diff --git a/libraries/common/src/main/java/androidx/media3/common/C.java b/libraries/common/src/main/java/androidx/media3/common/C.java
index d69a757a22..5f243a3b93 100644
--- a/libraries/common/src/main/java/androidx/media3/common/C.java
+++ b/libraries/common/src/main/java/androidx/media3/common/C.java
@@ -1036,12 +1036,6 @@ public final class C {
   /** See {@link MediaFormat#COLOR_RANGE_FULL}. */
   @UnstableApi public static final int COLOR_RANGE_FULL = MediaFormat.COLOR_RANGE_FULL;
 
-  /**
-   * Represents applying no limit to the number of input frames a {@link MediaCodec} encoder
-   * accepts.
-   */
-  @UnstableApi public static final int UNLIMITED_PENDING_FRAME_COUNT = Integer.MAX_VALUE;
-
   /** Video projection types. */
   @UnstableApi
   @Documented
diff --git a/libraries/common/src/main/java/androidx/media3/common/util/Util.java b/libraries/common/src/main/java/androidx/media3/common/util/Util.java
index 24f48712d0..f23376e063 100644
--- a/libraries/common/src/main/java/androidx/media3/common/util/Util.java
+++ b/libraries/common/src/main/java/androidx/media3/common/util/Util.java
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 package androidx.media3.common.util;
 
 import static android.content.Context.UI_MODE_SERVICE;
-import static androidx.media3.common.C.UNLIMITED_PENDING_FRAME_COUNT;
 import static androidx.media3.common.Player.COMMAND_PLAY_PAUSE;
 import static androidx.media3.common.Player.COMMAND_PREPARE;
 import static androidx.media3.common.Player.COMMAND_SEEK_BACK;
@@ -2809,25 +2808,20 @@ public final class Util {
       // TODO(b/226330223): Investigate increasing this limit.
       return 1;
     }
-    if (Ascii.toUpperCase(codecName).startsWith("OMX.")) {
-      // Some OMX decoders don't correctly track their number of output buffers available, and get
-      // stuck if too many frames are rendered without being processed, so limit the number of
-      // pending frames to avoid getting stuck. This value is experimentally determined. See also
-      // b/213455700, b/230097284, b/229978305, and b/245491744.
-      //
-      // OMX video codecs should no longer exist from android.os.Build.DEVICE_INITIAL_SDK_INT 31+.
-      return 5;
-    }
-    if (requestedHdrToneMapping && codecName.equals("c2.qti.hevc.decoder")) {
-      // This decoder drops frames if too many frames are rendered without being processed when
-      // tone-mapping HDR. This value is experimentally determined. See also b/260408846.
-      // TODO(b/260713009): Add API version check after bug is fixed on new API versions.
-      return 12;
-    }
-
-    // Otherwise don't limit the number of frames that can be pending at a time, to maximize
-    // throughput.
-    return UNLIMITED_PENDING_FRAME_COUNT;
+    // Limit the maximum amount of frames for all decoders. This is a tentative value that should be
+    // large enough to avoid significant performance degradation, but small enough to bypass decoder
+    // issues.
+    //
+    // TODO: b/278234847 - Evaluate whether this reduces decoder timeouts, and consider restoring
+    // prior higher limits as appropriate.
+    //
+    // Some OMX decoders don't correctly track their number of output buffers available, and get
+    // stuck if too many frames are rendered without being processed. This value is experimentally
+    // determined. See also
+    // b/213455700, b/230097284, b/229978305, and b/245491744.
+    //
+    // OMX video codecs should no longer exist from android.os.Build.DEVICE_INITIAL_SDK_INT 31+.
+    return 5;
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/libraries/transformer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/transformer/Codec.java b/libraries/transformer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/transformer/Codec.java
index 78f741318d..d0134c48f2 100644
--- a/libraries/transformer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/transformer/Codec.java
+++ b/libraries/transformer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/transformer/Codec.java
@@ -132,10 +132,10 @@ public interface Codec {
 
   /**
    * Returns the maximum number of frames that may be pending in the output {@code Codec} at a time,
-   * or {@link C#UNLIMITED_PENDING_FRAME_COUNT} if it's not necessary to enforce a limit.
+   * or {@code 5} as a default value.
    */
   default int getMaxPendingFrameCount() {
-    return C.UNLIMITED_PENDING_FRAME_COUNT;
+    return 5;
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/libraries/transformer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/transformer/ExoAssetLoaderVideoRenderer.java b/libraries/transformer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/transformer/ExoAssetLoaderVideoRenderer.java
index 2e982883b4..0b6d36b53a 100644
--- a/libraries/transformer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/transformer/ExoAssetLoaderVideoRenderer.java
+++ b/libraries/transformer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/transformer/ExoAssetLoaderVideoRenderer.java
@@ -147,8 +147,7 @@ import org.checkerframework.checker.nullness.qual.RequiresNonNull;
       return true;
     }
 
-    if (maxDecoderPendingFrameCount != C.UNLIMITED_PENDING_FRAME_COUNT
-        && sampleConsumer.getPendingVideoFrameCount() == maxDecoderPendingFrameCount) {
+    if (sampleConsumer.getPendingVideoFrameCount() == maxDecoderPendingFrameCount) {
       return false;
     }