diff --git a/lib_com/options.h b/lib_com/options.h
index 726a1f6a8238a25f4c8ba1522f626bd4d9284766..0edcb809916e50d6446a232f6dcad31713645102 100644
--- a/lib_com/options.h
+++ b/lib_com/options.h
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@
 #define REMOVE_SCALING_SHB_SPEECH                       /* VA: remove unnecessary scaling and 32-bit buffers from ivas_core_enc_fx() */
 #define FIX_2352_COPY_AQ_IN_TCX                         /* FhG: basop issue 2352: prevent copying uninitialized values from Aq_fx[][] to Aq_fx_32[][] in TCX */
 #define FIX_2353_PTR_INIT                               /* FhG: basop issue 2353: initialize prm_sqQ-pointer, to prevent being uninitialized in case of bfi == 1 */
+#define FIX_2356_GET_CHAN_ENERGIES                      /* FhG: basop issue 2356: correctly initialize exponents in getChannelEnergies_fx() */
 
 /* #################### End BE switches ################################## */
 
diff --git a/lib_enc/ivas_mct_enc_mct_fx.c b/lib_enc/ivas_mct_enc_mct_fx.c
index 5b26420306b5cc9a7aa9f4fe519116637f86c9bd..84bc74dd98149b30521d9403528b1111879a78bb 100644
--- a/lib_enc/ivas_mct_enc_mct_fx.c
+++ b/lib_enc/ivas_mct_enc_mct_fx.c
@@ -88,19 +88,33 @@ void getChannelEnergies_fx(
 
             gb = find_guarded_bits_fx( (Word32) L_subframe );
 
+#ifndef FIX_2356_GET_CHAN_ENERGIES
             sum2_e = st->hTcxEnc->spectrum_e[0];
             move16();
+#endif
             nrg[ch] = 0;
             move32();
+#ifdef FIX_2356_GET_CHAN_ENERGIES
+            nrg_e[ch] = 0; /* if the mantissa is 0, the exponent gets set to sum2_e inside BASOP_Util_Add_Mant32Exp() */
+            move16();
+#endif
+
             FOR( n = 0; n < nSubframes; n++ )
             {
+#ifdef FIX_2356_GET_CHAN_ENERGIES
+                sum2_e = st->hTcxEnc->spectrum_e[n];
+                move16();
+
+#endif
                 sum2 = sum2_32_exp_fx( st->hTcxEnc->spectrum_fx[n], L_subframe, &sum2_e, gb ); // 31 - sum2_e
 
                 nrg[ch] = BASOP_Util_Add_Mant32Exp( nrg[ch], nrg_e[ch], sum2, sum2_e, &nrg_e[ch] );
                 move32();
 
+#ifndef FIX_2356_GET_CHAN_ENERGIES
                 sum2_e = st->hTcxEnc->spectrum_e[0];
                 move16();
+#endif
             }
 
             nrg[ch] = Sqrt32( nrg[ch], &nrg_e[ch] ); // nrg_e