diff --git a/lib_com/options.h b/lib_com/options.h
index 7e2678dda5175766c8155882e473f46978ff8cbb..0f1889ab8acfa7e9b9d84c7054476b11ed54f096 100644
--- a/lib_com/options.h
+++ b/lib_com/options.h
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@
 
 #define NONBE_FIX_GSC_BSTR                              /* VA: issue 1264: Fix bitstream synchronization between encoder and decoder in ACELP GSC in OMASA */
 #define NONBE_1273_ISM_METADATA_COUNTER                 /* VA: issue 1273: fix counter overflow in ISM metadata encoder */
-
+#define NONBE_1279_COUNTER_OVERFLOW                     /* VA: issue 1279: Avoid possible overflow of counter st->Nb_ACELP_frames */
 
 /* ##################### End NON-BE switches ########################### */
 
diff --git a/lib_enc/acelp_core_enc.c b/lib_enc/acelp_core_enc.c
index b12783d1c84b55fc5c190ad655af34844f9e4afd..45d633cfc94c71cf600733d08df72c2acc4bc28b 100644
--- a/lib_enc/acelp_core_enc.c
+++ b/lib_enc/acelp_core_enc.c
@@ -167,7 +167,14 @@ ivas_error acelp_core_enc(
     {
         st->Nb_ACELP_frames = 0;
     }
+#ifdef NONBE_1279_COUNTER_OVERFLOW
+    if ( st->Nb_ACELP_frames < MAX16B )
+    {
+        st->Nb_ACELP_frames++;
+    }
+#else
     st->Nb_ACELP_frames++;
+#endif
 
     if ( st->L_frame == L_FRAME )
     {