diff --git a/lib_enc/ivas_mct_enc_fx.c b/lib_enc/ivas_mct_enc_fx.c
index 8eb2ee9b26000c9cac8e634a7dbcc603abf705a4..735e7e191fbaad5242907fac0268daddd6fccb38 100644
--- a/lib_enc/ivas_mct_enc_fx.c
+++ b/lib_enc/ivas_mct_enc_fx.c
@@ -619,6 +619,11 @@ ivas_error create_mct_enc_fx(
 
 #ifdef DEBUGGING
         hMCT->hBlockData[n]->hStereoMdct->mdct_stereo_mode_cmdl = SMDCT_MS_DECISION;
+#ifdef DEBUG_FORCE_MDCT_STEREO_MODE
+        /*set all other members to defined states */
+        hMCT->hBlockData[n]->hStereoMdct->fDualMono = 0;
+        hMCT->hBlockData[n]->hStereoMdct->fMSstereo = 0;
+#endif
 #endif
 
         initMdctStereoEncData_fx( hMCT->hBlockData[n]->hStereoMdct, ivas_format, IVAS_CPE_MDCT, cp_bitrate, st_ivas->hEncoderConfig->max_bwidth, st_ivas->hCPE[0]->hCoreCoder[0]->igf, st_ivas->hCPE[0]->hCoreCoder[0]->igf ? st_ivas->hCPE[0]->hCoreCoder[0]->hIGFEnc->igfData.igfInfo.grid : NULL, 1 );
@@ -800,6 +805,11 @@ ivas_error mct_enc_reconfigure_fx(
 
 #ifdef DEBUGGING
         hMCT->hBlockData[n]->hStereoMdct->mdct_stereo_mode_cmdl = SMDCT_MS_DECISION;
+#ifdef DEBUG_FORCE_MDCT_STEREO_MODE
+        /*set all other members to defined states */
+        hMCT->hBlockData[n]->hStereoMdct->fDualMono = 0;
+        hMCT->hBlockData[n]->hStereoMdct->fMSstereo = 0;
+#endif
 #endif
 
         initMdctStereoEncData_fx( hMCT->hBlockData[n]->hStereoMdct, ivas_format, IVAS_CPE_MDCT, cp_bitrate, st_ivas->hEncoderConfig->max_bwidth, st_ivas->hCPE[0]->hCoreCoder[0]->igf, st_ivas->hCPE[0]->hCoreCoder[0]->igf ? st_ivas->hCPE[0]->hCoreCoder[0]->hIGFEnc->igfData.igfInfo.grid : NULL, mem_init );