diff --git a/lib_com/options.h b/lib_com/options.h
index 2104c7d8b49760d7c1be7cf6b510b6e50ae8a6e1..6983f2140f52c0b66706bf704a5b6b9f2d6e186b 100644
--- a/lib_com/options.h
+++ b/lib_com/options.h
@@ -216,6 +216,7 @@
 #define NONBE_FIX_974_OSBA_JBM_MONO_RS_USAN             /* FhG : issue #974: usan in mono and stereo output in OSBA JBM RS */
 #define NONBE_FIX_982_OMASA_DELAY_COMP_5MS              /* FhG : issue #982 : 5ms and 20ms output different for OMASA */
 #define NONBE_FIX_975_JBM_USAN                          /* FhG: Fix issue #975, USAN in JBM decoding ad 13.2kbps */
+#define FIX_944_REMOVE_LS_RENDERER_CALL_IN_STEREO       /* VA: issue 994: remove an obsolete call of function ivas_ls_setup_conversion() in stereo */
 
 #define FIX_ACCESS_WITHIN_NULL_STRUCT_MC_BW_SWITCHING   /* FhG: fix usan error in MCT with bw swicthing */
 #define NONBE_FIX_986_MC_BW_SWITCHING                   /* FhG: fix crash in bw and br switching with MC */
diff --git a/lib_dec/ivas_jbm_dec.c b/lib_dec/ivas_jbm_dec.c
index 6942b1e7dcc8a0e7714716612e1e7c40e2e21e8d..638b35cd41ff13d8fd1e7dda78ba3add24681fa2 100644
--- a/lib_dec/ivas_jbm_dec.c
+++ b/lib_dec/ivas_jbm_dec.c
@@ -143,11 +143,13 @@ ivas_error ivas_jbm_dec_tc(
         {
             hp20( p_output[n], output_frame, st_ivas->mem_hp20_out[n], output_Fs );
         }
+#ifndef FIX_944_REMOVE_LS_RENDERER_CALL_IN_STEREO
 
         if ( st_ivas->renderer_type == RENDERER_MC && st_ivas->hDecoderConfig->nchan_out == 1 )
         {
             ivas_ls_setup_conversion( st_ivas, st_ivas->nchan_transport, output_frame, p_output, p_output );
         }
+#endif
     }
     else if ( st_ivas->ivas_format == ISM_FORMAT )
     {