diff --git a/lib_com/options.h b/lib_com/options.h
index 6f13c83982ea5c3462b2876aff7848ae632578a4..d866a016456c740ed765247e206095eabad93366 100644
--- a/lib_com/options.h
+++ b/lib_com/options.h
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@
 #define NONBE_FIX_1130_DIV_ZERO_LEV_DUR                 /* VA: issue 1130: avoid div by zero in L-D by thresholding R[0] to a min value of 100.0 */
 #define NONBE_1329_FIX_OSBA_CRASH                       /* FhG: issue 1329: prevent assert when bit budget is low*/
 #define NONBE_FIX_1128_OSBA_EXT_OUTPUT_ORDER            /* FhG: issue 1128: set output ambisonics order to input order for EXT output  */
-
+#define FIX_1138_SBA_EXT_ERROR_PRINTOUT                 /* VA: issue 1138: Fix SBA EXT output call of audioCfg2channels() */
 
 /* #################### End BASOP porting switches ############################ */
 
diff --git a/lib_rend/ivas_output_init.c b/lib_rend/ivas_output_init.c
index cfa12e871056659be85cf0fb7af311231eabce39..479e0488b58130174fdbc55ac55b10b323aaa974 100644
--- a/lib_rend/ivas_output_init.c
+++ b/lib_rend/ivas_output_init.c
@@ -311,7 +311,11 @@ int16_t ivas_get_nchan_buffers_dec(
         {
             nchan_out_buff = max( nchan_out_buff, st_ivas->hOutSetup.nchan_out_woLFE + st_ivas->hOutSetup.num_lfe );
         }
+#ifdef FIX_1138_SBA_EXT_ERROR_PRINTOUT
+        else if ( output_config != IVAS_AUDIO_CONFIG_EXTERNAL )
+#else
         else
+#endif
         {
             nchan_out_buff = max( audioCfg2channels( st_ivas->transport_config ), audioCfg2channels( st_ivas->intern_config ) );
             nchan_out_buff = max( nchan_out_buff, audioCfg2channels( output_config ) );