diff --git a/lib_com/ivas_dirac_com.c b/lib_com/ivas_dirac_com.c
index eb0408dceb6db12584e8f2324252d4e9247579b3..521baa109586a9011fb40df1ac916cede1d245d8 100644
--- a/lib_com/ivas_dirac_com.c
+++ b/lib_com/ivas_dirac_com.c
@@ -445,7 +445,9 @@ ivas_error ivas_dirac_sba_config(
     else
     {
         hQMetaData->useLowerBandRes = 0;
+#ifndef NONBE_FIX_973_HODIRAC_BAND_GROUPING
         if ( hodirac_flag == 0 )
+#endif
         {
             nbands_coded = nbands - 1; /* always combine the last two bands */
         }
diff --git a/lib_com/options.h b/lib_com/options.h
index a47754e10376fdd01b036d31e8728430d9d0d6c4..5c0fb1b07c6ffaa2f1ba142c26d157fa51cf2913 100755
--- a/lib_com/options.h
+++ b/lib_com/options.h
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@
 #define NONBE_FIX_967_ISM_MONO_DMX                            /* FhG: issue 967: accumulating energies in ISM mono DMX */
 #define NONBE_FIX_968_ISM_BRIR_WITH_HEADROTATION_5MS_FIX      /* FhG : issue #968: differences between 5ms and 20ms rendering for discrete ISM with BRIR and head rotation*/
 #define NONBE_FIX_977_OSBA_GAIN_MISMATCH                      /* Dlb : issue 977 : Output gain mismatch for different bit rates in OSBA */
+#define NONBE_FIX_973_HODIRAC_BAND_GROUPING                   /* FhG: issue 973: empty parameter band in DirAC */
 
 #define BE_FIX_567_DOUBLE_STEREO_DMX                          /* NTT: Fix formal issues */   
 #define NONBE_FIX_567_DOUBLE_STEREO_DMX                       /* Orange: Double-precision replaced by single-precision */   
diff --git a/tests/codec_be_on_mr_nonselection/test_masa_enc_dec.py b/tests/codec_be_on_mr_nonselection/test_masa_enc_dec.py
index 3c49f9f21c6357d749664186439c2bce806984f0..c8338e4212d6157c74e0316c9c9071eee682722a 100644
--- a/tests/codec_be_on_mr_nonselection/test_masa_enc_dec.py
+++ b/tests/codec_be_on_mr_nonselection/test_masa_enc_dec.py
@@ -211,15 +211,19 @@ def test_masa_enc_dec(
                     mld = float(reason.split(':')[1].split()[0])
                 record_property("MLD",mld)
 
-            # Fail if compare fails compare result
-            if metacmp_res == False and pcmcmp_res != 0:
-                pytest.fail("Metadata and transport output difference detected")
-            elif metacmp_res == False:
-                pytest.fail("Metadata output difference detected")
-            elif pcmcmp_res != 0:
-                pytest.fail("Transport output difference detected")
+            if get_mld and get_mld_lim > 0:
+                if pcmcmp_res != 0:
+                    pytest.fail(reason)                
             else:
-                print("Comparison bit exact")
+                # Fail if compare fails compare result
+                if metacmp_res == False and pcmcmp_res != 0:
+                    pytest.fail("Metadata and transport output difference detected")
+                elif metacmp_res == False:
+                    pytest.fail("Metadata output difference detected")
+                elif pcmcmp_res != 0:
+                    pytest.fail("Transport output difference detected")
+                else:
+                    print("Comparison bit exact")
 
         else:
             # Compare audio outputs