diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 6a49643a725c2df8053a3282b54912e9df1a6a80..2aada60ca33da2eaa4a086afa15ba7296ebd3646 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -9,8 +9,9 @@ variables:
   EXIT_CODE_FAIL: 1
   LONG_TEST_SUITE: "tests/test_param_file_ltv.py tests/renderer"
   SHORT_TEST_SUITE: "tests/codec_be_on_mr_nonselection"
-  USE_REF_ENC: "1"
   TEST_SUITE: ""
+  DUT_ENCODER_PATH: "./IVAS_cod"
+  DUT_DECODER_PATH: "./IVAS_dec"
   LEVEL_SCALING: "1.0"
   IVAS_PIPELINE_NAME: ''
   BASOP_CI_BRANCH_PC_REPO: "basop-ci-branch"
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ variables:
     options:
       - 'default'
       - 'pytest-mld'
+      - 'pytest-mld-interop'
       - 'pytest-mld-long'
       - 'pytest-saturation-smoke-test'
       - 'evs-26444'
@@ -48,6 +50,9 @@ workflow:
     - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'web' && $MANUAL_PIPELINE_TYPE == 'pytest-mld'
       variables:
         IVAS_PIPELINE_NAME: 'Run MLD tool against float ref: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH'
+    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'web' && $MANUAL_PIPELINE_TYPE == 'pytest-mld-interop'
+      variables:
+        IVAS_PIPELINE_NAME: 'Run MLD tool agains float ref - interop: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH'
     - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'web' && $MANUAL_PIPELINE_TYPE == 'pytest-mld-long'
       variables:
         IVAS_PIPELINE_NAME: 'Run MLD tool against float ref (long test vectors): $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH'
@@ -158,6 +163,15 @@ stages:
     - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'merge_request_event'
       when: never
 
+
+.rules-pytest-mld-interop:
+  rules:
+    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'web' && $MANUAL_PIPELINE_TYPE == "pytest-mld-interop"
+    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'push'
+      when: never
+    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'merge_request_event'
+      when: never
+
 .rules-pytest-saturation-smoke-test:
   rules:
     - if: $PYTEST_SMOKE_TEST # Set by scheduled pipeline
@@ -191,7 +205,6 @@ stages:
     - if [ ! -d "$TESTV_DIR" ]; then mkdir -p $TESTV_DIR; fi
     - cp -r scripts/testv/* $TESTV_DIR/
 
-
 .ivas-pytest-mld-anchor: &ivas-pytest-mld-anchor
   stage: test
   needs: ["build-codec-linux-make"]
@@ -213,11 +226,7 @@ stages:
     - exit_code=0
     # timeout of 15 min per individual testcase - hopefully too much, but better be safe for now
     - testcase_timeout=900
-    - if [ $USE_REF_ENC -eq 1 ]; then
-    -    python3 -m pytest $TEST_SUITE -v --create_cut --html=report.html --self-contained-html --junit-xml=report-junit.xml --mld --dut_encoder_path ./IVAS_cod_ref -n auto --testcase_timeout $testcase_timeout || exit_code=$?
-    - else
-    -    python3 -m pytest $TEST_SUITE -v --create_cut --html=report.html --self-contained-html --junit-xml=report-junit.xml --mld -n auto --testcase_timeout $testcase_timeout || exit_code=$?
-    - fi
+    - python3 -m pytest $TEST_SUITE -v --create_cut --html=report.html --self-contained-html --junit-xml=report-junit.xml --mld --dut_encoder_path $DUT_ENCODER_PATH --dut_decoder_path $DUT_DECODER_PATH -n auto --testcase_timeout $testcase_timeout || exit_code=$?
     - zero_errors=$(cat report-junit.xml | grep -c 'errors="0"') || true
 
     - python3 scripts/parse_mld_xml.py report-junit.xml mld.csv
@@ -320,7 +329,6 @@ ivas-pytest-mld-enc-dec:
     - .test-job-linux
   before_script:
     - USE_LTV=0
-    - USE_REF_ENC=0
     - TEST_SUITE="$SHORT_TEST_SUITE"
     - LEVEL_SCALING=1.0
   <<: *ivas-pytest-mld-anchor  
@@ -331,7 +339,7 @@ ivas-pytest-mld-dec:
     - .test-job-linux    
   before_script:
     - USE_LTV=0
-    - USE_REF_ENC=1
+    - DUT_ENCODER_PATH=./IVAS_cod_ref
     - TEST_SUITE="$SHORT_TEST_SUITE"
     - LEVEL_SCALING=1.0
   <<: *ivas-pytest-mld-anchor
@@ -342,7 +350,6 @@ ivas-pytest-mld-enc-dec-lev-10:
     - .test-job-linux    
   before_script:
     - USE_LTV=0  
-    - USE_REF_ENC=0
     - TEST_SUITE="$SHORT_TEST_SUITE"
     - LEVEL_SCALING=0.3162
   <<: *ivas-pytest-mld-anchor  
@@ -353,7 +360,7 @@ ivas-pytest-mld-dec-lev-10:
     - .test-job-linux    
   before_script:
     - USE_LTV=0  
-    - USE_REF_ENC=1
+    - DUT_ENCODER_PATH=./IVAS_cod_ref
     - TEST_SUITE="$SHORT_TEST_SUITE"
     - LEVEL_SCALING=0.3162
   <<: *ivas-pytest-mld-anchor
@@ -364,7 +371,6 @@ ivas-pytest-mld-enc-dec-lev+10:
     - .test-job-linux    
   before_script:
     - USE_LTV=0  
-    - USE_REF_ENC=0
     - TEST_SUITE="$SHORT_TEST_SUITE"
     - LEVEL_SCALING=3.162
   <<: *ivas-pytest-mld-anchor  
@@ -375,7 +381,40 @@ ivas-pytest-mld-dec-lev+10:
     - .test-job-linux    
   before_script:
     - USE_LTV=0  
-    - USE_REF_ENC=1
+    - DUT_ENCODER_PATH=./IVAS_cod_ref
+    - TEST_SUITE="$SHORT_TEST_SUITE"
+    - LEVEL_SCALING=3.162
+  <<: *ivas-pytest-mld-anchor
+
+ivas-pytest-mld-long-enc-fx-dec-flt-interop:
+  extends:
+    - .rules-pytest-mld-interop
+    - .test-job-linux
+  before_script:
+    - USE_LTV=0
+    - DUT_DECODER_PATH=./IVAS_dec_ref
+    - TEST_SUITE="$SHORT_TEST_SUITE"
+    - LEVEL_SCALING=1.0
+  <<: *ivas-pytest-mld-anchor
+
+ivas-pytest-mld-long-enc-fx-dec-flt-lev-10-interop:
+  extends:
+    - .rules-pytest-mld-interop
+    - .test-job-linux
+  before_script:
+    - USE_LTV=0
+    - DUT_DECODER_PATH=./IVAS_dec_ref
+    - TEST_SUITE="$SHORT_TEST_SUITE"
+    - LEVEL_SCALING=0.3162
+  <<: *ivas-pytest-mld-anchor
+
+ivas-pytest-mld-long-enc-fx-dec-flt-lev+10-interop:
+  extends:
+    - .rules-pytest-mld-interop
+    - .test-job-linux
+  before_script:
+    - USE_LTV=0
+    - DUT_DECODER_PATH=./IVAS_dec_ref
     - TEST_SUITE="$SHORT_TEST_SUITE"
     - LEVEL_SCALING=3.162
   <<: *ivas-pytest-mld-anchor
@@ -411,7 +450,6 @@ ivas-pytest-mld-long-enc-dec:
     - .test-job-linux    
   before_script:
     - USE_LTV=1  
-    - USE_REF_ENC=0
     - TEST_SUITE="$LONG_TEST_SUITE"
     - LEVEL_SCALING=1.0
   <<: *ivas-pytest-mld-anchor  
@@ -422,7 +460,7 @@ ivas-pytest-mld-long-dec:
     - .test-job-linux    
   before_script:
     - USE_LTV=1  
-    - USE_REF_ENC=1
+    - DUT_ENCODER_PATH=./IVAS_cod_ref
     - TEST_SUITE="$LONG_TEST_SUITE"
     - LEVEL_SCALING=1.0
   <<: *ivas-pytest-mld-anchor
@@ -433,7 +471,6 @@ ivas-pytest-mld-long-enc-dec-lev-10:
     - .test-job-linux    
   before_script:
     - USE_LTV=1  
-    - USE_REF_ENC=0
     - TEST_SUITE="$LONG_TEST_SUITE"
     - LEVEL_SCALING=0.3162
   <<: *ivas-pytest-mld-anchor  
@@ -444,7 +481,7 @@ ivas-pytest-mld-long-dec-lev-10:
     - .test-job-linux    
   before_script:
     - USE_LTV=1  
-    - USE_REF_ENC=1
+    - DUT_ENCODER_PATH=./IVAS_cod_ref
     - TEST_SUITE="$LONG_TEST_SUITE"
     - LEVEL_SCALING=0.3162
   <<: *ivas-pytest-mld-anchor
@@ -455,7 +492,6 @@ ivas-pytest-mld-long-enc-dec-lev+10:
     - .test-job-linux    
   before_script:
     - USE_LTV=1  
-    - USE_REF_ENC=0
     - TEST_SUITE="$LONG_TEST_SUITE"
     - LEVEL_SCALING=3.162
   <<: *ivas-pytest-mld-anchor  
@@ -466,7 +502,7 @@ ivas-pytest-mld-long-dec-lev+10:
     - .test-job-linux    
   before_script:
     - USE_LTV=1  
-    - USE_REF_ENC=1
+    - DUT_ENCODER_PATH=./IVAS_cod_ref
     - TEST_SUITE="$LONG_TEST_SUITE"
     - LEVEL_SCALING=3.162
   <<: *ivas-pytest-mld-anchor