diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index bebb7d02481a5cda9b063b5ae0e3ad333bbbf216..364e522aa54f758c5f2ccd92eb8c225103791094 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -326,10 +326,6 @@ workflow:
     - rm -rf tests/dut tests/ref
   variables:
     USE_LTV: 0
-    DUT_ENCODER_PATH: ./IVAS_cod_ref
-    DUT_DECODER_PATH: ./IVAS_dec_ref
-    MERGE_TARGET_ENCODER_PATH: ./IVAS_cod_ref
-    MERGE_TARGET_DECODER_PATH: ./IVAS_dec_ref
 
 .check-be-to-target-job:
   extends:
@@ -448,9 +444,6 @@ workflow:
   extends:
     - .check-be-job
   stage: test
-  needs:
-    - job: "check-be-to-target-short-enc-0db"
-      artifacts: true
   timeout: "300 minutes"
   variables:
     XML_REPORT_BRANCH: "report-junit-branch-$CI_JOB_NAME--sha-$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA.xml"
@@ -911,6 +904,9 @@ check-be-to-target-short-enc-0db:
     TEST_SUITE: "$SHORT_TEST_SUITE_ENCODER"
     # -/-0dB
     LEVEL_SCALING: "1.0"
+    # overwrite decoder with float reference one
+    DUT_DECODER_PATH: "$REF_DECODER_PATH"
+    MERGE_TARGET_DECODER_PATH: "$REF_DECODER_PATH"
 
 check-be-to-target-short-enc-+10db:
   extends:
@@ -919,6 +915,9 @@ check-be-to-target-short-enc-+10db:
     TEST_SUITE: "$SHORT_TEST_SUITE_ENCODER"
     # +10dB
     LEVEL_SCALING: "3.162"
+    # overwrite decoder with float reference one
+    DUT_DECODER_PATH: "$REF_DECODER_PATH"
+    MERGE_TARGET_DECODER_PATH: "$REF_DECODER_PATH"
 
 check-be-to-target-short-enc--10db:
   extends:
@@ -927,6 +926,9 @@ check-be-to-target-short-enc--10db:
     TEST_SUITE: "$SHORT_TEST_SUITE_ENCODER"
     # -10dB
     LEVEL_SCALING: "0.3162"
+    # overwrite decoder with float reference one
+    DUT_DECODER_PATH: "$REF_DECODER_PATH"
+    MERGE_TARGET_DECODER_PATH: "$REF_DECODER_PATH"
 
 check-be-to-target-short-dec-0db:
   extends:
@@ -935,6 +937,9 @@ check-be-to-target-short-dec-0db:
     TEST_SUITE: "$SHORT_TEST_SUITE"
     # +/-0dB
     LEVEL_SCALING: "1.0"
+    # overwrite encoder with float reference one
+    DUT_ENCODER_PATH: "$REF_ENCODER_PATH"
+    MERGE_TARGET_ENCODER_PATH: "$REF_ENCODER_PATH"
 
 check-be-to-target-short-dec-+10db:
   extends:
@@ -943,6 +948,9 @@ check-be-to-target-short-dec-+10db:
     TEST_SUITE: "$SHORT_TEST_SUITE"
     # +10dB
     LEVEL_SCALING: "3.162"
+    # overwrite encoder with float reference one
+    DUT_ENCODER_PATH: "$REF_ENCODER_PATH"
+    MERGE_TARGET_ENCODER_PATH: "$REF_ENCODER_PATH"
 
 check-be-to-target-short-dec--10db:
   extends:
@@ -951,55 +959,94 @@ check-be-to-target-short-dec--10db:
     TEST_SUITE: "$SHORT_TEST_SUITE"
     # -10dB
     LEVEL_SCALING: "0.3162"
+    # overwrite encoder with float reference one
+    DUT_ENCODER_PATH: "$REF_ENCODER_PATH"
+    MERGE_TARGET_ENCODER_PATH: "$REF_ENCODER_PATH"
 
 ### jobs that check for regressions on non-BE testcases
 check-regressions-short-enc-0db:
   extends:
     - .check-regressions-pytest-job
+  needs:
+    - job: "check-be-to-target-short-enc-0db"
+      artifacts: true
   variables:
     TEST_SUITE: "$SHORT_TEST_SUITE_ENCODER"
     # +/-0dB
     LEVEL_SCALING: "1.0"
+    # overwrite decoder with float reference one
+    DUT_DECODER_PATH: "$REF_DECODER_PATH"
+    MERGE_TARGET_DECODER_PATH: "$REF_DECODER_PATH"
 
 check-regressions-short-enc-+10db:
   extends:
     - .check-regressions-pytest-job
+  needs:
+    - job: "check-be-to-target-short-enc-+10db"
+      artifacts: true
   variables:
     TEST_SUITE: "$SHORT_TEST_SUITE_ENCODER"
     # +10dB
     LEVEL_SCALING: "3.162"
+    # overwrite decoder with float reference one
+    DUT_DECODER_PATH: "$REF_DECODER_PATH"
+    MERGE_TARGET_DECODER_PATH: "$REF_DECODER_PATH"
 
 check-regressions-short-enc--10db:
   extends:
     - .check-regressions-pytest-job
+  needs:
+    - job: "check-be-to-target-short-enc--10db"
+      artifacts: true
   variables:
     TEST_SUITE: "$SHORT_TEST_SUITE_ENCODER"
     # -10dB
     LEVEL_SCALING: "0.3162"
+    # overwrite decoder with float reference one
+    DUT_DECODER_PATH: "$REF_DECODER_PATH"
+    MERGE_TARGET_DECODER_PATH: "$REF_DECODER_PATH"
 
 check-regressions-short-dec-0db:
   extends:
     - .check-regressions-pytest-job
+  needs:
+    - job: "check-be-to-target-short-dec-0db"
+      artifacts: true
   variables:
     TEST_SUITE: "$SHORT_TEST_SUITE"
     # +/-0dB
     LEVEL_SCALING: "1"
+    # overwrite encoder with float reference one
+    DUT_ENCODER_PATH: "$REF_ENCODER_PATH"
+    MERGE_TARGET_ENCODER_PATH: "$REF_ENCODER_PATH"
 
 check-regressions-short-dec-+10db:
   extends:
     - .check-regressions-pytest-job
+  needs:
+    - job: "check-be-to-target-short-dec-+10db"
+      artifacts: true
   variables:
     TEST_SUITE: "$SHORT_TEST_SUITE"
     # +10dB
     LEVEL_SCALING: "3.162"
+    # overwrite encoder with float reference one
+    DUT_ENCODER_PATH: "$REF_ENCODER_PATH"
+    MERGE_TARGET_ENCODER_PATH: "$REF_ENCODER_PATH"
 
 check-regressions-short-dec--10db:
   extends:
     - .check-regressions-pytest-job
+  needs:
+    - job: "check-be-to-target-short-dec--10db"
+      artifacts: true
   variables:
     TEST_SUITE: "$SHORT_TEST_SUITE"
     # -10dB
     LEVEL_SCALING: "0.3162"
+    # overwrite encoder with float reference one
+    DUT_ENCODER_PATH: "$REF_ENCODER_PATH"
+    MERGE_TARGET_ENCODER_PATH: "$REF_ENCODER_PATH"
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------
 # Short test jobs for running from web interface or schedule