diff --git a/hlsvod/transcode.go b/hlsvod/transcode.go
index 1b04b00..12eb935 100644
--- a/hlsvod/transcode.go
+++ b/hlsvod/transcode.go
@@ -6,5 +6,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
+	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"path"
 	"strings"
@@ -56,6 +57,16 @@ func TranscodeSegments(ctx context.Context, ffmpegBinary string, config Transcod
 		}...)
 	}
 
+	// Decode and filter on the GPU when a VAAPI render device is configured.
+	// This is opt-in so upstream's software behavior remains available.
+	vaapiDevice := os.Getenv("TRANSCODE_VAAPI_DEVICE")
+	if vaapiDevice != "" {
+		args = append(args, []string{
+			"-init_hw_device", "vaapi=va:" + vaapiDevice,
+			"-filter_hw_device", "va", "-hwaccel", "vaapi", "-hwaccel_output_format", "vaapi",
+		}...)
+	}
+
 	// Input specs
 	args = append(args, []string{
 		"-i", config.InputFilePath, // Input file
@@ -79,17 +89,26 @@ func TranscodeSegments(ctx context.Context, ffmpegBinary string, config Transcod
 		if profile.Width >= profile.Height {
 			scale = fmt.Sprintf("scale=-2:%d", profile.Height)
 		} else {
 			scale = fmt.Sprintf("scale=%d:-2", profile.Width)
 		}
 
-		args = append(args, []string{
-			"-vf", scale,
-			"-c:v", "libx264",
-			"-preset", "faster",
-			"-profile:v", "high",
-			"-level:v", "4.0",
-			"-b:v", fmt.Sprintf("%dk", profile.Bitrate),
-		}...)
+		if vaapiDevice != "" {
+			if profile.Width >= profile.Height {
+				scale = fmt.Sprintf("scale_vaapi=w=-2:h=%d:format=nv12", profile.Height)
+			} else {
+				scale = fmt.Sprintf("scale_vaapi=w=%d:h=-2:format=nv12", profile.Width)
+			}
+			args = append(args, []string{
+				"-vf", scale, "-c:v", "h264_vaapi", "-profile:v", "high",
+				"-level:v", "4.0", "-b:v", fmt.Sprintf("%dk", profile.Bitrate),
+			}...)
+		} else {
+			args = append(args, []string{
+				"-vf", scale, "-c:v", "libx264", "-preset", "faster",
+				"-profile:v", "high", "-level:v", "4.0",
+				"-b:v", fmt.Sprintf("%dk", profile.Bitrate),
+			}...)
+		}
 	}
 
 	// Audio specs