diff --git a/lib_com/ivas_prot.h b/lib_com/ivas_prot.h
index aa456627a47f35e9cb563547b4928b9ed0f62ae7..041706b9bdbebfc05f1538fd152385d132407018 100644
--- a/lib_com/ivas_prot.h
+++ b/lib_com/ivas_prot.h
@@ -1109,11 +1109,17 @@ ivas_error ivas_param_ism_dec_open(
     Decoder_Struct *st_ivas                                     /* i/o: IVAS decoder structure                      */
 );
 
+#ifdef FIX_FLOAT_1526_DIRAC_MEM_LEAK
+void ivas_param_ism_dec_close(
+    PARAM_ISM_DEC_HANDLE *hParamIsmDec                          /* i/o: decoder ParamISM handle                     */
+);
+#else
 void ivas_param_ism_dec_close(
     PARAM_ISM_DEC_HANDLE *hParamIsmDec,                         /* i/o: decoder ParamISM handle                     */
     SPAT_PARAM_REND_COMMON_DATA_HANDLE *hSpatParamRendCom_out,  /* i/o: common spatial renderer data                */
     const AUDIO_CONFIG output_config                            /* i  : output audio configuration                  */
 );
+#endif
 
 void ivas_ism_dec_digest_tc(
     Decoder_Struct *st_ivas                                     /* i/o: IVAS decoder structure                      */
diff --git a/lib_com/options.h b/lib_com/options.h
index c289efb2a450fd8ed53b05d12d676806b03802fc..cca18ed73ff896e4602bed7c31175616c92b247c 100644
--- a/lib_com/options.h
+++ b/lib_com/options.h
@@ -162,6 +162,7 @@
 #define TMP_1342_WORKAROUND_DEC_FLUSH_BROKEN_IN_SR      /* FhG: Temporary workaround for incorrect implementation of decoder flush with split rendering */
 #define NONBE_1122_KEEP_EVS_MODE_UNCHANGED              /* FhG: Disables fix for issue 1122 in EVS mode to keep BE tests green. This switch should be removed once the 1122 fix is added to EVS via a CR.  */
 #define FIX_FLOAT_1522_LTV_MSAN_QMETADATA_ENC_EC3       /* Nokia: float issue 1522: fix uninit MSAN in EC3 of qmetadata encoding */
+#define FIX_FLOAT_1526_DIRAC_MEM_LEAK                   /* FhG: potential memory leak in DirAC handles in case of format switching */
 
 /* #################### End BE switches ################################## */
 
diff --git a/lib_dec/ivas_init_dec.c b/lib_dec/ivas_init_dec.c
index 6048cd7fa4498d77bb3e28115ef8a991deed4637..d2de8e6eae83c976ce9367e9b53ba5248cc5e95a 100644
--- a/lib_dec/ivas_init_dec.c
+++ b/lib_dec/ivas_init_dec.c
@@ -2884,6 +2884,15 @@ void ivas_destroy_dec(
     /* ISM renderer handle */
     ivas_ism_renderer_close( &( st_ivas->hIsmRendererData ) );
 
+#ifdef FIX_FLOAT_1526_DIRAC_MEM_LEAK
+    /* ParamISM dec handle */
+    ivas_param_ism_dec_close( &( st_ivas->hParamIsmDec ) );
+
+    /* DirAC handles */
+    ivas_dirac_rend_close( &( st_ivas->hDirACRend ) );
+    ivas_spat_hSpatParamRendCom_close( &( st_ivas->hSpatParamRendCom ) );
+    ivas_dirac_dec_close( &( st_ivas->hDirAC ) );
+#else
     /* DirAC handle */
     if ( st_ivas->ivas_format == ISM_FORMAT )
     {
@@ -2895,6 +2904,7 @@ void ivas_destroy_dec(
         ivas_spat_hSpatParamRendCom_close( &( st_ivas->hSpatParamRendCom ) );
         ivas_dirac_dec_close( &( st_ivas->hDirAC ) );
     }
+#endif
 
     /* SPAR handle */
     ivas_spar_dec_close( &( st_ivas->hSpar ), st_ivas->hDecoderConfig->output_Fs, 0 );
diff --git a/lib_dec/ivas_ism_dec.c b/lib_dec/ivas_ism_dec.c
index 3bfec52ed0896fc3d975661c0123ef3802d32045..e9bf05b9a1ba8357256e3d5380b36e410aa290d4 100644
--- a/lib_dec/ivas_ism_dec.c
+++ b/lib_dec/ivas_ism_dec.c
@@ -149,7 +149,13 @@ static ivas_error ivas_ism_bitrate_switching_dec(
     if ( st_ivas->ism_mode == ISM_MODE_DISC && last_ism_mode == ISM_MODE_PARAM )
     {
         /* Deallocate the ParamISM struct */
+#ifdef FIX_FLOAT_1526_DIRAC_MEM_LEAK
+        ivas_param_ism_dec_close( &( st_ivas->hParamIsmDec ) );
+
+        ivas_spat_hSpatParamRendCom_close( &( st_ivas->hSpatParamRendCom ) );
+#else
         ivas_param_ism_dec_close( &( st_ivas->hParamIsmDec ), &( st_ivas->hSpatParamRendCom ), st_ivas->hDecoderConfig->output_config );
+#endif
 
         if ( st_ivas->hOutSetup.output_config == IVAS_AUDIO_CONFIG_BINAURAL || st_ivas->hOutSetup.output_config == IVAS_AUDIO_CONFIG_BINAURAL_ROOM_REVERB || st_ivas->hOutSetup.output_config == IVAS_AUDIO_CONFIG_BINAURAL_SPLIT_CODED || st_ivas->hOutSetup.output_config == IVAS_AUDIO_CONFIG_BINAURAL_SPLIT_PCM )
         {
diff --git a/lib_dec/ivas_ism_param_dec.c b/lib_dec/ivas_ism_param_dec.c
index 5c3782969be0fb05149ab4d77881f68604fd1e0f..37ff1a940c1897523d73e0de451f94f790a72d38 100644
--- a/lib_dec/ivas_ism_param_dec.c
+++ b/lib_dec/ivas_ism_param_dec.c
@@ -430,22 +430,55 @@ ivas_error ivas_param_ism_dec_open(
         return ( IVAS_ERROR( IVAS_ERR_FAILED_ALLOC, "Can not allocate memory for ParamISM\n" ) );
     }
 
+#ifdef FIX_FLOAT_1526_DIRAC_MEM_LEAK
+    /* initialize sub-handles with NULL */
+    hParamIsmDec->hParamIsm = NULL;
+    hParamIsmDec->hParamIsmRendering = NULL;
+#endif
+
     if ( ( hSpatParamRendCom = (SPAT_PARAM_REND_COMMON_DATA_HANDLE) malloc( sizeof( SPAT_PARAM_REND_COMMON_DATA ) ) ) == NULL )
     {
         return ( IVAS_ERROR( IVAS_ERR_FAILED_ALLOC, "Can not allocate memory for DirAC\n" ) );
     }
 
+#ifdef FIX_FLOAT_1526_DIRAC_MEM_LEAK
+    /* initialize buffers in handle with NULL - this handle is also used by other DirAC technologies, and not every technology is initializing all buffers */
+    hSpatParamRendCom->azimuth = NULL;
+    hSpatParamRendCom->elevation = NULL;
+    hSpatParamRendCom->azimuth2 = NULL;
+    hSpatParamRendCom->elevation2 = NULL;
+    hSpatParamRendCom->diffuseness_vector = NULL;
+    hSpatParamRendCom->energy_ratio1 = NULL;
+    hSpatParamRendCom->energy_ratio2 = NULL;
+    hSpatParamRendCom->spreadCoherence = NULL;
+    hSpatParamRendCom->spreadCoherence2 = NULL;
+    hSpatParamRendCom->surroundingCoherence = NULL;
+#endif
+
     /* Assign memory to Param Object handle */
     if ( ( hParamIsmDec->hParamIsm = (PARAM_ISM_CONFIG_HANDLE) malloc( sizeof( PARAM_ISM_CONFIG_DATA ) ) ) == NULL )
     {
         return ( IVAS_ERROR( IVAS_ERR_FAILED_ALLOC, "Can not allocate memory for ParamISM\n" ) );
     }
 
+#ifdef FIX_FLOAT_1526_DIRAC_MEM_LEAK
+    /* initialize sub-handles with NULL */
+    hParamIsmDec->hParamIsm->hFbMixer = NULL;
+#endif
+
     if ( ( hParamIsmDec->hParamIsmRendering = (PARAM_ISM_RENDERING_HANDLE) malloc( sizeof( PARAM_ISM_RENDERING_DATA ) ) ) == NULL )
     {
         return ( IVAS_ERROR( IVAS_ERR_FAILED_ALLOC, "Can not allocate memory for ParamISM Rendering handle\n" ) );
     }
 
+#ifdef FIX_FLOAT_1526_DIRAC_MEM_LEAK
+    /* initialize sub-handles/buffers with NULL */
+    hParamIsmDec->hParamIsmRendering->proto_matrix = NULL;
+    hParamIsmDec->hParamIsmRendering->interpolator = NULL;
+    hParamIsmDec->hParamIsmRendering->Cldfb_RealBuffer_tc = NULL;
+    hParamIsmDec->hParamIsmRendering->Cldfb_ImagBuffer_tc = NULL;
+#endif
+
     output_Fs = st_ivas->hDecoderConfig->output_Fs;
     output_config = st_ivas->hDecoderConfig->output_config;
 
@@ -617,11 +650,17 @@ ivas_error ivas_param_ism_dec_open(
  * Close Param ISM handle
  *-------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 
+#ifdef FIX_FLOAT_1526_DIRAC_MEM_LEAK
+void ivas_param_ism_dec_close(
+    PARAM_ISM_DEC_HANDLE *hParamIsmDec_out /* i/o: decoder DirAC handle         */
+)
+#else
 void ivas_param_ism_dec_close(
     PARAM_ISM_DEC_HANDLE *hParamIsmDec_out,                    /* i/o: decoder DirAC handle         */
     SPAT_PARAM_REND_COMMON_DATA_HANDLE *hSpatParamRendCom_out, /* i/o: common spatial renderer data */
     AUDIO_CONFIG output_config                                 /* i  : output audio configuration   */
 )
+#endif
 {
     if ( hParamIsmDec_out != NULL && *hParamIsmDec_out != NULL )
     {
@@ -635,8 +674,10 @@ void ivas_param_ism_dec_close(
             hParamIsmDec->hParamIsm = NULL;
         }
 
+#ifndef FIX_FLOAT_1526_DIRAC_MEM_LEAK
         if ( !( output_config == IVAS_AUDIO_CONFIG_MONO || output_config == IVAS_AUDIO_CONFIG_STEREO ) )
         {
+#endif
             /* Param ISM Rendering */
             if ( hParamIsmDec->hParamIsmRendering->interpolator != NULL )
             {
@@ -648,7 +689,9 @@ void ivas_param_ism_dec_close(
                 free( hParamIsmDec->hParamIsmRendering->proto_matrix );
                 hParamIsmDec->hParamIsmRendering->proto_matrix = NULL;
             }
+#ifndef FIX_FLOAT_1526_DIRAC_MEM_LEAK
         }
+#endif
 
         if ( hParamIsmDec->hParamIsmRendering->Cldfb_RealBuffer_tc != NULL )
         {
@@ -671,6 +714,7 @@ void ivas_param_ism_dec_close(
         *hParamIsmDec_out = NULL;
     }
 
+#ifndef FIX_FLOAT_1526_DIRAC_MEM_LEAK
     if ( hSpatParamRendCom_out != NULL && *hSpatParamRendCom_out != NULL )
     {
         if ( output_config == IVAS_AUDIO_CONFIG_BINAURAL || output_config == IVAS_AUDIO_CONFIG_BINAURAL_ROOM_IR || output_config == IVAS_AUDIO_CONFIG_BINAURAL_ROOM_REVERB )
@@ -682,6 +726,7 @@ void ivas_param_ism_dec_close(
         free( *hSpatParamRendCom_out );
         *hSpatParamRendCom_out = NULL;
     }
+#endif
 
     return;
 }
diff --git a/lib_rend/ivas_dirac_rend.c b/lib_rend/ivas_dirac_rend.c
index 169c0e15251a2963e50c87389209280cd7d7b6ba..ca838c33b03b92d9a2fe955156e424d82c44c987 100644
--- a/lib_rend/ivas_dirac_rend.c
+++ b/lib_rend/ivas_dirac_rend.c
@@ -225,6 +225,20 @@ ivas_error ivas_spat_hSpatParamRendCom_config(
             return ( IVAS_ERROR( IVAS_ERR_FAILED_ALLOC, "Can not allocate memory for DirAC meta\n" ) );
         }
 
+#ifdef FIX_FLOAT_1526_DIRAC_MEM_LEAK
+        /* initialize buffers in handle with NULL - this handle is also used by other DirAC technologies, and not every technology is initializing all buffers */
+        hSpatParamRendCom->azimuth = NULL;
+        hSpatParamRendCom->elevation = NULL;
+        hSpatParamRendCom->azimuth2 = NULL;
+        hSpatParamRendCom->elevation2 = NULL;
+        hSpatParamRendCom->diffuseness_vector = NULL;
+        hSpatParamRendCom->energy_ratio1 = NULL;
+        hSpatParamRendCom->energy_ratio2 = NULL;
+        hSpatParamRendCom->spreadCoherence = NULL;
+        hSpatParamRendCom->spreadCoherence2 = NULL;
+        hSpatParamRendCom->surroundingCoherence = NULL;
+#endif
+
         *hSpatParamRendCom_out = hSpatParamRendCom;
     }