diff --git a/lib_dec/lib_dec.c b/lib_dec/lib_dec.c
index dbc389ccdf8e23c1f95492abf8a0e202fbce3f7c..5a148ae82df0aa04c515df7aaa06d71dbc22b98a 100644
--- a/lib_dec/lib_dec.c
+++ b/lib_dec/lib_dec.c
@@ -1505,14 +1505,13 @@ ivas_error IVAS_DEC_SetEditableParameters(
         return IVAS_ERR_UNEXPECTED_NULL_POINTER;
     }
 
-#ifdef DEBUGGING
-    assert( hIvasEditableParameters.num_obj == st_ivas->nchan_ism );
-#endif
-
     if ( st_ivas->ivas_format == ISM_FORMAT || st_ivas->ivas_format == SBA_ISM_FORMAT )
     {
         if ( ism_mode == ISM_MODE_DISC || ism_mode == ISM_SBA_MODE_DISC )
         {
+#ifdef DEBUGGING
+            assert( hIvasEditableParameters.num_obj == st_ivas->nchan_ism );
+#endif
             for ( obj = 0; obj < hIvasEditableParameters.num_obj; obj++ )
             {
                 st_ivas->hIsmMetaData[obj]->edited_azimuth = hIvasEditableParameters.ism_metadata[obj].azimuth;
@@ -1534,6 +1533,9 @@ ivas_error IVAS_DEC_SetEditableParameters(
         }
         else if ( ism_mode == ISM_MODE_PARAM )
         {
+#ifdef DEBUGGING
+            assert( hIvasEditableParameters.num_obj == st_ivas->nchan_ism );
+#endif
             for ( obj = 0; obj < hIvasEditableParameters.num_obj; obj++ )
             {
                 st_ivas->hParamIsmDec->edited_azimuth_values[obj] = hIvasEditableParameters.ism_metadata[obj].azimuth;
@@ -1591,6 +1593,9 @@ ivas_error IVAS_DEC_SetEditableParameters(
         int16_t id_th;
         float threshold_azi, threshold_ele;
 
+#ifdef DEBUGGING
+        assert( hIvasEditableParameters.num_obj == st_ivas->nchan_ism );
+#endif
         for ( obj = 0; obj < hIvasEditableParameters.num_obj; obj++ )
         {
             if ( st_ivas->hMasaIsmData != NULL )