diff --git a/lib_com/options.h b/lib_com/options.h
index fd1c9f6e8fc839db456cb3f0ecb0952f7c8f6d92..37634f3ffd4d74eae5cbf29624c213b0e6f87578 100644
--- a/lib_com/options.h
+++ b/lib_com/options.h
@@ -186,6 +186,7 @@
 #define FIX_955_FASTCONV_REND_IN_ISM                    /* VA: put FastConv rendering call under DEBUGGING */
 #define NONBE_FIX_967_ISM_MONO_DMX                            /* FhG: issue 967: accumulating energies in ISM mono DMX */
 #define NONBE_FIX_968_ISM_BRIR_WITH_HEADROTATION_5MS_FIX      /* FhG : issue #968: differences between 5ms and 20ms rendering for discrete ISM with BRIR and head rotation*/
+#define FIX_959_MASA_LINEAR_REND                        /* VA: issue 959: remove unused calling of ivas_sba_linear_renderer() in MASA rendering */
 
 
 /* #################### End BASOP porting switches ############################ */
diff --git a/lib_dec/ivas_jbm_dec.c b/lib_dec/ivas_jbm_dec.c
index bad6264cf2392d78ba0bd1b3ec8a951b8ab7a1f2..290118cc5c691e6c83e0b881ab4330eed3d596f7 100644
--- a/lib_dec/ivas_jbm_dec.c
+++ b/lib_dec/ivas_jbm_dec.c
@@ -1139,6 +1139,7 @@ ivas_error ivas_jbm_dec_render(
         }
         else if ( st_ivas->ivas_format == MASA_FORMAT )
         {
+#ifndef FIX_959_MASA_LINEAR_REND
             if ( st_ivas->renderer_type == RENDERER_SBA_LINEAR_DEC )
             {
                 *nSamplesRendered = min( st_ivas->hTcBuffer->n_samples_available, nSamplesAskedLocal );
@@ -1153,6 +1154,9 @@ ivas_error ivas_jbm_dec_render(
                 }
             }
             else if ( st_ivas->renderer_type == RENDERER_DIRAC )
+#else
+            if ( st_ivas->renderer_type == RENDERER_DIRAC )
+#endif
             {
                 ivas_dirac_dec_render( st_ivas, nchan_remapped, nSamplesAskedLocal, nSamplesRendered, nSamplesAvailableNext, p_output );
             }
diff --git a/lib_dec/ivas_output_config.c b/lib_dec/ivas_output_config.c
index 92661092c328eb2297771790eec3a0f5d5744c46..f181939980214a38573a45ba21a7c325509208fa 100644
--- a/lib_dec/ivas_output_config.c
+++ b/lib_dec/ivas_output_config.c
@@ -368,7 +368,11 @@ void ivas_renderer_select(
             {
                 *internal_config = IVAS_AUDIO_CONFIG_HOA3;
             }
+#ifdef FIX_959_MASA_LINEAR_REND
+            *renderer_type = RENDERER_SBA_LINEAR_DEC;
+#else
             st_ivas->renderer_type = RENDERER_SBA_LINEAR_DEC;
+#endif
         }
         else if ( ( ivas_format == MASA_FORMAT && output_config == IVAS_AUDIO_CONFIG_MONO && st_ivas->nchan_transport == 1 ) ||
                   ( ivas_format == SBA_FORMAT && ( output_config == IVAS_AUDIO_CONFIG_STEREO || output_config == IVAS_AUDIO_CONFIG_MONO ) ) )