diff --git a/deeplabcut/pose_estimation_pytorch/config/rtmpose/rtmpose_m.yaml b/deeplabcut/pose_estimation_pytorch/config/rtmpose/rtmpose_m.yaml
index d2ed3ae52e..23424451e1 100644
--- a/deeplabcut/pose_estimation_pytorch/config/rtmpose/rtmpose_m.yaml
+++ b/deeplabcut/pose_estimation_pytorch/config/rtmpose/rtmpose_m.yaml
@@ -51,6 +51,8 @@ model:
         simcc_split_ratio: 2.0
         sigma: [5.66, 5.66]
         decode_beta: 150.0
+        apply_softmax: true
+        normalize_outputs: false
       input_size: [256, 256]
       in_channels: 768
       out_channels: "num_bodyparts"
diff --git a/deeplabcut/pose_estimation_pytorch/config/rtmpose/rtmpose_s.yaml b/deeplabcut/pose_estimation_pytorch/config/rtmpose/rtmpose_s.yaml
index 463e104654..62c5fc1cac 100644
--- a/deeplabcut/pose_estimation_pytorch/config/rtmpose/rtmpose_s.yaml
+++ b/deeplabcut/pose_estimation_pytorch/config/rtmpose/rtmpose_s.yaml
@@ -51,6 +51,8 @@ model:
         simcc_split_ratio: 2.0
         sigma: [5.66, 5.66]
         decode_beta: 150.0
+        apply_softmax: true
+        normalize_outputs: false
       input_size: [256, 256]
       in_channels: 512
       out_channels: "num_bodyparts"
diff --git a/deeplabcut/pose_estimation_pytorch/config/rtmpose/rtmpose_x.yaml b/deeplabcut/pose_estimation_pytorch/config/rtmpose/rtmpose_x.yaml
index f1d6f61e67..fde7a4da53 100644
--- a/deeplabcut/pose_estimation_pytorch/config/rtmpose/rtmpose_x.yaml
+++ b/deeplabcut/pose_estimation_pytorch/config/rtmpose/rtmpose_x.yaml
@@ -51,6 +51,8 @@ model:
         simcc_split_ratio: 2.0
         sigma: [6.93, 6.93]
         decode_beta: 150.0
+        apply_softmax: true
+        normalize_outputs: false
       input_size: [384, 384]
       in_channels: 1280
       out_channels: "num_bodyparts"
diff --git a/deeplabcut/pose_estimation_pytorch/models/predictors/sim_cc.py b/deeplabcut/pose_estimation_pytorch/models/predictors/sim_cc.py
index ad53061ccb..b32f2f45dc 100644
--- a/deeplabcut/pose_estimation_pytorch/models/predictors/sim_cc.py
+++ b/deeplabcut/pose_estimation_pytorch/models/predictors/sim_cc.py
@@ -138,7 +138,8 @@ def get_simcc_maximum(
     mask = max_val_x > max_val_y
     max_val_x[mask] = max_val_y[mask]
     vals = max_val_x
-    locs[vals <= 0.0] = -1
+    threshold = 1.0 / simcc_x.shape[-1] if apply_softmax else 0.0
+    locs[vals <= threshold] = -1
 
     if N:
         locs = locs.reshape(N, K, 2)