diff --git a/lib_com/options.h b/lib_com/options.h
index e3e04a1c7a6dd0e9919f1923b76c50b2d27813b2..15bbe7d34df8f4be73241534ef5b319cb5e22b2d 100644
--- a/lib_com/options.h
+++ b/lib_com/options.h
@@ -145,8 +145,8 @@
 #define BASOP_NOGLOB                                    /* Disable global symbols in BASOPs, Overflow/Carry in BASOPs disabled, additional BASOPs in case of Overflow */
 
 
-/* ################# Start BE DEVELOPMENT switches ######################## */
-/* only BE switches wrt operation points tested in selection */
+/* ################### Start BE switches ################################# */
+/* only BE switches wrt selection floating point code */
 
 /*#define FIX_I4_OL_PITCH*/                             /* fix open-loop pitch used for EVS core switching */
 
@@ -158,16 +158,17 @@
 #define OSBA_SPLIT_RENDERING
 #endif
 
+/* #################### End BE switches ################################## */
 
 
-/* ################## End BE DEVELOPMENT switches ######################### */
+/* #################### Start NON-BE switches ############################ */
+/* any switch which is non-be wrt selection floating point code */
+/* all switches in this category should start with "NONBE_" */
 
-/* #################### Start NON-BE CR switches ########################## */
-/* any switch which is non-be wrt operation points tested in selection */
-/* all switches in this category should start with "CR_" */
+#define NONBE_FIX_746_NONDIEGETIC_MD                          /* Eri: Issue 746: The non-diegetic panning flag affects the encoder bitstream even if extended metadata is not enabled. Crashes the decoder.*/
 
 
-/* ##################### End NON-BE CR switches ########################### */
+/* ##################### End NON-BE switches ############################# */
 
 /* ################## End DEVELOPMENT switches ######################### */
 
diff --git a/lib_enc/ivas_ism_metadata_enc.c b/lib_enc/ivas_ism_metadata_enc.c
index 1dabd090fc1deb5538c5d87a9c72bfe8589e8744..de999ddc394612736831d4c8cad6419154937a4e 100644
--- a/lib_enc/ivas_ism_metadata_enc.c
+++ b/lib_enc/ivas_ism_metadata_enc.c
@@ -415,7 +415,11 @@ ivas_error ivas_ism_metadata_enc(
                     push_indice( hBstr, IND_ISM_NDP_FLAG, hIsmMeta[ch]->non_diegetic_flag, ISM_METADATA_IS_NDP_BITS );
                 }
 
+#ifdef NONBE_FIX_746_NONDIEGETIC_MD
+                if ( hIsmMeta[ch]->non_diegetic_flag && ism_extended_metadata_flag )
+#else
                 if ( hIsmMeta[ch]->non_diegetic_flag )
+#endif
                 {
                     /* Map azimuth to panning range [-90:90] */
                     if ( hIsmMetaData->azimuth > 90.0f )