diff --git a/lib_enc/ivas_core_pre_proc_front.c b/lib_enc/ivas_core_pre_proc_front.c
index 36da36c12855342de02d62add0867dbba2713dfb..4d43fce471e76dc31be64bdca52bbdcaa0209e45 100644
--- a/lib_enc/ivas_core_pre_proc_front.c
+++ b/lib_enc/ivas_core_pre_proc_front.c
@@ -222,8 +222,9 @@ ivas_error pre_proc_front_ivas(
     }
 
 #ifdef DEBUG_MODE_INFO
-    if ( !( hCPE->hStereoTD != NULL && n > 0 ) )
+    if ( !( hCPE != NULL && hCPE->hStereoTD != NULL && n > 0 ) )
     {
+        /* for TD stereo only write out first channel. The existence of a second channel can vary, this is just easier to handle */
         int16_t tmp_dmx_in[L_FRAME48k];
         mvr2s( signal_in - NS2SA( st->input_Fs, ACELP_LOOK_NS ), tmp_dmx_in, input_frame );
         dbgwrite( tmp_dmx_in, sizeof( int16_t ), input_frame, 1, strcat( fname( debug_dir, "ivas_input_dmx", 0, n + 1, ENC ), ".pcm" ) );