diff --git a/lib_com/options.h b/lib_com/options.h
index a4eab8337dfab758df194f76df78ba08daffccdf..589026f910e30ecad5c9f6014863cfad26652f0a 100755
--- a/lib_com/options.h
+++ b/lib_com/options.h
@@ -151,6 +151,7 @@
 /*#define SPLIT_REND_WITH_HEAD_ROT  */                  /* Dlb,FhG: Split Rendering contributions 21 and 35 */
 
 #define FIX_643_PCA_OPTION                              /* VA: issue 643: rename PCA bypass command-line option */
+#define FIX_902_HACK_IN_CORECODER                       /* VA: issue 902: remove a hack in ivas_core_dec() */
 
 /* #################### End BE switches ################################## */
 #define FIX_899_VARIABLE_SPEED_DECODING                       /* FhG: Fix variable speed decoding                                    */
diff --git a/lib_dec/ivas_core_dec.c b/lib_dec/ivas_core_dec.c
index c05c003535c96d55ff7c02a7636f28ee96123eb6..423a673e8da9404d07d5db4e5f39380596f906b0 100644
--- a/lib_dec/ivas_core_dec.c
+++ b/lib_dec/ivas_core_dec.c
@@ -112,7 +112,11 @@ ivas_error ivas_core_dec(
         sts = hSCE->hCoreCoder;
         hStereoICBWE = NULL;
         element_brate = hSCE->element_brate;
+#ifdef FIX_902_HACK_IN_CORECODER
+        last_element_brate = hSCE->last_element_brate; /* note: this parameter is unused */
+#else
         last_element_brate = hSCE->element_brate; /*  hack - the past parameter is not really needed */
+#endif
         last_element_mode = IVAS_SCE;
         hStereoTD = NULL;
         p_output_mem = NULL;