diff --git a/lib_com/options.h b/lib_com/options.h
index 81f280e9c99f69844a14bd387225e681d5d2f760..e5095ba5671be362a9e6f95a5bc8b0952822a5fe 100644
--- a/lib_com/options.h
+++ b/lib_com/options.h
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@
 #define NONBE_1325_TD_STEREO_QUANT_LSF_SEC              /* Nokia: issue 1325: fix for usage of active_cnt variable in TD stereo LSFQ */
 #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_fx.c b/lib_rend/ivas_output_init_fx.c
index a57b9bca1b785b40d34704fcbc3dfaae17db0242..88c4890540eaac8141e327dbfdcc166d3f80c35f 100644
--- a/lib_rend/ivas_output_init_fx.c
+++ b/lib_rend/ivas_output_init_fx.c
@@ -355,7 +355,11 @@ Word16 ivas_get_nchan_buffers_dec_fx(
         {
             nchan_out_buff = s_max( nchan_out_buff, add( st_ivas->hOutSetup.nchan_out_woLFE, st_ivas->hOutSetup.num_lfe ) );
         }
+#ifdef FIX_1138_SBA_EXT_ERROR_PRINTOUT
+        ELSE IF( NE_32( output_config, IVAS_AUDIO_CONFIG_EXTERNAL ) )
+#else
         ELSE
+#endif
         {
             nchan_out_buff = s_max( audioCfg2channels( st_ivas->transport_config ), audioCfg2channels( st_ivas->intern_config ) );
             nchan_out_buff = s_max( nchan_out_buff, audioCfg2channels( output_config ) );