diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index df709ee95044a9d53f712e09e305cd49d13b58bc..555603e6b2eb590f0085d6b0db59ec78ff85686a 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -312,6 +312,13 @@ stages:
     - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'push'
       when: never
 
+.rules-mr-to-main-or-main-pc-or-manual:
+  rules:
+    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'web' && $MANUAL_PIPELINE_TYPE == "pytest-compare"
+    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'merge_request_event' && ($CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TARGET_BRANCH_NAME == "main" || $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TARGET_BRANCH_NAME == "main-pc")
+    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'push'
+      when: never
+
 .rules-pytest-long:
   rules:
     - if: $PYTEST_MLD_LONG # Set by scheduled pipeline
@@ -376,6 +383,13 @@ stages:
     - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'push'
       when: never
 
+.rules-merge-request-to-main-pc:
+  extends: .rules-basis
+  rules:
+    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'merge_request_event' && $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TARGET_BRANCH_NAME == 'main-pc'
+    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'push'
+      when: never
+
 # templates to define stages and platforms
 .test-job-linux:
   tags:
@@ -393,7 +407,6 @@ stages:
   needs: []
   timeout: "4 minutes"
   tags:
-    # TODO: set up ivas-basop-windows runners
     - ivas-windows
 
 # template for test jobs on linux that need the TESTV_DIR
@@ -545,7 +558,7 @@ stages:
 
     ### run main now
     - git checkout $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TARGET_BRANCH_NAME
-    - git pull
+    - git pull origin $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TARGET_BRANCH_NAME
     - make clean
     - make -j
     - python3 -m pytest --tb=no $TEST_SUITE -v --keep_files --create_cut --html=$HTML_REPORT_MAIN --self-contained-html --junit-xml=$XML_REPORT_MAIN --mld --ssnr --odg --ref_encoder_path $REF_ENCODER_PATH --ref_decoder_path $REF_DECODER_PATH --dut_encoder_path $DUT_ENCODER_PATH --dut_decoder_path $DUT_DECODER_PATH -n auto --testcase_timeout $testcase_timeout || true
@@ -828,6 +841,32 @@ clang-format-check:
     name: "$ARTIFACT_BASE_NAME"
     expose_as: "formatting patch"
 
+# from float
+# needs fix to be merged from floating point repo before it can be activated
+.check-bitexactness-hrtf-rom-and-file:
+  extends:
+    - .test-job-linux
+    - .rules-merge-request-to-main-pc
+  stage: test
+  needs: ["build-codec-linux-make"]
+  timeout: "5 minutes"
+  script:
+    - *print-common-info
+    - *update-scripts-repo
+    - make clean
+    - make -j
+    - python3 tests/create_short_testvectors.py --cut_len 1.0
+    # TODO: run full test again once the custom binary files are supported
+    - python3 -m pytest -k "not diff_from_rom and not test_binary_file" tests/hrtf_binary_loading --html=report.html --junit-xml=report-junit.xml --self-contained-html
+  artifacts:
+    paths:
+      - report.html
+      - report-junit.xml
+    when: always
+    name: "$CI_JOB_NAME--$CI_MERGE_REQUEST_ID--sha-$CI_COMMIT_SHA--hrtf-loading"
+    expose_as: "logs-hrtf-loading"
+    expire_in: "5 days"
+
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------
 # Build jobs
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -865,7 +904,6 @@ build-codec-linux-instrumented-make:
   tags:
     - ivas-basop-linux
   script:
-    - *update-scripts-repo
     - *print-common-info
     - *update-scripts-repo
     - bash scripts/prepare_instrumentation.sh -m MEM_ONLY -p BASOP
@@ -886,11 +924,19 @@ build-codec-sanitizers-linux:
     #- *activate-Werror-linux
     - bash ci/build_codec_sanitizers_linux.sh
 
-    # TODO: reactivate once windows runners are available in BASOP project
-.build-codec-windows-msbuild:
+build-codec-windows-msbuild:
+  rules:
+    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'web'
+    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'push' && $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == $CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH
+    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'merge_request_event' # trigger build job for all MRs
+    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'schedule'
+    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'push'
+      when: never
   extends:
     - .build-job-windows
-    - .rules-basis
+  timeout: "7 minutes"
+  tags:
+    - ivas-windows
   script:
     - *print-common-info-windows
     - *activate-WX-windows
@@ -957,7 +1003,7 @@ build-codec-linux-debugging-make:
 ### jobs that test flt encoder -> fx decoder
 ivas-pytest-compare_to_main-short-dec:
   extends:
-    - .rules-pytest-to-main-short
+    - .rules-mr-to-main-or-main-pc-or-manual
     - .test-job-linux
   before_script:
     - USE_LTV=0
@@ -969,7 +1015,7 @@ ivas-pytest-compare_to_main-short-dec:
 
 ivas-pytest-compare_to_main-short-dec-lev-10:
   extends:
-    - .rules-pytest-to-main-short
+    - .rules-mr-to-main-or-main-pc-or-manual
     - .test-job-linux
   before_script:
     - USE_LTV=0
@@ -981,7 +1027,7 @@ ivas-pytest-compare_to_main-short-dec-lev-10:
 
 ivas-pytest-compare_to_main-short-dec-lev+10:
   extends:
-    - .rules-pytest-to-main-short
+    - .rules-mr-to-main-or-main-pc-or-manual
     - .test-job-linux
   before_script:
     - USE_LTV=0
@@ -999,7 +1045,7 @@ ivas-pytest-compare_to_main-short-dec-lev+10:
 ivas-pytest-compare_to_ref-short-enc:
   extends:
     #- .rules-pytest-to-ref-short
-    - .rules-pytest-to-ref-enc-short-temp
+    - .rules-mr-to-main-or-main-pc-or-manual
     - .test-job-linux
   before_script:
     - USE_LTV=0
@@ -1012,7 +1058,7 @@ ivas-pytest-compare_to_ref-short-enc:
 ivas-pytest-compare_to_ref-short-enc-lev-10:
   extends:
     #- .rules-pytest-to-ref-short
-    - .rules-pytest-to-ref-enc-short-temp
+    - .rules-mr-to-main-or-main-pc-or-manual
     - .test-job-linux    
   before_script:
     - USE_LTV=0
@@ -1025,7 +1071,7 @@ ivas-pytest-compare_to_ref-short-enc-lev-10:
 ivas-pytest-compare_to_ref-short-enc-lev+10:
   extends:
     #- .rules-pytest-to-ref-short
-    - .rules-pytest-to-ref-enc-short-temp
+    - .rules-mr-to-main-or-main-pc-or-manual
     - .test-job-linux    
   before_script:
     - USE_LTV=0
@@ -1322,7 +1368,7 @@ be-2-evs-26444:
     - .test-job-linux
   rules:
     - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'web' && $MANUAL_PIPELINE_TYPE == "evs-26444"
-    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'merge_request_event' && $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TARGET_BRANCH_NAME == "main"
+    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'merge_request_event' && ($CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TARGET_BRANCH_NAME == "main" || $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TARGET_BRANCH_NAME == "main-pc")
   tags:
     - be-2-evs-basop
   stage: test
@@ -1428,7 +1474,7 @@ voip-be-on-merge-request:
 renderer-pytest-on-merge-request:
   extends:
     - .test-job-linux-needs-testv-dir
-    - .rules-merge-request
+    - .rules-merge-request-to-main-pc
   needs: ["build-codec-linux-make"]
   # TODO: set reasonable timeout, will most likely take less
   timeout: "20 minutes"
@@ -1469,7 +1515,7 @@ renderer-pytest-on-merge-request:
 ivas-pytest-on-merge-request:
   extends:
     - .test-job-linux-needs-testv-dir
-    - .rules-merge-request
+    - .rules-merge-request-to-main-pc
   stage: compare
   # TODO: broken dependency needs to be removed temporarily, see above
   # note: this step doesn't really depend on codec-smoke-test