diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index f9bb8060e1c15785a1765c7fff378279297dc2b9..6a49643a725c2df8053a3282b54912e9df1a6a80 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 variables:
+  TESTV_DIR: "/usr/local/testv"
   LTV_DIR: "/usr/local/ltv"
   EVS_BE_TEST_DIR_BASOP: "/usr/local/be_2_evs_basop"
   REFERENCE_TAG: "20231128_Update_Ittiam"
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ variables:
       - 'default'
       - 'pytest-mld'
       - 'pytest-mld-long'
+      - 'pytest-saturation-smoke-test'
       - 'evs-26444'
       - 'sanitizer-stv'
 
@@ -49,6 +51,9 @@ workflow:
     - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'web' && $MANUAL_PIPELINE_TYPE == 'pytest-mld-long'
       variables:
         IVAS_PIPELINE_NAME: 'Run MLD tool against float ref (long test vectors): $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH'
+    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'web' && $MANUAL_PIPELINE_TYPE == 'pytest-saturation-smoke-test'
+      variables:
+        IVAS_PIPELINE_NAME: 'Run saturation smoke-test: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH'
     - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'web' && $MANUAL_PIPELINE_TYPE == 'evs-26444'
       variables:
         IVAS_PIPELINE_NAME: 'EVS 26.444 test: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH'
@@ -153,6 +158,15 @@ stages:
     - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'merge_request_event'
       when: never
 
+.rules-pytest-saturation-smoke-test:
+  rules:
+    - if: $PYTEST_SMOKE_TEST # Set by scheduled pipeline
+    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'web' && $MANUAL_PIPELINE_TYPE == "pytest-saturation-smoke-test"
+    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'push'
+      when: never
+    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'merge_request_event'
+      when: never
+
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------
 # Job templates
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -173,6 +187,7 @@ stages:
 .test-job-linux-needs-testv-dir:
   extends: .test-job-linux
   before_script:
+    - *update-scripts-repo
     - if [ ! -d "$TESTV_DIR" ]; then mkdir -p $TESTV_DIR; fi
     - cp -r scripts/testv/* $TESTV_DIR/
 
@@ -215,7 +230,7 @@ stages:
     exit_codes:
       - 123
   artifacts:
-    name: "mld--sha-$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA--stage-$CI_JOB_STAGE--results"
+    name: "mld--sha-$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA--results"
     expire_in: 1 week
     when: always
     paths:
@@ -456,6 +471,48 @@ ivas-pytest-mld-long-dec-lev+10:
     - LEVEL_SCALING=3.162
   <<: *ivas-pytest-mld-anchor
 
+ivas-smoke-test-saturation:
+  extends:
+    - .rules-pytest-saturation-smoke-test
+    - .test-job-linux-needs-testv-dir
+  script:
+    - USE_LTV=1
+    - LEVEL_SCALING=32768
+
+    - *print-common-info
+    - *update-scripts-repo
+    - if [ $USE_LTV -eq 1 ]; then
+    -    *update-ltv-repo
+    -    *copy-ltv-files-to-testv-dir
+    - fi
+    - if [ $LEVEL_SCALING != "1.0" ];then
+    -   *apply-testv-scaling
+    - fi
+    - cp -r scripts/testv/* $TESTV_DIR/
+
+    # skip prepare_mem_dryrun.py script in smoke_test.sh
+    - sed -i 's/python3 .\/scripts\/prepare_mem_dryrun.py/#python3 .\/scripts\/prepare_mem_dryrun.py/g' ci/smoke_test.sh
+
+    - bash ci/smoke_test.sh
+    ### analyze for failures
+    - if ! [ -s smoke_test_output.txt ] || ! [ -s smoke_test_output_plc.txt ] || ! [ -s smoke_test_output_jbm_noEXT.txt ] || ! [ -s smoke_test_output_hrtf.txt ]; then echo "Error in smoke test"; exit 1; fi
+    - ret_val=0
+    - if cat smoke_test_output.txt | grep -c "failed" ; then echo "Smoke test without PLC failed"; ret_val=1; fi
+    - if cat smoke_test_output_plc.txt | grep -c "failed"; then echo "Smoke test with PLC failed"; ret_val=1; fi
+    - if cat smoke_test_output_jbm_noEXT.txt | grep -c "failed"; then echo "Smoke test JBM part failed"; ret_val=1; fi
+    - if cat smoke_test_output_hrtf.txt | grep -c "failed"; then echo "Smoke test with external hrtf files failed"; ret_val=1; fi
+    - exit $ret_val
+  artifacts:
+    name: "ivas-smoke-test-saturation--sha-$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA--results"
+    expire_in: 1 week
+    when: always
+    paths:
+      - smoke_test_output.txt
+      - smoke_test_output_plc.txt
+      - smoke_test_output_jbm_noEXT.txt
+      - smoke_test_output_hrtf.txt
+    expose_as: "saturation smoke test results"
+
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------
 # EVS 26.444 test job
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -485,7 +542,7 @@ be-2-evs-26444:
     - exit 0
     
   artifacts:
-    name: "evs-26444--sha-$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA--stage-$CI_JOB_STAGE--results"
+    name: "evs-26444--sha-$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA--results"
     expire_in: 1 week
     when: always
     paths: