diff --git a/ci/smoke_test.sh b/ci/smoke_test.sh
index 1e758b6263807a7e435581c54c2486e3d9b0008b..e6ccc1ffa5851d08e5e9275536b5430b233bf925 100755
--- a/ci/smoke_test.sh
+++ b/ci/smoke_test.sh
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ fi
 cfg=./scripts/config/ci_linux.json
 dly_profile=./scripts/dly_error_profiles/dly_error_profile_10.dat
 ism_md_cmd="--metadata_files /usr/local/ltv/ltvISM1.csv /usr/local/ltv/ltvISM2.csv /usr/local/ltv/ltvISM3.csv /usr/local/ltv/ltvISM4.csv"
+duration_arg="-U 1:2"
 
 if [ $BUILD -eq 1 ];then
 	# Enable memory macros to find unbalanced memory allocations/deallocations
@@ -79,20 +80,20 @@ fi
 ism_modes=$(./scripts/runIvasCodec.py -l | grep ISM)
 non_ism_modes=$(./scripts/runIvasCodec.py -l | grep -v ISM)
 echo "\n======================= 1. non-ism modes no FEC =======================\n\n"
-./scripts/runIvasCodec.py -m $non_ism_modes -p $cfg -U 1 $WORKERS | tee smoke_test_output.txt
+./scripts/runIvasCodec.py -m $non_ism_modes -p $cfg $duration_arg $WORKERS | tee smoke_test_output.txt
 echo "\n======================= 2. ism modes no FEC =======================\n\n"
-./scripts/runIvasCodec.py -m $ism_modes -p $cfg -U 1 $WORKERS $ism_md_cmd | tee smoke_test_output.txt
+./scripts/runIvasCodec.py -m $ism_modes -p $cfg $duration_arg $WORKERS $ism_md_cmd | tee smoke_test_output.txt
 # run the decoding again, but with 15% frame loss
 echo "\n======================= 3. all modes with FEC =======================\n\n"
-./scripts/runIvasCodec.py -p $cfg -U 1 $WORKERS -D="-fec 15" --decoder_only | tee smoke_test_output_plc.txt
+./scripts/runIvasCodec.py -p $cfg $duration_arg $WORKERS -D="-fec 15" --decoder_only | tee smoke_test_output_plc.txt
 
 # run JBM modes - EXT is excluded as not supported yet
 modes_with_no_ext_out=$(./scripts/runIvasCodec.py -l | grep -v MASA | grep -v ISM)
 modes_with_ext_out=$(./scripts/runIvasCodec.py -l | grep 'MASA\|ISM' | grep -v ISM+)
 echo "\n======================= 4. JBM, modes with no EXT =======================\n\n"
-./scripts/runIvasCodec.py -m $modes_with_no_ext_out -p $cfg -U 1 $WORKERS --decoder_only --jbm_file $dly_profile | tee smoke_test_output_jbm_noEXT.txt
+./scripts/runIvasCodec.py -m $modes_with_no_ext_out -p $cfg $duration_arg $WORKERS --decoder_only --jbm_file $dly_profile | tee smoke_test_output_jbm_noEXT.txt
 echo "\n======================= 5. JBM, modes with EXT =======================\n\n"
-./scripts/runIvasCodec.py -m $modes_with_ext_out -p $cfg -U 1 $WORKERS --decoder_only --jbm_file $dly_profile --oc BINAURAL BINAURAL_ROOM mono stereo FOA HOA3 5_1 7_1_4 | tee -a smoke_test_output_jbm_noEXT.txt
+./scripts/runIvasCodec.py -m $modes_with_ext_out -p $cfg $duration_arg $WORKERS --decoder_only --jbm_file $dly_profile --oc BINAURAL BINAURAL_ROOM mono stereo FOA HOA3 5_1 7_1_4 | tee -a smoke_test_output_jbm_noEXT.txt
 
 # run all modes with binaural output using external files
 modes_with_bin_out="SBA PlanarSBA MASA MC ISM1 ISM2 ISM3 ISM4"
@@ -101,14 +102,14 @@ bin_out_modes="BINAURAL BINAURAL_ROOM"
 echo "\n======================= 6. binaural out with HRTF files - WB =======================\n\n"
 wb_modes=$(./scripts/runIvasCodec.py -l -C $modes_with_bin_out | grep _wb_)
 hrtf_wb="../scripts/binauralRenderer_interface/binaural_renderers_hrtf_data/ivas_binaural_16kHz.bin"
-./scripts/runIvasCodec.py -p $cfg -m $wb_modes -U 1 $WORKERS -D="-hrtf ${hrtf_wb}" --decoder_only --oc $bin_out_modes | tee -a smoke_test_output_hrtf.txt
+./scripts/runIvasCodec.py -p $cfg -m $wb_modes $duration_arg $WORKERS -D="-hrtf ${hrtf_wb}" --decoder_only --oc $bin_out_modes | tee -a smoke_test_output_hrtf.txt
 
 echo "\n======================= 7. binaural out with HRTF files - SWB =======================\n\n"
 swb_modes=$(./scripts/runIvasCodec.py -l -C $modes_with_bin_out | grep _swb_)
 hrtf_swb="../scripts/binauralRenderer_interface/binaural_renderers_hrtf_data/ivas_binaural_32kHz.bin"
-./scripts/runIvasCodec.py -p $cfg -m $swb_modes -U 1 $WORKERS -D="-hrtf ${hrtf_swb}" --decoder_only --oc $bin_out_modes | tee -a smoke_test_output_hrtf.txt
+./scripts/runIvasCodec.py -p $cfg -m $swb_modes $duration_arg $WORKERS -D="-hrtf ${hrtf_swb}" --decoder_only --oc $bin_out_modes | tee -a smoke_test_output_hrtf.txt
 
 echo "\n======================= 8. binaural out with HRTF files - FB =======================\n\n"
 fb_modes=$(./scripts/runIvasCodec.py -l -C $modes_with_bin_out | grep _fb_)
 hrtf_fb="../scripts/binauralRenderer_interface/binaural_renderers_hrtf_data/ivas_binaural_48kHz.bin"
-./scripts/runIvasCodec.py -p $cfg -m $fb_modes -U 1 $WORKERS -D="-hrtf ${hrtf_fb}" --decoder_only --oc $bin_out_modes | tee -a smoke_test_output_hrtf.txt
+./scripts/runIvasCodec.py -p $cfg -m $fb_modes $duration_arg $WORKERS -D="-hrtf ${hrtf_fb}" --decoder_only --oc $bin_out_modes | tee -a smoke_test_output_hrtf.txt
diff --git a/scripts/pyivastest/IvasModeRunner.py b/scripts/pyivastest/IvasModeRunner.py
index 114991c3743c06e610ea85f784dba0843d75e70a..cabf7d424bb45dd19eeb61782e831bf5fc4aa4b7 100644
--- a/scripts/pyivastest/IvasModeRunner.py
+++ b/scripts/pyivastest/IvasModeRunner.py
@@ -183,6 +183,7 @@ class IvasModeRunner(IvasModeCollector.IvasModeCollector):
         self.flat_output_structure = flat_output_structure
         self.limit_duration = False
         self.max_duration = 0.0
+        self.start_time = 0.0
         self.encoder_cmdline_options = []
         self.decoder_cmdline_options = []
         self.run_encoder = True
@@ -541,7 +542,7 @@ class IvasModeRunner(IvasModeCollector.IvasModeCollector):
                             str(sample_rate_in),
                             "_",
                             config["cmd"]["in_config"].upper(),
-                            "_L{}s".format("_".join(str(self.max_duration).split("."))),
+                            "_L{}-{}s".format("_".join(str(self.start_time).split(".")), "_".join(str(self.max_duration).split("."))),
                             ".pcm",
                         ]
                     )
@@ -606,16 +607,19 @@ class IvasModeRunner(IvasModeCollector.IvasModeCollector):
 
                         # check if the given length with -U is longer than the file itself and avoid cutting then
                         if do_limit_duration:
-                            cut_len_samples = int(float(self.max_duration) * fs)
-
                             in_len = sig.shape[0]
+                            # first check if start time exceeds signal length
+                            start_time_samples = int(float(self.start_time) * fs)
+                            if start_time_samples >= in_len:
+                                raise RuntimeError("Signal is shorter than given start time")
+
+                            cut_len_samples = int(float(self.max_duration) * fs)
 
-                            # no need to cut anything if given length is bigger than signal length
-                            if cut_len_samples < in_len:
-                                out_len = int(float(self.max_duration) * fs)
-                                sig = ar.cut(sig, (0, out_len))
+                            if cut_len_samples + start_time_samples < in_len or start_time_samples > 0:
+                                out_len = min(cut_len_samples, in_len - start_time_samples)
+                                sig = ar.cut(sig, (start_time_samples, out_len))
 
-                                pcm_log.write("Limit signal length to {} samples".format(out_len))
+                                pcm_log.write("Limit signal length to {}:{} samples".format(start_time_samples, out_len))
                                 af.writefile(pcm_name_cpy_transformed, sig, fs)
 
                                 resamp_in_path = pcm_name_cpy_transformed
diff --git a/scripts/pyivastest/IvasScriptsCommon.py b/scripts/pyivastest/IvasScriptsCommon.py
index a3876a2b4ee73d429b39a3e90deb17e267449dbe..ec501d0154219e3556f656024e1aa8de4eb38130 100644
--- a/scripts/pyivastest/IvasScriptsCommon.py
+++ b/scripts/pyivastest/IvasScriptsCommon.py
@@ -242,8 +242,8 @@ class IvasScriptArgParser(argparse.ArgumentParser):
                 "-U",
                 "--limit_duration",
                 default=None,
-                help="limit dUration of input file to X seconds",
-                type=float,
+                help="limit dUration by specifying start and end of input signal in seconds. Can be either a single float value (will be interpreted as length), or by giving as start: (will be interpreted as start), or by giving as start:end",
+                type=str,
             )
             self.add_argument(
                 "-f", "--fer_file", default="", help="frame error pattern file"
@@ -548,7 +548,23 @@ def runner_setup(runner, args):
 
     if args["limit_duration"]:
         runner.limit_duration = True
-        runner.max_duration = args["limit_duration"]
+
+        # parse given argument
+        arg = args["limit_duration"]
+        start = 0
+
+        try:
+            end = float(arg)
+        except ValueError:
+            try:
+                start, end = arg.split(':')
+                start = float(start)
+                end = float(end)
+            except ValueError:
+                raise ValueError(f"Given duration string {arg} is invalid")
+        
+        runner.max_duration = end
+        runner.start_time = start
 
     if "fer_file" in args.keys() or "ber_file" in args.keys():
         # assert that the eid-xor tool is there