diff --git a/lib_com/ivas_dirac_com.c b/lib_com/ivas_dirac_com.c
index a3bfeabdb29871d17ae4d6f38ff9a326a6271755..b7265987d59e2d97f43cba9cdc5ab308bce07869 100644
--- a/lib_com/ivas_dirac_com.c
+++ b/lib_com/ivas_dirac_com.c
@@ -372,7 +372,11 @@ ivas_error ivas_dirac_sba_config(
         else if ( sba_total_brate <= IVAS_24k4 )
         {
             hQMetaData->bits_frame_nominal = ACELP_16k40 / FRAMES_PER_SEC;
+#ifdef FIX_185_REDUCE_MD_BITS
+            hQMetaData->metadata_max_bits = 103;
+#else
             hQMetaData->metadata_max_bits = 106;
+#endif
         }
         else if ( sba_total_brate <= IVAS_32k )
         {
diff --git a/lib_com/options.h b/lib_com/options.h
index d717b4ebb2bfc209b35f51f5f654056f5af916a4..edc0d9ae06b7b3113500f3538c4af8938d5ca285 100755
--- a/lib_com/options.h
+++ b/lib_com/options.h
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@
 #define FIX_158_DIRAC_MEM                               /* Issue 158: Reduce memory consumption in the hDirac_mem handle */
 #define BRATE_SWITCHING_FRAMEWORK                       /* Bitrate switching changes related to the general framework  */
 #define BRATE_SWITCHING_RENDERING                       /* Bitrate switching changes related to the renderers */
-
+#define FIX_185_REDUCE_MD_BITS                          /* Issue 185: Crash in SBA encoder for 24.4 kbps HOA3 input with longer testvector */
 
 /* ################## End DEVELOPMENT switches ######################### */
 /* clang-format on */
diff --git a/lib_dec/ivas_agc_dec.c b/lib_dec/ivas_agc_dec.c
index 0b25c8216c3b78fe99f47436e69fa944855ec9b1..99585a882985e2240900b7050ef61173b0940c5d 100644
--- a/lib_dec/ivas_agc_dec.c
+++ b/lib_dec/ivas_agc_dec.c
@@ -308,7 +308,11 @@ void ivas_agc_read_bits(
             if ( per_ch_bit[i] == 1 )
             {
                 pState->gain_data[i].absGainExpCurr = get_next_indice( st0, (int16_t) pState->agc_com.betaE );
+#ifdef FIX_185_REDUCE_MD_BITS
+                pState->gain_data[i].gainException = false;
+#else
                 pState->gain_data[i].gainException = get_next_indice( st0, 1 );
+#endif
             }
             else
             {
diff --git a/lib_enc/ivas_agc_enc.c b/lib_enc/ivas_agc_enc.c
index f39f2b81485a638cf53fba3df79041cf41fe741a..0da76da143d73fa269b749af51ecab1e76de0dc3 100644
--- a/lib_enc/ivas_agc_enc.c
+++ b/lib_enc/ivas_agc_enc.c
@@ -512,7 +512,9 @@ void ivas_agc_enc_process(
             if ( per_ch_bit[i] == 1 )
             {
                 push_next_indice( hMetaData, (uint16_t) pState->gain_data[i].absGainExpCurr, (int16_t) pState->agc_com.betaE );
+#ifndef FIX_185_REDUCE_MD_BITS
                 push_next_indice( hMetaData, (uint16_t) pState->gain_data[i].gainException, 1 );
+#endif
                 assert( pState->gain_data[i].gainException == FALSE );
             }
         }