	mt := NewMediaTrack(MediaTrackParams{
 		SignalCid:             signalCid,
 		SdpCid:                sdpCid,
diff --git a/pkg/rtc/subscribedtrack.go b/pkg/rtc/subscribedtrack.go
index a45f4e177..35f0b4e85 100644
--- a/pkg/rtc/subscribedtrack.go
+++ b/pkg/rtc/subscribedtrack.go
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ func (t *SubscribedTrack) applySettings() {
 			quality = mt.GetQualityForDimension(t.settings.Width, t.settings.Height)
 		}
 
-		spatial = buffer.VideoQualityToSpatialLayer(quality, mt.ToProto())
+		spatial = buffer.GetSpatialLayerForVideoQuality(quality, mt.ToProto())
 		if t.settings.Fps > 0 {
 			temporal = mt.GetTemporalLayerForSpatialFps(spatial, t.settings.Fps, dt.Mime())
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/sfu/buffer/videolayerutils.go b/pkg/sfu/buffer/videolayerutils.go
index 1b6b3ff2e..4fafc7847 100644
--- a/pkg/sfu/buffer/videolayerutils.go
+++ b/pkg/sfu/buffer/videolayerutils.go
@@ -348,11 +348,8 @@ func GetSpatialLayerForRid(rid string, ti *livekit.TrackInfo) int32 {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if len(ti.Layers) == 1 {
-		// single layer without RID
-		return 0
-	} else if len(ti.Layers) > 1 {
-		// RID present in codec, but not specified via signalling
+	if len(ti.Layers) != 0 {
+		// RID present in codec, but may not be specified via signalling
 		// (happens with older browsers setting a rid for SVC codecs)
 		hasRid := false
 		for _, layer := range ti.Layers {
diff --git a/pkg/sfu/buffer/videolayerutils_test.go b/pkg/sfu/buffer/videolayerutils_test.go
index b4f545144..08b1bbad0 100644
--- a/pkg/sfu/buffer/videolayerutils_test.go
+++ b/pkg/sfu/buffer/videolayerutils_test.go
@@ -499,6 +499,20 @@ func TestGetSpatialLayerForRid(t *testing.T) {
 				FullResolution:    InvalidLayerSpatial,
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			"layers - no rid",
+			&livekit.TrackInfo{
+				Layers: []*livekit.VideoLayer{
+					{Quality: livekit.VideoQuality_LOW, SpatialLayer: 0},
+					{Quality: livekit.VideoQuality_MEDIUM, SpatialLayer: 1},
+				},
+			},
+			map[string]int32{
+				QuarterResolution: 0,
+				HalfResolution:    0,
+				FullResolution:    0,
+			},
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, test := range tests {
diff --git a/pkg/sfu/receiver.go b/pkg/sfu/receiver.go
index 1d27b97c0..f4cbd1a9b 100644
--- a/pkg/sfu/receiver.go
+++ b/pkg/sfu/receiver.go
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ func (w *WebRTCReceiver) AddUpTrack(track TrackRemote, buff *buffer.Buffer) erro
 
 	layer := int32(0)
 	if w.Kind() == webrtc.RTPCodecTypeVideo && !w.isSVC {
-		layer = buffer.RidToSpatialLayer(track.RID(), w.trackInfo.Load(), buffer.DefaultVideoLayersRid)
+		layer = buffer.GetSpatialLayerForRid(track.RID(), w.trackInfo.Load())
 	}
 	if layer < 0 {
 		w.logger.Warnw(
@@ -499,8 +499,7 @@ func (w *WebRTCReceiver) notifyMaxExpectedLayer(layer int32) {
 
 	expectedBitrate := int64(0)
 	for _, vl := range ti.Layers {
-		l := buffer.VideoQualityToSpatialLayer(vl.Quality, ti)
-		if l <= layer {
+		if vl.SpatialLayer <= layer {
 			expectedBitrate += int64(vl.Bitrate)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/sfu/streamtrackermanager.go b/pkg/sfu/streamtrackermanager.go
index e0ffca67e..0258508ab 100644
--- a/pkg/sfu/streamtrackermanager.go
+++ b/pkg/sfu/streamtrackermanager.go
@@ -597,8 +597,7 @@ func (s *StreamTrackerManager) maxExpectedLayerFromTrackInfoLocked() {
 	ti := s.trackInfo.Load()
 	if ti != nil {
 		for _, layer := range ti.Layers {
-			spatialLayer := buffer.VideoQualityToSpatialLayer(layer.Quality, ti)
-			if spatialLayer > s.maxExpectedLayer {
+			if layer.SpatialLayer > s.maxExpectedLayer {
 				s.maxExpectedLayer = layer.SpatialLayer
 			}
 		}