diff --git a/Workspace_msvc/decoder.vcxproj b/Workspace_msvc/decoder.vcxproj
index 0bccec7978e9d997b8a1faa1975cb8b97859ff75..e59992847c71b085235a5232aad1afa7d710d17f 100644
--- a/Workspace_msvc/decoder.vcxproj
+++ b/Workspace_msvc/decoder.vcxproj
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@
     </Midl>
     <ClCompile>
       <Optimization>Disabled</Optimization>
-      <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\lib_com;..\lib_debug;..\lib_dec;..\lib_enc;..\lib_util;%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
+      <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\lib_dec;..\lib_com;..\lib_util;..\lib_debug;%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
       <PreprocessorDefinitions>_CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS;WIN32;$(Macros);%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
       <ExceptionHandling />
       <BasicRuntimeChecks>EnableFastChecks</BasicRuntimeChecks>
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@
       <FavorSizeOrSpeed>Neither</FavorSizeOrSpeed>
       <OmitFramePointers>false</OmitFramePointers>
       <EnableFiberSafeOptimizations>false</EnableFiberSafeOptimizations>
-      <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\lib_com;..\lib_debug;..\lib_dec;..\lib_enc;..\lib_util;%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
+      <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\lib_dec;..\lib_com;..\lib_util;..\lib_debug;%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
       <PreprocessorDefinitions>_CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS;$(Macros);%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
       <StringPooling>true</StringPooling>
       <ExceptionHandling />
diff --git a/Workspace_msvc/encoder.vcxproj b/Workspace_msvc/encoder.vcxproj
index 755e404b67a52507e54da9b60b2690d42ab4b6d5..bcfe92a4db2218e2e04ae78a7cf7ea35cdc24349 100644
--- a/Workspace_msvc/encoder.vcxproj
+++ b/Workspace_msvc/encoder.vcxproj
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@
     </Midl>
     <ClCompile>
       <Optimization>Disabled</Optimization>
-      <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\lib_com;..\lib_debug;..\lib_dec;..\lib_enc;..\lib_util;%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
+      <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\lib_enc;..\lib_com;..\lib_util;..\lib_debug;%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
       <PreprocessorDefinitions>_CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS;WIN32;$(Macros);%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
       <ExceptionHandling />
       <BasicRuntimeChecks>EnableFastChecks</BasicRuntimeChecks>
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@
       <FavorSizeOrSpeed>Neither</FavorSizeOrSpeed>
       <OmitFramePointers>false</OmitFramePointers>
       <EnableFiberSafeOptimizations>false</EnableFiberSafeOptimizations>
-      <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\lib_enc;..\lib_dec;..\lib_com;..\lib_util;..\lib_debug;%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
+      <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\lib_enc;..\lib_com;..\lib_util;..\lib_debug;%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
       <PreprocessorDefinitions>_CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS;$(Macros);%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
       <StringPooling>true</StringPooling>
       <ExceptionHandling />
diff --git a/Workspace_msvc/lib_com.vcxproj b/Workspace_msvc/lib_com.vcxproj
index 994b1ec4291fcd5b010f022167796fcb4921f7f9..2bcf77f098e0ad1b668c58fc212c6274b41af6fe 100644
--- a/Workspace_msvc/lib_com.vcxproj
+++ b/Workspace_msvc/lib_com.vcxproj
@@ -358,4 +358,4 @@
       <UserProperties DevPartner_IsInstrumented="0" />
     </VisualStudio>
   </ProjectExtensions>
-</Project>
+</Project>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Workspace_msvc/lib_debug.vcxproj b/Workspace_msvc/lib_debug.vcxproj
index 8a14cbdd31a94c0c1a8bdd4e55df18145f74c557..3b648fae048920ae06aa709785d4b49d2e58d710 100644
--- a/Workspace_msvc/lib_debug.vcxproj
+++ b/Workspace_msvc/lib_debug.vcxproj
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@
     </CustomBuildStep>
     <ClCompile>
       <Optimization>Disabled</Optimization>
-      <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\lib_com;..\lib_debug;..\lib_dec;..\lib_enc;..\lib_rend;%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
+      <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\lib_com;..\lib_debug;%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
       <PreprocessorDefinitions>_CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS;$(Macros);%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
       <MinimalRebuild>false</MinimalRebuild>
       <ExceptionHandling />
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@
       <InlineFunctionExpansion>AnySuitable</InlineFunctionExpansion>
       <IntrinsicFunctions>false</IntrinsicFunctions>
       <WholeProgramOptimization>false</WholeProgramOptimization>
-      <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\lib_com;..\lib_debug;..\lib_dec;..\lib_enc;..\lib_rend;%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
+      <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\lib_com;..\lib_debug;%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
       <PreprocessorDefinitions>_CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS;$(Macros);%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
       <StringPooling>true</StringPooling>
       <ExceptionHandling />
@@ -149,8 +149,6 @@
   </ItemGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <ClInclude Include="..\lib_debug\debug.h" />
-    <ClInclude Include="..\lib_debug\deb_out.h" />
-    <ClInclude Include="..\lib_debug\errorhnd.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="..\lib_debug\sba_debug.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="..\lib_debug\wmc_auto.h" />
   </ItemGroup>
diff --git a/Workspace_msvc/lib_dec.vcxproj b/Workspace_msvc/lib_dec.vcxproj
index 34b63eba780daaa19b319666d1510a4bf97d2d09..773dafc2c5babae03ebb5fb16a1def680dc72712 100644
--- a/Workspace_msvc/lib_dec.vcxproj
+++ b/Workspace_msvc/lib_dec.vcxproj
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@
     </Midl>
     <ClCompile>
       <Optimization>Disabled</Optimization>
-      <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\lib_com;..\lib_debug;..\lib_dec;..\lib_enc;..\lib_util;..\lib_rend;%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
+      <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\lib_com;..\lib_debug;..\lib_dec;..\lib_enc;..\lib_rend;%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
       <PreprocessorDefinitions>_CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS;$(Macros);WIN32;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
       <ExceptionHandling />
       <BasicRuntimeChecks>EnableFastChecks</BasicRuntimeChecks>
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@
       <FavorSizeOrSpeed>Neither</FavorSizeOrSpeed>
       <OmitFramePointers>false</OmitFramePointers>
       <EnableFiberSafeOptimizations>false</EnableFiberSafeOptimizations>
-      <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\lib_com;..\lib_debug;..\lib_dec;..\lib_enc;..\lib_util;..\lib_rend;%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
+      <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\lib_com;..\lib_debug;..\lib_dec;..\lib_enc;..\lib_rend;%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
       <PreprocessorDefinitions>_CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS;$(Macros);WIN32;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
       <StringPooling>true</StringPooling>
       <ExceptionHandling />
diff --git a/Workspace_msvc/lib_rend.vcxproj b/Workspace_msvc/lib_rend.vcxproj
index e0660f54cb03ef6a92e51b7a3a99af9b4e8eefa7..c3a12686948da841c8373af7cbda5f337af9c5e5 100644
--- a/Workspace_msvc/lib_rend.vcxproj
+++ b/Workspace_msvc/lib_rend.vcxproj
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@
     </Midl>
     <ClCompile>
       <Optimization>Disabled</Optimization>
-      <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\lib_com;..\lib_debug;..\lib_dec;..\lib_enc;..\lib_util;%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
+      <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\lib_com;..\lib_debug;..\lib_dec;..\lib_enc;%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
       <PreprocessorDefinitions>_CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS;$(Macros);WIN32;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
       <ExceptionHandling />
       <BasicRuntimeChecks>EnableFastChecks</BasicRuntimeChecks>
diff --git a/Workspace_msvc/lib_util.vcxproj b/Workspace_msvc/lib_util.vcxproj
index 3e269dab4bf714878ae0e69689dab54d7d2f5eb9..32bebc753654bfa97481586598e171fdb5e9451b 100644
--- a/Workspace_msvc/lib_util.vcxproj
+++ b/Workspace_msvc/lib_util.vcxproj
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@
   <ItemDefinitionGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|Win32'">
     <ClCompile>
       <Optimization>Disabled</Optimization>
-      <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\lib_com;..\lib_debug;..\lib_dec;..\lib_enc;..\lib_util;..\lib_rend;%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
+      <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\lib_com;..\lib_debug;..\lib_dec;..\lib_enc;..\lib_rend;..\lib_util;%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
       <PreprocessorDefinitions>_CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS;$(Macros);ZLIB_WINAPI;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
       <MinimalRebuild>false</MinimalRebuild>
       <ExceptionHandling />
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@
       <InlineFunctionExpansion>AnySuitable</InlineFunctionExpansion>
       <IntrinsicFunctions>false</IntrinsicFunctions>
       <WholeProgramOptimization>false</WholeProgramOptimization>
-      <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\lib_com;..\lib_debug;..\lib_dec;..\lib_enc;..\lib_util;..\lib_rend;%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
+      <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\lib_com;..\lib_debug;..\lib_dec;..\lib_enc;..\lib_rend;..\lib_util;%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
       <PreprocessorDefinitions>_CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS;$(Macros);ZLIB_WINAPI;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
       <StringPooling>true</StringPooling>
       <ExceptionHandling />
diff --git a/Workspace_msvc/renderer.vcxproj b/Workspace_msvc/renderer.vcxproj
index 6ca03f67dd3d36153fa63d572f02a805b572b23a..94ad9f774e7bd050c4e940eb9a47911f18d783ef 100644
--- a/Workspace_msvc/renderer.vcxproj
+++ b/Workspace_msvc/renderer.vcxproj
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@
     </Midl>
     <ClCompile>
       <Optimization>Disabled</Optimization>
-      <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\lib_com;..\lib_debug;..\lib_dec;..\lib_enc;..\lib_util;..\lib_rend;%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
+      <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\lib_com;..\lib_dec;..\lib_enc;..\lib_debug;..\lib_util;..\lib_rend;%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
       <PreprocessorDefinitions>_CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS;WIN32;$(Macros);%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
       <ExceptionHandling />
       <BasicRuntimeChecks>EnableFastChecks</BasicRuntimeChecks>
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@
       <FavorSizeOrSpeed>Neither</FavorSizeOrSpeed>
       <OmitFramePointers>false</OmitFramePointers>
       <EnableFiberSafeOptimizations>false</EnableFiberSafeOptimizations>
-      <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\lib_com;..\lib_debug;..\lib_dec;..\lib_enc;..\lib_util;..\lib_rend;%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
+      <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\lib_com;..\lib_dec;..\lib_enc;..\lib_debug;..\lib_util;..\lib_rend;%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
       <PreprocessorDefinitions>_CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS;$(Macros);%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
       <StringPooling>true</StringPooling>
       <ExceptionHandling />
diff --git a/lib_com/options.h b/lib_com/options.h
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
diff --git a/lib_debug/debug.c b/lib_debug/debug.c
index ed22f3f65108eff68807e1bc1e386a9e8c57c656..4b2a68259171ce69fca0de8a2d6c7b70bb915d7e 100644
--- a/lib_debug/debug.c
+++ b/lib_debug/debug.c
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include "options.h"
-#include "prot.h"
 #ifdef DEBUGGING
 #include "debug.h"
 #ifdef DEBUG_MODE_INFO
diff --git a/lib_debug/sba_debug.c b/lib_debug/sba_debug.c
index cce06a0423d803a93202837d57eca5f83b834c04..040cadf88774b68fad67286377ef5ad721c15ee5 100644
--- a/lib_debug/sba_debug.c
+++ b/lib_debug/sba_debug.c
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include "options.h"
 #include "ivas_cnst.h"
-#include "prot.h"
 #include "sba_debug.h"
 #include <assert.h>
 #include "wmc_auto.h"
diff --git a/lib_debug/snr.c b/lib_debug/snr.c
index b9d47864d1ffaf091893a91ddde19838a7628b96..e9fad1c3446f74c27a3f5ee867bee22299aa60da 100644
--- a/lib_debug/snr.c
+++ b/lib_debug/snr.c
@@ -32,15 +32,15 @@
 
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include "options.h"
-#include "rom_com.h"
 #ifdef DEBUGGING
 #include "debug.h"
 #endif
 #include <math.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
 #include "wmc_auto.h"
 #include "cnst.h"
-#include "prot.h"
+#include "ivas_cnst.h"
 
 #ifdef DEBUGGING
 
@@ -79,6 +79,133 @@ static float mem_deemph_y[MAX_INPUT_CHANNELS] = { 0 };
 static float mem_synth_snr[MAX_INPUT_CHANNELS][M];
 
 
+/*-------------------------------------------------------------------*
+ * Local functions - they are copies of functions declared in prot.h but
+   here we do not want to include prot.h due to its dependencies
+ *--------------------------------------------------------------------*/
+
+static float sum2_f(
+    const float *vec,  /* i  : input vector                          */
+    const int16_t lvec /* i  : length of input vector                */
+)
+{
+    int16_t i;
+    float tmp;
+
+    tmp = 0.0f;
+    for ( i = 0; i < lvec; i++ )
+    {
+        tmp += vec[i] * vec[i];
+    }
+
+    return tmp;
+}
+
+
+static void mvr2r(
+    const float x[], /* i  : input vector  */
+    float y[],       /* o  : output vector */
+    const int16_t n  /* i  : vector size   */
+)
+{
+    int16_t i;
+
+    if ( n <= 0 )
+    {
+        /* cannot transfer vectors with size 0 */
+        return;
+    }
+
+    if ( y < x )
+    {
+        for ( i = 0; i < n; i++ )
+        {
+            y[i] = x[i];
+        }
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        for ( i = n - 1; i >= 0; i-- )
+        {
+            y[i] = x[i];
+        }
+    }
+
+    return;
+}
+
+static void residu(
+    const float *a,  /* i  : LP filter coefficients           */
+    const int16_t m, /* i  : order of LP filter               */
+    const float *x,  /* i  : input signal (usually speech)    */
+    float *y,        /* o  : output signal (usually residual) */
+    const int16_t l  /* i  : size of filtering                */
+)
+{
+    float s;
+    int16_t i, j;
+
+    for ( i = 0; i < l; i++ )
+    {
+        s = x[i];
+        for ( j = 1; j <= m; j++ )
+        {
+            s += a[j] * x[i - j];
+        }
+        y[i] = s;
+    }
+
+    return;
+}
+
+static void deemph(
+    float *signal,   /* i/o: signal            */
+    const float mu,  /* i  : deemphasis factor */
+    const int16_t L, /* i  : vector size       */
+    float *mem       /* i/o: memory (y[-1])    */
+)
+{
+    int16_t i;
+
+    signal[0] = signal[0] + mu * ( *mem );
+    for ( i = 1; i < L; i++ )
+    {
+        signal[i] = signal[i] + mu * signal[i - 1];
+    }
+
+    *mem = signal[L - 1];
+
+    if ( ( *mem < 1e-10 ) & ( *mem > -1e-10 ) )
+    {
+        *mem = 0;
+    }
+
+    return;
+}
+
+static void weight_a(
+    const float *a,    /* i  : LP filter coefficients          */
+    float *ap,         /* o  : weighted LP filter coefficients */
+    const float gamma, /* i  : weighting factor                */
+    const int16_t m    /* i  : order of LP filter              */
+)
+{
+    float f;
+    int16_t i;
+
+    ap[0] = a[0];
+    f = gamma;
+
+    for ( i = 1; i <= m; i++ )
+    {
+        ap[i] = f * a[i];
+        f *= gamma;
+    }
+
+    return;
+}
+
+
 /*-------------------------------------------------------------------*
  * snr()
  *
diff --git a/lib_util/hrtf_file_reader.c b/lib_util/hrtf_file_reader.c
index 33337258ea25073a3f43866b736921a01e7b70df..97b33b7fd18c0da112b2ae05a6b85e5b41a3cc2f 100644
--- a/lib_util/hrtf_file_reader.c
+++ b/lib_util/hrtf_file_reader.c
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@
 #include "hrtf_file_reader.h"
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
-#include "prot.h"
-#include "ivas_prot.h"
+#include "prot.h"      // VE: !!!!!
+#include "ivas_prot.h" // VE: !!!!!
 
 #ifdef HRTF_BINARY_FILE
 #include "lib_dec.h"
diff --git a/lib_util/ls_custom_file_reader.c b/lib_util/ls_custom_file_reader.c
index 526fc74c129db9518c2f7ab8044f5058e80dccc0..d2e823c816cb85e7e12de6600a4cb5226b87101b 100644
--- a/lib_util/ls_custom_file_reader.c
+++ b/lib_util/ls_custom_file_reader.c
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
-#include "ivas_prot.h"
-#include "prot.h"
+#include "ivas_prot.h" // VE: !!!!!
+#include "prot.h"      // VE: !!!!!
 
 
 struct LsCustomFileReader
diff --git a/lib_util/masa_file_reader.c b/lib_util/masa_file_reader.c
index da90f7808814433b9f69a278038a03791529a3f4..29ef9e347a608545fa029452741293328eea44d8 100644
--- a/lib_util/masa_file_reader.c
+++ b/lib_util/masa_file_reader.c
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@
 *******************************************************************************************************/
 
 #include "masa_file_reader.h"
-#include "ivas_prot.h"
+#include "ivas_prot.h" // VE: !!!!!
+#include "ivas_stat_com.h"
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <math.h>
diff --git a/lib_util/mime_io.c b/lib_util/mime_io.c
index 4615a9219decfe99acc45456dca757cb37bcad09..b640512466a1633ae442ad2b4b5ad4341400aaf4 100644
--- a/lib_util/mime_io.c
+++ b/lib_util/mime_io.c
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 #include "options.h"
 #include "mime_io.h"
 #include "mime.h"
-#include "prot.h"
+#include "prot.h" // VE: !!!!!
 #include "string.h"
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
diff --git a/lib_util/render_config_reader.c b/lib_util/render_config_reader.c
index 1a0b4f39b3a7ca229ff753fbce9a1d8fe4c26fe8..3ade7e576a2885837c42fe623648488219bd6dd1 100644
--- a/lib_util/render_config_reader.c
+++ b/lib_util/render_config_reader.c
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include "cmdl_tools.h"
-#include "prot.h"
-#include "ivas_cnst.h"
+#include "prot.h" // VE: !!!!!
+
 
 /*------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*
  * PreProc Macros