diff --git a/lib_com/ivas_rom_com.c b/lib_com/ivas_rom_com.c
index ffd5d578de259c6679e12d2c6af3dc5e88102f84..2c4ab2f661fecabd683ebd5b75f04c91fa0e0160 100644
--- a/lib_com/ivas_rom_com.c
+++ b/lib_com/ivas_rom_com.c
@@ -2471,6 +2471,13 @@ const uint16_t ivas_param_mc_sym_freq_ild_delta_combined_48_16bits[2 * PARAM_MC_
  * MASA ROM tables
  *----------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 
+#ifdef FIX_1121_MASA_DESCRIPTOR
+const uint8_t ivasmasaFormatDescriptor[8] = 
+{ 
+    0x49, 0x56, 0x41, 0x53, 0x4D, 0x41, 0x53, 0x41 /* "IVASMASA" */
+};
+
+#endif
 const float diffuseness_reconstructions_hr[HR_MASA_ER_LEVELS] =
 {
      0.00f,
diff --git a/lib_com/ivas_rom_com.h b/lib_com/ivas_rom_com.h
index 59830626488ac34efaf94539acae805bc4c1c309..18f2062d7fc0e162d2d16f225efa26f8b4c27462 100644
--- a/lib_com/ivas_rom_com.h
+++ b/lib_com/ivas_rom_com.h
@@ -264,6 +264,10 @@ extern const uint16_t ivas_param_mc_sym_freq_icc_delta_combined_48_16bits[2 * PA
  * MASA ROM tables
  *----------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 
+#ifdef FIX_1121_MASA_DESCRIPTOR
+extern const uint8_t ivasmasaFormatDescriptor[8]; /* "IVASMASA" */
+
+#endif
 extern const int16_t bits_direction_masa[DIRAC_DIFFUSE_LEVELS];
 extern const int16_t no_theta_masa[NO_SPHERICAL_GRIDS - 2];
 extern const int16_t no_phi_masa[NO_SPHERICAL_GRIDS][MAX_NO_THETA];
diff --git a/lib_com/options.h b/lib_com/options.h
index cf9518a4434b97dac4c6df8fc2b58ad03e804d9a..5a4cca34ef78e8a83dcbd12351aea06e3dee3fb9 100644
--- a/lib_com/options.h
+++ b/lib_com/options.h
@@ -162,6 +162,7 @@
 
 #define FIX_1101_CLEANING_JBM_CALL                      /* VA: issue 1101: remove obsolete call of ivas_jbm_dec_tc_buffer_open() */
 #define FIX_1053_AEID_FILE_TEST                         /* Philips: Tests for the -aeid file and fix for memory error */
+#define FIX_1121_MASA_DESCRIPTOR                        /* VA: issue 1121: Define 'ivasmasaFormatDescriptor' at one common place */
 
 /* #################### End BE switches ################################## */
 
diff --git a/lib_dec/ivas_masa_dec.c b/lib_dec/ivas_masa_dec.c
index 79f3c046a1578e0748d7c50a6c800a28bfe33340..121cb3df43efa88045f2d537a659da633be8db8e 100644
--- a/lib_dec/ivas_masa_dec.c
+++ b/lib_dec/ivas_masa_dec.c
@@ -1835,7 +1835,9 @@ static void create_masa_ext_out_meta(
     IVAS_QMETADATA_HANDLE hQMetaData,
     const int16_t nchan_transport )
 {
+#ifndef FIX_1121_MASA_DESCRIPTOR
     const uint8_t ivasmasaFormatDescriptor[8] = { 0x49, 0x56, 0x41, 0x53, 0x4D, 0x41, 0x53, 0x41 }; /* "IVASMASA" */
+#endif
     int16_t i, sf, b_old, b_new, dir;
     MASA_DECRIPTIVE_META *descMeta;
     int16_t *bandMap;
diff --git a/lib_rend/ivas_mcmasa_ana.c b/lib_rend/ivas_mcmasa_ana.c
index 8ca05a11977f2cc1f6e07e145f7b674a33d3ff23..49e7d00eec0465c5c8f11598db7294d59460c1e4 100644
--- a/lib_rend/ivas_mcmasa_ana.c
+++ b/lib_rend/ivas_mcmasa_ana.c
@@ -1069,7 +1069,9 @@ void ivas_create_masa_out_meta(
     float surroundingCoherence[MAX_PARAM_SPATIAL_SUBFRAMES][MASA_FREQUENCY_BANDS] /* i  : Estimated surround coherence    */
 )
 {
+#ifndef FIX_1121_MASA_DESCRIPTOR
     const uint8_t ivasmasaFormatDescriptor[8] = { 0x49, 0x56, 0x41, 0x53, 0x4D, 0x41, 0x53, 0x41 }; /* "IVASMASA" */
+#endif
     int16_t i, sf, band;
     uint8_t numFrequencyBands;
     uint8_t numDirections;
diff --git a/lib_util/masa_file_reader.c b/lib_util/masa_file_reader.c
index f59f514d7fcf884f0a0160e60699d8c345e61d40..bc75b0bdbdd780cca8a86c24cccd7716cc8b00ed 100644
--- a/lib_util/masa_file_reader.c
+++ b/lib_util/masa_file_reader.c
@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@
 #include "masa_file_reader.h"
 #include "ivas_prot.h"
 #include "ivas_stat_com.h"
+#ifdef FIX_1121_MASA_DESCRIPTOR
+#include "ivas_rom_com.h" /* load 'ivasmasaFormatDescriptor[8]' */
+#endif
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <math.h>
 
@@ -111,7 +114,9 @@ ivas_error MasaFileReader_readNextFrame(
         return IVAS_ERR_UNEXPECTED_NULL_POINTER;
     }
 
+#ifndef FIX_1121_MASA_DESCRIPTOR
     const uint8_t ivasmasaFormatDescriptor[8] = { 0x49, 0x56, 0x41, 0x53, 0x4D, 0x41, 0x53, 0x41 }; /* "IVASMASA" */
+#endif
     uint16_t twoByteBuffer = 0;
     int16_t i, j, b;
     IVAS_MASA_METADATA_HANDLE hMeta;