diff --git a/main-basop.yml b/main-basop.yml
index 0f4a95eaaa79956c70e69fd42d8317a299ab0f27..513ec2d302841a31dc2f1bf025251223f853ffea 100644
--- a/main-basop.yml
+++ b/main-basop.yml
@@ -121,6 +121,14 @@ variables:
       - 'test-long-self-test'
       - 'check-regressions-long'
       - 'ivas-conformance-linux'
+  OPTIMIZATION_LEVEL:
+    description: "Set level of optimization for the build (only of BASOP code, float always uses -O0). Default is 0 (no opt)"
+    value: "0"
+    options:
+      - "0"
+      - "1"
+      - "2"
+      - "3"
 
 # This sets when pipelines are created. Jobs have more specific rules to restrict them.
 workflow:
@@ -363,7 +371,21 @@ workflow:
     - if [ "$DELTA_ODG" = "true" ]; then comp_args="${comp_args} --odg_bin"; MEASURES_FOR_REPORT="$MEASURES_FOR_REPORT DELTA_ODG"; fi
     - if [ "$SPLIT_COMPARISON" = "true" ]; then comp_args="${comp_args} --split-comparison"; fi
 
-    - bash "${CI_PROJECT_DIR}"/ivas-codec-ci/snippets/basop/build-and-create-float-ref-outputs.sh
+    - bash "${CI_PROJECT_DIR}"/ivas-codec-ci/snippets/basop/build-binaries.sh float-ref
+    - bash "${CI_PROJECT_DIR}"/ivas-codec-ci/snippets/basop/build-binaries.sh dut
+    - python3 tests/create_short_testvectors.py
+
+    - enc_stats_arg=""
+    - |
+      if [ "$ENCODER_TEST" = "true" ]; then
+          enc_stats_arg="--enc_stats"
+      fi
+    - enc_dmx_arg=""
+    - |
+      if [ "$COMPARE_DMX" = "true" ]; then
+        enc_dmx_arg="--compare_enc_dmx"
+      fi
+    - python3 -m pytest $TEST_SUITE --update_ref 1 $enc_stats_arg $enc_dmx_arg --create_ref -n auto --ref_encoder_path $REF_ENCODER_PATH --ref_decoder_path $REF_DECODER_PATH --dut_encoder_path $DUT_ENCODER_PATH --dut_decoder_path $DUT_DECODER_PATH || true
 
     # DMX comparison only in manual job with no other metrics
     - if [ "$COMPARE_DMX" = "true" ]; then
@@ -777,9 +799,9 @@ workflow:
 
   # build merge target branch and correpsonding float reference
     - bash "${CI_PROJECT_DIR}"/ivas-codec-ci/snippets/basop/build-binaries.sh float-ref
-    - bash "${CI_PROJECT_DIR}"/ivas-codec-ci/snippets/basop/build-binaries.sh merge-target
+    - bash "${CI_PROJECT_DIR}"/ivas-codec-ci/snippets/basop/build-binaries.sh merge-target $OPTIMIZATION_LEVEL
   # build to-be-merged branch and corresponding float ref branch
-    - bash "${CI_PROJECT_DIR}"/ivas-codec-ci/snippets/basop/build-binaries.sh dut
+    - bash "${CI_PROJECT_DIR}"/ivas-codec-ci/snippets/basop/build-binaries.sh dut $OPTIMIZATION_LEVEL
     - bash "${CI_PROJECT_DIR}"/ivas-codec-ci/snippets/basop/build-binaries.sh float-ref-merge-source
 
   # set pytest args for ref creation
@@ -886,7 +908,7 @@ workflow:
     -   bash "${CI_PROJECT_DIR}"/ivas-codec-ci/snippets/basop/apply-testv-scaling.sh
     - fi
     - bash "${CI_PROJECT_DIR}"/ivas-codec-ci/snippets/basop/build-binaries.sh float-ref
-    - bash "${CI_PROJECT_DIR}"/ivas-codec-ci/snippets/basop/build-binaries.sh dut
+    - bash "${CI_PROJECT_DIR}"/ivas-codec-ci/snippets/basop/build-binaries.sh dut $OPTIMIZATION_LEVEL
 
     - comp_args="--mld --ssnr --odg --mld-playback-level $MLD_PLAYBACK_LEVEL"
 
diff --git a/snippets/basop/build-and-create-float-ref-outputs.sh b/snippets/basop/build-and-create-float-ref-outputs.sh
deleted file mode 100644
index b916dffffae86b46dbefc00f755a4e14914ce40d..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
--- a/snippets/basop/build-and-create-float-ref-outputs.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,28 +0,0 @@
-#! /bin/bash
-
-set -euxo pipefail
-
-cd "${CI_PROJECT_DIR}"
-
-bash "${CI_PROJECT_DIR}"/ivas-codec-ci/snippets/basop/build-binaries.sh float-ref
-
-bash "${CI_PROJECT_DIR}"/ivas-codec-ci/snippets/basop/build-binaries.sh dut
-
-### prepare pytest
-# create short test vectors
-python3 tests/create_short_testvectors.py
-
-# create references
-exit_code=0
-
-enc_stats_arg=""
-if [ "$ENCODER_TEST" = "true" ]; then
-  enc_stats_arg="--enc_stats"
-fi
-
-enc_dmx_arg=""
-if [ "$COMPARE_DMX" = "true" ]; then
-  enc_dmx_arg="--compare_enc_dmx"
-fi
-
-python3 -m pytest $TEST_SUITE --update_ref 1 $enc_stats_arg $enc_dmx_arg --create_ref -n auto --ref_encoder_path $REF_ENCODER_PATH --ref_decoder_path $REF_DECODER_PATH --dut_encoder_path $DUT_ENCODER_PATH --dut_decoder_path $DUT_DECODER_PATH || exit_code=$?
diff --git a/snippets/basop/build-binaries.sh b/snippets/basop/build-binaries.sh
index 64ecc54e75f7bfc19095210ca0a354cf622d30fa..a5075974a5bc2e45233576db13dd5b0d67a8b57e 100755
--- a/snippets/basop/build-binaries.sh
+++ b/snippets/basop/build-binaries.sh
@@ -1,8 +1,20 @@
 #! /bin/bash
 
+# helper script for building various typical configurations
+# Usage: build-binaries.sh mode(float-ref|float-ref-merge-source|merge-target|dut) optim_level(0|1|2|3)
+
 set -euxo pipefail
 
 mode="${1:-}"
+optim_level="${2:-0}"
+
+case "$optim_level" in
+0 | 1 | 2 | 3) ;;
+*)
+  echo "Error: invalid optim_level: $optim_level (allowed: 0,1,2,3)"
+  exit 2
+  ;;
+esac
 
 case "$mode" in
 float-ref)
@@ -77,7 +89,7 @@ git checkout "$ref_to_check_out"
 bash "${CI_PROJECT_DIR}"/ivas-codec-ci/snippets/basop/activate-debug-mode-info-if-set.sh
 
 make clean
-make -j "$(nproc)" 2>&1 >$make_log_file
+OPTIM=$optim_level make -j "$(nproc)" 2>&1 >$make_log_file
 
 # avoid errors in mv when renaming to same file
 mv IVAS_cod "${CI_PROJECT_DIR}/${ivas_cod_filename}"