diff --git a/apps/encoder.c b/apps/encoder.c
index 09baa814aef7be0e841531f81f9127eaaf28578f..474f73bf84b97968abbf46b75fb940646b9b78db 100644
--- a/apps/encoder.c
+++ b/apps/encoder.c
@@ -214,6 +214,7 @@ int main(
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
+#ifndef FIX_94_VERIFY_WAV_NUM_CHANNELS
     /*------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*
      * Open input audio file
      *------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
@@ -229,6 +230,7 @@ int main(
         fprintf( stderr, "Sampling rate mismatch: %d Hz requested, but %d Hz found in file %s\n", arg.inputFs, inFileSampleRate, arg.inputWavFilename );
         goto cleanup;
     }
+#endif
 
     /*------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*
      * Open output bitstream file
@@ -451,6 +453,67 @@ int main(
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
+#ifdef FIX_94_VERIFY_WAV_NUM_CHANNELS
+    /*------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*
+     * Open input audio file
+     *------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
+
+    if ( AudioFileReader_open( &audioReader, arg.inputWavFilename ) != IVAS_ERR_OK )
+    {
+        fprintf( stderr, "\nCan't open %s\n\n", arg.inputWavFilename );
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    /* Validate input sampling rate */
+    int32_t inFileSampleRate = 0;
+    error = AudioFileReader_getSamplingRate( audioReader, &inFileSampleRate );
+    switch ( error )
+    {
+        case IVAS_ERR_OK:
+            if ( inFileSampleRate != arg.inputFs )
+            {
+                fprintf( stderr, "\nSampling rate mismatch: %d Hz requested, but %d Hz found in file %s\n\n", arg.inputFs, inFileSampleRate, arg.inputWavFilename );
+                goto cleanup;
+            }
+            break;
+        case IVAS_ERR_SAMPLING_RATE_UNKNOWN:
+            /* IVAS_ERR_SAMPLING_RATE_UNKNOWN will be returned for raw PCM files.
+             * Nothing to check here */
+            break;
+        default:
+            fprintf( stderr, "\nError: %s\n", ivas_error_to_string( error ) );
+            goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+
+    /* Validate number of channels */
+    int16_t encInNumChannels = 0;
+    if ( ( error = IVAS_ENC_GetNumInChannels( hIvasEnc, &encInNumChannels ) ) != IVAS_ERR_OK )
+    {
+        fprintf( stderr, "\nError: %s\n", ivas_error_to_string( error ) );
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+    int16_t inFileNumChannels = 0;
+    error = AudioFileReader_getNumChannels( audioReader, &inFileNumChannels );
+    switch ( error )
+    {
+        case IVAS_ERR_OK:
+            if ( inFileNumChannels != encInNumChannels )
+            {
+                fprintf( stderr, "\nNumber of input audio channels mismatch: %d accepted by encoder, but %d found in file %s\n\n", encInNumChannels, inFileNumChannels, arg.inputWavFilename );
+                goto cleanup;
+            }
+            break;
+        case IVAS_ERR_NUM_CHANNELS_UNKNOWN:
+            /* IVAS_ERR_NUM_CHANNELS_UNKNOWN will be returned for raw PCM files.
+             * Nothing to check here */
+            break;
+        default:
+            fprintf( stderr, "\nError: %s\n", ivas_error_to_string( error ) );
+            goto cleanup;
+    }
+#endif
+
     /*------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*
      * Open input metadata files
      *------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
diff --git a/apps/renderer.c b/apps/renderer.c
index 66a1d666e3c27ea6fd6ae2cd55b83960b8fd470a..c7b297da4b010f87ca1224d015e1f440f6aacf6b 100644
--- a/apps/renderer.c
+++ b/apps/renderer.c
@@ -568,6 +568,45 @@ int main(
         setupWithSingleFormatInput( args, audioFilePath, positionProvider, masaReaders );
     }
 
+#ifdef FIX_94_VERIFY_WAV_NUM_CHANNELS
+    if ( AudioFileReader_open( &audioReader, audioFilePath ) != IVAS_ERR_OK )
+    {
+        fprintf( stderr, "Error opening file: %s\n", audioFilePath );
+        exit( -1 );
+    }
+
+    int32_t inFileSampleRate = 0;
+    error = AudioFileReader_getSamplingRate( audioReader, &inFileSampleRate );
+    switch ( error )
+    {
+        case IVAS_ERR_OK:
+            if ( inFileSampleRate != args.sampleRate )
+            {
+                fprintf( stderr, "Sampling rate mismatch: %d Hz requested, but %d Hz found in file %s\n", args.sampleRate, inFileSampleRate, args.inputFilePath );
+                exit( -1 );
+            }
+            break;
+        case IVAS_ERR_SAMPLING_RATE_UNKNOWN: /* Returned when input is raw PCM */
+            if ( args.sampleRate == 0 )
+            {
+                fprintf( stderr, "Sampling rate must be specified on command line when using raw PCM input\n" );
+                exit( -1 );
+            }
+            args.sampleRate = inFileSampleRate;
+            break;
+        default:
+            fprintf( stderr, "Error: %s\n", ivas_error_to_string( error ) );
+            exit( -1 );
+    }
+
+    int16_t inFileNumChannels = 0;
+    error = AudioFileReader_getNumChannels( audioReader, &inFileNumChannels );
+    if ( error != IVAS_ERR_OK && error != IVAS_ERR_NUM_CHANNELS_UNKNOWN )
+    {
+        fprintf( stderr, "Error: %s\n", ivas_error_to_string( error ) );
+        exit( -1 );
+    }
+#else
     int32_t inFileSampleRate = 0;
     if ( AudioFileReader_open( &audioReader, audioFilePath, &inFileSampleRate ) != IVAS_ERR_OK )
     {
@@ -588,6 +627,7 @@ int main(
     {
         args.sampleRate = inFileSampleRate;
     }
+#endif
     const int16_t frameSize_smpls = (int16_t) ( 20 * args.sampleRate / 1000 );
 
     IVAS_REND_InputId mcIds[RENDERER_MAX_MC_INPUTS] = { 0 };
@@ -755,8 +795,12 @@ int main(
 
     const int16_t totalNumInChannels = getTotalNumInChannels( hIvasRend, mcIds, ismIds, sbaIds, masaIds );
 
+#ifdef FIX_94_VERIFY_WAV_NUM_CHANNELS
+    if ( inFileNumChannels != 0 /* inFileNumChannels is 0 with raw PCM input */ && totalNumInChannels != inFileNumChannels )
+#else
     if ( AudioFileReader_getNumChannels( audioReader ) != 0 /* If input file is raw PCM, audio reader has no info about number of channels */
          && totalNumInChannels != AudioFileReader_getNumChannels( audioReader ) )
+#endif
     {
         fprintf( stderr, "Number of channels in input file does not match selected configuration\n" );
         exit( -1 );
diff --git a/lib_com/ivas_error.h b/lib_com/ivas_error.h
index 6503249b342eb0f063865d7d3de97a75e686bb3b..735086a7c14c79dc80e6b4d748155890738548db 100644
--- a/lib_com/ivas_error.h
+++ b/lib_com/ivas_error.h
@@ -120,6 +120,10 @@ typedef enum
     IVAS_ERR_BITSTREAM_WRITER_INVALID_FORMAT,
     IVAS_ERR_BITSTREAM_READER_INVALID_DATA,
     IVAS_ERR_BITSTREAM_READER_INVALID_FORMAT,
+#ifdef FIX_94_VERIFY_WAV_NUM_CHANNELS
+    IVAS_ERR_NO_FILE_OPEN,
+    IVAS_ERR_SAMPLING_RATE_UNKNOWN,
+#endif
 
     /*----------------------------------------*
      *    renderer (lib_rend only)            *
diff --git a/lib_com/options.h b/lib_com/options.h
index 61b96cd1ee187786fa1e962d90d9778634427b17..e9b04f07c722785452cee82edf86b425b980e53d 100755
--- a/lib_com/options.h
+++ b/lib_com/options.h
@@ -162,6 +162,8 @@
 
 #define BINAURALIZATION_DELAY_REPORT                    /* VA: Issue 255 - Changes the way the decoder delay is reported */
 
+#define FIX_94_VERIFY_WAV_NUM_CHANNELS                  /* FhG: Issue 94 - Check if number of channels in input wav file matches encoder/renderer configuration */
+
 
 /* ################## End DEVELOPMENT switches ######################### */
 /* clang-format on */
diff --git a/lib_enc/lib_enc.c b/lib_enc/lib_enc.c
index f56dd0d9e3c1c243374a7c6768cfae1c428c11bf..85de203f10034de387dc77d9e5a3b725d11045b5 100755
--- a/lib_enc/lib_enc.c
+++ b/lib_enc/lib_enc.c
@@ -994,6 +994,33 @@ static int16_t getInputBufferSize(
     return (int16_t) ( st_ivas->hEncoderConfig->input_Fs * st_ivas->hEncoderConfig->nchan_inp / FRAMES_PER_SEC );
 }
 
+#ifdef FIX_94_VERIFY_WAV_NUM_CHANNELS
+/*---------------------------------------------------------------------*
+ * IVAS_ENC_GetNumInChannels()
+ *
+ *
+ *---------------------------------------------------------------------*/
+ivas_error IVAS_ENC_GetNumInChannels(
+    const IVAS_ENC_HANDLE hIvasEnc, /* i/o: IVAS encoder handle                                                                                 */
+    int16_t *numInChannels          /* o  : total number of samples expected in the input buffer for current encoder configuration              */
+)
+{
+    if ( hIvasEnc == NULL || numInChannels == NULL )
+    {
+        return IVAS_ERR_UNEXPECTED_NULL_POINTER;
+    }
+
+    if ( !hIvasEnc->isConfigured )
+    {
+        return IVAS_ERR_NOT_CONFIGURED;
+    }
+
+    *numInChannels = hIvasEnc->st_ivas->hEncoderConfig->nchan_inp;
+
+    return IVAS_ERR_OK;
+}
+#endif
+
 
 /*---------------------------------------------------------------------*
  * IVAS_ENC_GetInputBufferSize()
diff --git a/lib_enc/lib_enc.h b/lib_enc/lib_enc.h
index be4d67359665a975f0a86d7de51e6417e9348802..4aef1df1fd02055909afc72a4e7386528a9a4330 100644
--- a/lib_enc/lib_enc.h
+++ b/lib_enc/lib_enc.h
@@ -300,6 +300,14 @@ ivas_error IVAS_ENC_GetDelay(
     int16_t *delay                                  /* o  : encoder delay                                                                                       */
 );
 
+#ifdef FIX_94_VERIFY_WAV_NUM_CHANNELS
+/*! r: encoder error code */
+ivas_error IVAS_ENC_GetNumInChannels(
+    const IVAS_ENC_HANDLE hIvasEnc,                 /* i/o: IVAS encoder handle                                                                                 */
+    int16_t *numInChannels                          /* o  : total number of samples expected in the input buffer for current encoder configuration              */
+);
+#endif
+
 /*! r: encoder error code */
 ivas_error IVAS_ENC_GetInputBufferSize(
     const IVAS_ENC_HANDLE hIvasEnc,                 /* i/o: IVAS encoder handle                                                                                 */
diff --git a/lib_util/audio_file_reader.c b/lib_util/audio_file_reader.c
index 9599cff16930e503340e7f3ef894229291234195..c7feefd7b7d58ae04de932265d9d1e6c18104094 100644
--- a/lib_util/audio_file_reader.c
+++ b/lib_util/audio_file_reader.c
@@ -40,6 +40,9 @@ struct AudioFileReader
 {
     FILE *rawFile;
     WAVEFILEIN *wavFile;
+#ifdef FIX_94_VERIFY_WAV_NUM_CHANNELS
+    uint32_t samplingRate;
+#endif
     int16_t numChannels;
 };
 
@@ -54,14 +57,26 @@ static int8_t AudioFileReader_open_raw(
 
 static int8_t AudioFileReader_open_wav(
     AudioFileReader *self,
-    const char *fileName,
-    int32_t *sampleRate )
+    const char *fileName
+#ifndef FIX_94_VERIFY_WAV_NUM_CHANNELS
+    ,
+    int32_t *sampleRate
+#endif
+)
 {
+#ifdef FIX_94_VERIFY_WAV_NUM_CHANNELS
+    uint32_t samplesInFile;
+#else
     uint32_t sampleRate_, samplesInFile;
+#endif
     int16_t bps;
 
+#ifdef FIX_94_VERIFY_WAV_NUM_CHANNELS
+    self->wavFile = OpenWav( fileName, &self->samplingRate, &self->numChannels, &samplesInFile, &bps );
+#else
     self->wavFile = OpenWav( fileName, &sampleRate_, &self->numChannels, &samplesInFile, &bps );
     *sampleRate = sampleRate_;
+#endif
 
     if ( !self->wavFile )
     {
@@ -76,8 +91,11 @@ static int8_t AudioFileReader_open_wav(
 /*! r: AudioFileReader handle */
 ivas_error AudioFileReader_open(
     AudioFileReader **audioReader, /* o  : AudioFileReader handle                   */
-    const char *fileName,          /* i  : path to wav/raw pcm file                 */
-    int32_t *sampleRate            /* o  : sample rate of wav file, unused with pcm */
+    const char *fileName           /* i  : path to wav/raw pcm file                 */
+#ifndef FIX_94_VERIFY_WAV_NUM_CHANNELS
+    ,
+    int32_t *sampleRate /* o  : sample rate of wav file, unused with pcm */
+#endif
 )
 {
     AudioFileReader *self;
@@ -100,11 +118,19 @@ ivas_error AudioFileReader_open(
         return IVAS_ERR_FAILED_FILE_OPEN;
     }
     self = calloc( sizeof( AudioFileReader ), 1 );
+#ifdef FIX_94_VERIFY_WAV_NUM_CHANNELS
+    self->samplingRate = 0;
+#endif
     self->numChannels = 0;
 
     if ( fileNameLen > wavSuffixLen && strncmp( fileName + fileNameLen - wavSuffixLen, wavSuffix, wavSuffixLen ) == 0 )
     {
-        retCode = AudioFileReader_open_wav( self, fileName, sampleRate );
+        retCode = AudioFileReader_open_wav( self, fileName
+#ifndef FIX_94_VERIFY_WAV_NUM_CHANNELS
+                                            ,
+                                            sampleRate
+#endif
+        );
     }
     else
     {
@@ -180,6 +206,58 @@ ivas_error AudioFileReader_read(
     return error;
 }
 
+#ifdef FIX_94_VERIFY_WAV_NUM_CHANNELS
+ivas_error AudioFileReader_getSamplingRate(
+    AudioFileReader *self,
+    int32_t *samplingRate )
+{
+    if ( self == NULL || samplingRate == NULL )
+    {
+        return IVAS_ERR_UNEXPECTED_NULL_POINTER;
+    }
+
+    if ( self->rawFile )
+    {
+        return IVAS_ERR_SAMPLING_RATE_UNKNOWN;
+    }
+    else if ( self->wavFile )
+    {
+        *samplingRate = self->samplingRate;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        return IVAS_ERR_NO_FILE_OPEN;
+    }
+
+    return IVAS_ERR_OK;
+}
+
+
+ivas_error AudioFileReader_getNumChannels(
+    AudioFileReader *self,
+    int16_t *numChannels )
+{
+    if ( self == NULL || numChannels == NULL )
+    {
+        return IVAS_ERR_UNEXPECTED_NULL_POINTER;
+    }
+
+    if ( self->rawFile )
+    {
+        return IVAS_ERR_NUM_CHANNELS_UNKNOWN;
+    }
+    else if ( self->wavFile )
+    {
+        *numChannels = self->numChannels;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        return IVAS_ERR_NO_FILE_OPEN;
+    }
+
+    return IVAS_ERR_OK;
+}
+#else
 /*! r: number of channels of the opened file */
 int16_t AudioFileReader_getNumChannels(
     AudioFileReader *self /* i/o: AudioFileReader handle              */
@@ -192,3 +270,4 @@ int16_t AudioFileReader_getNumChannels(
 
     return 0;
 }
+#endif
diff --git a/lib_util/audio_file_reader.h b/lib_util/audio_file_reader.h
index 46c458e646a79653c316d4805fe5ba723caab8c1..2f20be8b7bc60f8d9c8431d9d3afe20b542499c2 100644
--- a/lib_util/audio_file_reader.h
+++ b/lib_util/audio_file_reader.h
@@ -43,11 +43,12 @@ typedef struct AudioFileReader AudioFileReader;
 
 ivas_error AudioFileReader_open(
     AudioFileReader **audioReader,            /* o  : AudioFileReader handle                    */
-    const char *fileName,                     /* i  : path to wav/raw pcm file                  */
-    int32_t *sampleRate                       /* o  : sample rate of wav file, unused with pcm  */
+    const char *fileName                      /* i  : path to wav/raw pcm file                  */
+#ifndef FIX_94_VERIFY_WAV_NUM_CHANNELS
+    ,int32_t *sampleRate                       /* o  : sample rate of wav file, unused with pcm  */
+#endif
 );
 
-/*! r: number of read samples */
 ivas_error AudioFileReader_read(
     AudioFileReader *self,                    /* i/o: AudioFileReader handle              */
     int16_t *samples,                         /* o  : samples read from the opened file   */
@@ -55,10 +56,24 @@ ivas_error AudioFileReader_read(
     int16_t *numSamplesRead                   /* i  : number of samples actualy read      */
 );
 
+#ifdef FIX_94_VERIFY_WAV_NUM_CHANNELS
+/*! r: ivas error - in particular, IVAS_ERR_SAMPLING_RATE_UNKNOWN if the opened file has no sampling rate metadata */
+ivas_error AudioFileReader_getSamplingRate(
+  AudioFileReader *self,                      /* i/o: AudioFileReader handle              */
+  int32_t* samplingRate                       /* o  : sampling rate of opened audio file  */  
+);
+
+/*! r: ivas error - in particular, IVAS_ERR_NUM_CHANNELS_UNKNOWN if the opened file has no metadata specifying number of channels */
+ivas_error AudioFileReader_getNumChannels(
+  AudioFileReader *self,                      /* i/o: AudioFileReader handle                   */
+  int16_t * numChannels                       /* o  : number fo channels in opened audio file  */  
+);
+#else
 /*! r: number of channels of the opened file */
 int16_t AudioFileReader_getNumChannels(
   AudioFileReader *self                       /* i/o: AudioFileReader handle              */
 );
+#endif
 
 void AudioFileReader_close( 
     AudioFileReader **selfPtr                 /* i/o: pointer to AudioFileReader handle   */