diff --git a/lib_com/ivas_prot.h b/lib_com/ivas_prot.h
index 2382e10ebed7583271791845390d449cf18944b5..0378ef22660d31c55be8b5cecb50397e512ad763 100644
--- a/lib_com/ivas_prot.h
+++ b/lib_com/ivas_prot.h
@@ -3508,13 +3508,14 @@ ivas_error ivas_cldfb_dec_reconfig(
     int16_t numCldfbAnalyses_old,                               /* i  : number of CLDFB analysis instances in previous frame  */
     const int16_t numCldfbSyntheses_old                         /* i  : number of CLDFB synthesis instances in previous frame */
 );
-
+#ifndef FIX_993_REMOVE_SBA_GET_ORDER
 /*! r: Ambisonic (SBA) order */
 int16_t ivas_sba_get_order(
     const int16_t nb_channels,                                  /* i  : Number of ambisonic channels            */
     const int16_t sba_planar                                    /* i  : SBA planar flag                         */
 );
 
+#endif
 /*! r: Ambisonic (SBA) order used for analysis and coding */
 int16_t ivas_sba_get_analysis_order(
     const int32_t ivas_total_brate,                             /* i  : IVAS total bitrate                      */
diff --git a/lib_com/ivas_sba_config.c b/lib_com/ivas_sba_config.c
index 64edc48f2708a29536a8a08f0f0048a771a2579a..6a985e53e613712bce1211100d0932ebe960f7a9 100644
--- a/lib_com/ivas_sba_config.c
+++ b/lib_com/ivas_sba_config.c
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ void ivas_sba_config(
     int16_t *element_mode          /* o  : element mode of the core coder           */
 )
 {
+#ifndef FIX_993_REMOVE_SBA_GET_ORDER
     if ( ( sba_order < 0 ) && ( nb_channels < 0 ) )
     {
         assert( 0 && "Either order or number of channels must be positive" );
@@ -77,6 +78,9 @@ void ivas_sba_config(
         nb_channels = ivas_sba_get_nchan( sba_order, sba_planar );
     }
     else
+#else
+    if ( nb_channels > 0 )
+#endif
     {
         if ( sba_planar )
         {
@@ -117,7 +121,7 @@ void ivas_sba_config(
     return;
 }
 
-
+#ifndef FIX_993_REMOVE_SBA_GET_ORDER
 /*-------------------------------------------------------------------*
  * ivas_sba_get_order()
  *
@@ -147,7 +151,7 @@ int16_t ivas_sba_get_order(
 
     return ( sba_order );
 }
-
+#endif
 
 /*-------------------------------------------------------------------*
  * ivas_sba_get_analysis_order()
diff --git a/lib_com/options.h b/lib_com/options.h
index e61ca2f050267b5494f73b5f5cf7312eccbc3d5b..2dc3d3321af953eb468c23ebfb128eefb31e54f0 100644
--- a/lib_com/options.h
+++ b/lib_com/options.h
@@ -180,6 +180,7 @@
 #ifdef NONBE_FIX_1058_DECODER_ERROR_WITH_REVERB_ROOM
 #define NONBE_FIX_AVG_IAC_CLDFB_REVERB
 #endif
+#define FIX_993_REMOVE_SBA_GET_ORDER                    /* VA: issue 993: remove unused function ivas_sba_get_order() */
 
 //#define USE_NEW_HRTF_BINARY_FILE_FORMAT                 /* Orange: to activate when decided to change the hrtf binary file format */
 #ifdef USE_NEW_HRTF_BINARY_FILE_FORMAT