diff --git a/lib_com/options.h b/lib_com/options.h
index 33b25d459c924ccaf43ac7661a96d618f855988c..814a323d0f390959f3886f63cfdbad7cd0bf29cb 100755
--- a/lib_com/options.h
+++ b/lib_com/options.h
@@ -213,6 +213,9 @@
 #ifdef HR_METADATA
 #define FIX_505_MASA_SPHGRID_REUSE                      /* Nokia: Fix issue #505: MASA spherical grid reuse fix */
 #endif
+
+#define FIX_481_UNUSED_VARIABLES                        /* Nokia: Fix issue #481: Unused debug variables */
+
                                                         /* ################## End DEVELOPMENT switches ######################### */
 /* clang-format on */
 
diff --git a/lib_dec/ivas_qmetadata_dec.c b/lib_dec/ivas_qmetadata_dec.c
index 67aefe90386249495c0756cf1e5d7d2a0731d1f5..cc7335c221aca81c5b8794a15dc22bd0adf6c8f2 100644
--- a/lib_dec/ivas_qmetadata_dec.c
+++ b/lib_dec/ivas_qmetadata_dec.c
@@ -805,11 +805,23 @@ int16_t ivas_qmetadata_dec_decode_hr_384_512(
 )
 {
     int16_t d, b, m;
+#ifdef FIX_481_UNUSED_VARIABLES
+#ifdef DEBUG_MODE_QMETADATA
+    int16_t bits_diff_sum;
+#endif
+#else
     int16_t bits_diff_sum;
+#endif
     int16_t nbands, start_band;
     IVAS_QDIRECTION *q_direction;
     int16_t start_index_0;
+#ifdef FIX_481_UNUSED_VARIABLES
+#ifdef DEBUG_MODE_QMETADATA
     int16_t bits_no_dirs_coh, bits_sur_coherence;
+#endif
+#else
+    int16_t bits_no_dirs_coh, bits_sur_coherence;
+#endif
     uint16_t all_coherence_zero;
     int16_t p[MASA_MAXIMUM_CODING_SUBBANDS], dif_p[MASA_MAXIMUM_CODING_SUBBANDS];
 #ifdef FIX_HBR_MASAMETA
@@ -892,13 +904,25 @@ int16_t ivas_qmetadata_dec_decode_hr_384_512(
 
 #endif
     /*Coherence flag decoding*/
+#ifdef FIX_481_UNUSED_VARIABLES
+#ifdef DEBUG_MODE_QMETADATA
+    bits_no_dirs_coh = 0;
+#endif
+#else
     bits_no_dirs_coh = 0;
+#endif
     all_coherence_zero = 1;
     if ( hQMetaData->coherence_flag )
     {
         /* read if coherence is zero */
         all_coherence_zero = bitstream[( *index )--];
+#ifdef FIX_481_UNUSED_VARIABLES
+#ifdef DEBUG_MODE_QMETADATA
+        bits_no_dirs_coh += 1;
+#endif
+#else
         bits_no_dirs_coh += 1;
+#endif
     }
 
     hQMetaData->all_coherence_zero = (uint8_t) all_coherence_zero;
@@ -934,7 +958,13 @@ int16_t ivas_qmetadata_dec_decode_hr_384_512(
             p[b] = p[b - 1] + dif_p[b] + 1;
             hQMetaData->twoDirBands[p[b]] = 1;
         }
+#ifdef FIX_481_UNUSED_VARIABLES
+#ifdef DEBUG_MODE_QMETADATA
+        bits_no_dirs_coh += ( d - *index );
+#endif
+#else
         bits_no_dirs_coh += ( d - *index );
+#endif
     }
 
 #ifdef FIX_HBR_MASAMETA
@@ -947,11 +977,25 @@ int16_t ivas_qmetadata_dec_decode_hr_384_512(
         }
     }
 #endif
-    bits_diff_sum = ivas_qmetadata_entropy_decode_diffuseness_hr_512( bitstream, index, &( hQMetaData->q_direction[0] ) );
+#ifdef FIX_481_UNUSED_VARIABLES
+#ifdef DEBUG_MODE_QMETADATA
+    bits_diff_sum =
+#endif
+#else
+    bits_diff_sum =
+#endif
+        ivas_qmetadata_entropy_decode_diffuseness_hr_512( bitstream, index, &( hQMetaData->q_direction[0] ) );
 
     if ( hQMetaData->no_directions == 2 )
     {
-        bits_diff_sum += ivas_qmetadata_entropy_decode_diffuseness_hr_512( bitstream, index, &( hQMetaData->q_direction[1] ) );
+#ifdef FIX_481_UNUSED_VARIABLES
+#ifdef DEBUG_MODE_QMETADATA
+        bits_diff_sum +=
+#endif
+#else
+        bits_diff_sum +=
+#endif
+            ivas_qmetadata_entropy_decode_diffuseness_hr_512( bitstream, index, &( hQMetaData->q_direction[1] ) );
     }
 
 
@@ -1000,11 +1044,24 @@ int16_t ivas_qmetadata_dec_decode_hr_384_512(
 
     if ( all_coherence_zero == 0 )
     {
-        bits_sur_coherence = read_surround_coherence_hr( bitstream, index, hQMetaData );
+#ifdef FIX_481_UNUSED_VARIABLES
+#ifdef DEBUG_MODE_QMETADATA
+        bits_sur_coherence =
+#endif
+#else
+        bits_sur_coherence =
+#endif
+            read_surround_coherence_hr( bitstream, index, hQMetaData );
     }
     else
     {
+#ifdef FIX_481_UNUSED_VARIABLES
+#ifdef DEBUG_MODE_QMETADATA
+        bits_sur_coherence = 0;
+#endif
+#else
         bits_sur_coherence = 0;
+#endif
         /*Surround coherence*/
         for ( b = 0; b < hQMetaData->q_direction[0].cfg.nbands; b++ )
         {
@@ -1014,7 +1071,13 @@ int16_t ivas_qmetadata_dec_decode_hr_384_512(
             }
         }
     }
+#ifdef FIX_481_UNUSED_VARIABLES
+#ifdef DEBUG_MODE_QMETADATA
+    bits_no_dirs_coh += bits_sur_coherence;
+#endif
+#else
     bits_no_dirs_coh += bits_sur_coherence;
+#endif
 
     for ( d = 0; d < hQMetaData->no_directions; d++ )
     {
@@ -1048,7 +1111,6 @@ int16_t ivas_qmetadata_dec_decode_hr_384_512(
         ivas_qmetadata_raw_decode_dir_512( q_direction, bitstream, index, nbands, start_band, sph_grid16 );
 
 #ifdef DEBUG_MODE_QMETADATA
-
         fprintf( pF, "frame %d: diff %d  surcoh %d ", frame, bits_diff_sum, bits_sur_coherence );
         fprintf( pF, "dir %d\n", start_index_0 - *index );
         fprintf( pF_azi, "frame %d/dir/ec %d: ", frame, d );
diff --git a/lib_enc/ivas_qmetadata_enc.c b/lib_enc/ivas_qmetadata_enc.c
index 3bbf084a7edcb03b488ea466a81f44a9dcbae1d6..17ddbe367687a19741dae585966e9f4a6b806251 100644
--- a/lib_enc/ivas_qmetadata_enc.c
+++ b/lib_enc/ivas_qmetadata_enc.c
@@ -759,7 +759,13 @@ ivas_error ivas_qmetadata_enc_encode_hr_384_512(
     int16_t nbands, nblocks, start_band;
     int16_t ndirections, d;
     int16_t all_coherence_zero;
+#ifdef FIX_481_UNUSED_VARIABLES
+#ifdef DEBUG_MODE_QMETADATA
     int16_t bits_no_dirs_coh;
+#endif
+#else
+    int16_t bits_no_dirs_coh;
+#endif
     int16_t bits_ec;
     float azimuth_orig[MASA_MAXIMUM_CODING_SUBBANDS][MAX_PARAM_SPATIAL_SUBFRAMES], elevation_orig[MASA_MAXIMUM_CODING_SUBBANDS][MAX_PARAM_SPATIAL_SUBFRAMES];
     ivas_error error;
@@ -796,7 +802,13 @@ ivas_error ivas_qmetadata_enc_encode_hr_384_512(
 
     /* Check if coherence should be encoded */
     all_coherence_zero = 1;
+#ifdef FIX_481_UNUSED_VARIABLES
+#ifdef DEBUG_MODE_QMETADATA
     bits_no_dirs_coh = 0;
+#endif
+#else
+    bits_no_dirs_coh = 0;
+#endif
 #ifdef FIX_HBR_MASAMETA
     if ( hQMetaData->q_direction->cfg.inactiveBands > 0 )
     {
@@ -814,13 +826,26 @@ ivas_error ivas_qmetadata_enc_encode_hr_384_512(
     {
         all_coherence_zero = hQMetaData->all_coherence_zero;
         push_next_indice( hMetaData, all_coherence_zero, 1 ); /* signal coherence */
+#ifdef FIX_481_UNUSED_VARIABLES
+#ifdef DEBUG_MODE_QMETADATA
         bits_no_dirs_coh += 1;
+#endif
+#else
+        bits_no_dirs_coh += 1;
+#endif
     }
 
     /* encode 2 direction subbands position */
     if ( ndirections == 2 && bits_sph_idx == 11 )
     {
-        bits_no_dirs_coh += write_2dir_info( hMetaData, hQMetaData->twoDirBands, hQMetaData->q_direction[0].cfg.nbands, hQMetaData->numTwoDirBands );
+#ifdef FIX_481_UNUSED_VARIABLES
+#ifdef DEBUG_MODE_QMETADATA
+        bits_no_dirs_coh +=
+#endif
+#else
+        bits_no_dirs_coh +=
+#endif
+            write_2dir_info( hMetaData, hQMetaData->twoDirBands, hQMetaData->q_direction[0].cfg.nbands, hQMetaData->numTwoDirBands );
 
         for ( i = hQMetaData->numTwoDirBands; i < hQMetaData->q_direction[0].cfg.nbands; i++ )
         {