diff --git a/lib_com/options.h b/lib_com/options.h
index d51e80754d1aa20991f7f03a2086b7881721952b..5cd0bccf7ac6dc02863312d0578024d887c9cc10 100644
--- a/lib_com/options.h
+++ b/lib_com/options.h
@@ -172,8 +172,9 @@
 #define BE_FIX_832_ASAN_ERROR_EFAP_OSBA                       /* FhG: issue #832: fix ASAN error caused by re-allocating EFAP memories in OSBA*/
 #define NONBE_FIX_819_DOUBLE_PREC_COMB_FORMATS                /* VA: issue 820: Double precision arithmetic in combined formats */
 #define NONBE_FIX_849_OMASA_BFI_CRASH                         /* VA: issue 849: fix OMASA 2TC and FEC crashes */
-
 #define NONBE_UNIFIED_DECODING_PATHS                          /* FhG: unify decoding paths   */
+#define NONBE_FIX_861_MASA_CRASH_STEREO_SWITCHING             /* VA: issue 861: fix MASA 2TC crash when switching from MDCT stereo to TD/DFT stereo */
+
 
 /* ##################### End NON-BE switches ########################### */
 
diff --git a/lib_enc/ivas_stereo_classifier.c b/lib_enc/ivas_stereo_classifier.c
index 8e979fcf1f7302b927102090784a6e7bce17afb5..1edace43baf434c484efc5465684d5067ef4c9a5 100644
--- a/lib_enc/ivas_stereo_classifier.c
+++ b/lib_enc/ivas_stereo_classifier.c
@@ -111,7 +111,12 @@ int16_t select_stereo_mode(
     hStereoClassif->lrtd_mode = ( ( hStereoClassif->unclr_decision | hStereoClassif->xtalk_decision ) && is_speech );
 
     stereo_switching_flag = 1;
+
+#ifdef NONBE_FIX_861_MASA_CRASH_STEREO_SWITCHING
+    if ( hCPE->element_brate >= MIN_BRATE_MDCT_STEREO || ( ( ivas_format == MASA_FORMAT || ivas_format == MASA_ISM_FORMAT ) && ivas_total_brate < MASA_STEREO_MIN_BITRATE )
+#else
     if ( hCPE->element_brate >= MIN_BRATE_MDCT_STEREO || ( ivas_format >= MASA_FORMAT && ivas_total_brate < MASA_STEREO_MIN_BITRATE )
+#endif
 #ifdef DEBUGGING
          || ( hCPE->stereo_mode_cmdl == IVAS_CPE_DFT || hCPE->stereo_mode_cmdl == IVAS_CPE_TD )
 #endif
@@ -131,7 +136,12 @@ int16_t select_stereo_mode(
         hStereoClassif->lrtd_mode = 0;
         element_mode = IVAS_CPE_DFT;
 
+
+#ifdef NONBE_FIX_861_MASA_CRASH_STEREO_SWITCHING
+        if ( stereo_switching_flag == 1 && hCPE->element_brate > IVAS_13k2 && hCPE->hCoreCoder[0]->hSpMusClas->past_dlp[0] < 1.0f && hCPE->hCoreCoder[0]->hSpMusClas->wdlp_xtalk < -0.01f && hCPE->hCoreCoder[0]->vad_flag == 1 && ( hCPE->hStereoMdct->sw_uncorr || hStereoClassif->xtalk_decision ) )
+#else
         if ( hCPE->element_brate > IVAS_13k2 && hCPE->hCoreCoder[0]->hSpMusClas->past_dlp[0] < 1.0f && hCPE->hCoreCoder[0]->hSpMusClas->wdlp_xtalk < -0.01f && hCPE->hCoreCoder[0]->vad_flag == 1 && ( hCPE->hStereoMdct->sw_uncorr || hStereoClassif->xtalk_decision ) )
+#endif
         {
             hStereoClassif->lrtd_mode = 1;
             element_mode = IVAS_CPE_TD;
@@ -145,17 +155,16 @@ int16_t select_stereo_mode(
     }
     else if ( element_mode < IVAS_CPE_MDCT )
     {
-#ifdef DEBUGGING
         if ( stereo_switching_flag == 0 )
         {
+#ifdef DEBUGGING
             if ( hCPE->stereo_mode_cmdl > 1 )
             {
                 element_mode = hCPE->stereo_mode_cmdl;
             }
-        }
-        else
 #endif
-            if ( element_mode == IVAS_CPE_TD )
+        }
+        else if ( element_mode == IVAS_CPE_TD )
         {
             if ( hCPE->hStereoTD->prev_fr_LRTD_TD_dec > 0 && is_speech )
             {
@@ -192,6 +201,7 @@ int16_t select_stereo_mode(
         if ( hCPE->last_element_mode != IVAS_CPE_DFT && hCPE->last_element_mode != IVAS_CPE_TD )
         {
             int16_t lrtd_mode = hStereoClassif->lrtd_mode;
+
             /* reset stereo classifier when switching from MDCT stereo to Unified stereo */
             stereo_classifier_init( hCPE->hStereoClassif );