diff --git a/tests/codec_be_on_mr_nonselection/test_param_file.py b/tests/codec_be_on_mr_nonselection/test_param_file.py
index 998e5e0a08bc4c2ab316988a653ec335bdd7ae03..9fe43a40b21677cbf2560b39ada3d2d126064ecf 100644
--- a/tests/codec_be_on_mr_nonselection/test_param_file.py
+++ b/tests/codec_be_on_mr_nonselection/test_param_file.py
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ from tests.constants import (
     MIN_ENC_FILE_LENGTH_DIFF,
     MIN_ENC_STATS_DIFF,
     SCRIPTS_DIR,
+    MAX_ENC_DIFF,
 )
 
 PASSTHROUGH_CONF = [
@@ -256,19 +257,16 @@ def test_param_file_tests(
 
             print("")
             cmp_result_msg += enc_test_result_msg
-            props = parse_properties(cmp_result_msg, False, props_to_record)
+
+            props = parse_properties(cmp_result_msg, False, [MAX_ENC_DIFF])
             for k, v in props.items():
                 dut_encoder_frontend.record_property(k, v)
 
-            if enc_test_result:
-                pytest.fail("Too high difference in encoder statistics found.")
-            else:
-                # remove DUT stats file when test result is OK (to save disk space)
-                if not keep_files:
-                    os.remove(dut_stats_file)
-
     if encoder_only:
-        return  # don't proceed with the decoder if user specified --encoder_only on the command line
+        if enc_test_result:
+            pytest.fail("Too high difference in encoder statistics found.")
+
+        return
 
     # check for networkSimulator_g192 command line
     if sim_opts != "":
@@ -483,6 +481,9 @@ def test_param_file_tests(
                     print("REF output metadata missing for expected file: " + md_file)
                 metadata_differs = True
 
+        if enc_test_result:
+            pytest.fail("Too high difference in encoder statistics found.")
+
         if tracefile_last_rtp_numbers_differ:
             pytest.fail(
                 "Last RTP sequence num in tracefiles differ for JBM decoding - Not all frames were decoded in both ref and dut."
@@ -501,9 +502,6 @@ def test_param_file_tests(
                     msg += "metadata only"
                 pytest.fail(msg)
 
-        if enc_test_result:
-            pytest.fail("Too high difference in encoder statistics found.")
-
         # remove DUT output files when test result is OK (to save disk space)
         if not keep_files:
             os.remove(f"{dut_base_path}/param_file/dec/{output_file}")