diff --git a/modules/optflow/src/rlofflow.cpp b/modules/optflow/src/rlofflow.cpp
index e9c4b129713..8ed29243277 100644
--- a/modules/optflow/src/rlofflow.cpp
+++ b/modules/optflow/src/rlofflow.cpp
@@ -408,8 +408,13 @@ class SparseRLOFOpticalFlowImpl : public SparseRLOFOpticalFlow
         cv::Mat(1,npoints , CV_32FC2, &nextPoints[0]).copyTo(nextPtsMat);
         if (forwardBackwardThreshold > 0)
         {
+            // use temp variable to properly initialize refPoints
+            // inside 'calcLocalOpticalFlow' when 'use_init_flow' and 'fwd_bwd_thresh' parameters are used
+            bool temp_param = param->getUseInitialFlow();
+            param->setUseInitialFlow(false);
             // reuse image pyramids
             calcLocalOpticalFlow(nextImage, prevImage, currPyramid, prevPyramid, nextPoints, refPoints, *(param.get()));
+            param->setUseInitialFlow(temp_param);
         }
         for (unsigned int r = 0; r < refPoints.size(); r++)
         {