diff --git a/lib_rend/lib_rend.c b/lib_rend/lib_rend.c
index e5c251f1a2a8802030913045daabf63bfa56c0b1..5a99ae0057ef80cb32e7c5f05c9f11971854fd7c 100644
--- a/lib_rend/lib_rend.c
+++ b/lib_rend/lib_rend.c
@@ -4037,7 +4037,7 @@ ivas_error IVAS_REND_AddInput(
     }
 
 #ifdef SPLIT_REND_WITH_HEAD_ROT
-    if ( hIvasRend->splitRendEncBuffer.data == NULL )
+    if ( hIvasRend->splitRendEncBuffer.data == NULL && hIvasRend->hRendererConfig != NULL )
     {
         if ( ( error = initSplitRend( &hIvasRend->splitRendWrapper, &hIvasRend->splitRendEncBuffer, &hIvasRend->hRendererConfig->split_rend_config, hIvasRend->headRotData, hIvasRend->sampleRateOut, hIvasRend->outputConfig ) ) != IVAS_ERR_OK )
         {