diff --git a/lib_com/ivas_prot_fx.h b/lib_com/ivas_prot_fx.h
index ba65afec02816a7ff13a61885e29a07ccc4bc2bf..71f2e2be7df806aa9d3dcebfc10bd0036525812f 100644
--- a/lib_com/ivas_prot_fx.h
+++ b/lib_com/ivas_prot_fx.h
@@ -4127,11 +4127,17 @@ ivas_error ivas_param_ism_dec_open_fx(
     Decoder_Struct *st_ivas                                     /* i/o: IVAS decoder structure                      */
 );
 
+#ifdef FIX_FLOAT_1526_DIRAC_MEM_LEAK
+void ivas_param_ism_dec_close_fx(
+    PARAM_ISM_DEC_HANDLE *hParamIsmDec                          /* i/o: decoder ParamISM handle                     */
+);
+#else
 void ivas_param_ism_dec_close_fx(
     PARAM_ISM_DEC_HANDLE *hParamIsmDec,                         /* i/o: decoder ParamISM handle                     */
     SPAT_PARAM_REND_COMMON_DATA_HANDLE *hSpatParamRendCom_out,  /* i/o: common spatial renderer data                */
     const AUDIO_CONFIG output_config                            /* i  : output audio configuration                  */
 );
+#endif
 
 void ivas_ism_dec_digest_tc_fx(
     Decoder_Struct *st_ivas                                     /* i/o: IVAS decoder structure                      */
diff --git a/lib_com/options.h b/lib_com/options.h
index 6f0d8e55eecabd7851829ca66e771ef0e0d4ba91..91e82200a252f30b73401bc54f8db11416b0e767 100644
--- a/lib_com/options.h
+++ b/lib_com/options.h
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@
 #define HARM_FD_BWE                                     /* VA: harmonize core-coder FD BWE function duplications */
 #define FIX_2411_Harmonize_TNSANALYSIS_DETECTTNSFILT    /* FhG: basop issue 2411: harmonize TNSAnalysis*_fx(), DetectTnsFilt*_fx()*/        
 #define HARMONIZE_READ_DECODE_TNS                       /* FhG basop 2389: Harm between two pairs of functions. */
+#define FIX_FLOAT_1526_DIRAC_MEM_LEAK                   /* FhG: float issue 1526: potential memory leak in DirAC handles in case of format switching */
 
 /* #################### End BE switches ################################## */
 
diff --git a/lib_dec/ivas_init_dec_fx.c b/lib_dec/ivas_init_dec_fx.c
index 6e603171298e513797abf9fc04d7a2eaf1e22664..4a7cd31dc8d4b081329e736d336680806d8de796 100644
--- a/lib_dec/ivas_init_dec_fx.c
+++ b/lib_dec/ivas_init_dec_fx.c
@@ -3445,6 +3445,15 @@ void ivas_destroy_dec_fx(
     /* ISM renderer handle */
     ivas_ism_renderer_close( &( st_ivas->hIsmRendererData ) );
 
+#ifdef FIX_FLOAT_1526_DIRAC_MEM_LEAK
+    /* ParamISM dec handle */
+    ivas_param_ism_dec_close_fx( &( st_ivas->hParamIsmDec ) );
+
+    /* DirAC handles */
+    ivas_dirac_rend_close_fx( &( st_ivas->hDirACRend ) );
+    ivas_spat_hSpatParamRendCom_close_fx( &( st_ivas->hSpatParamRendCom ) );
+    ivas_dirac_dec_close_fx( &( st_ivas->hDirAC ) );
+#else
     /* DirAC handle */
     IF( EQ_32( st_ivas->ivas_format, ISM_FORMAT ) )
     {
@@ -3456,6 +3465,7 @@ void ivas_destroy_dec_fx(
         ivas_spat_hSpatParamRendCom_close_fx( &( st_ivas->hSpatParamRendCom ) );
         ivas_dirac_dec_close_fx( &( st_ivas->hDirAC ) );
     }
+#endif
 
     /* SPAR handle */
     ivas_spar_dec_close_fx( &( st_ivas->hSpar ), st_ivas->hDecoderConfig->output_Fs, 0 );
diff --git a/lib_dec/ivas_ism_dec_fx.c b/lib_dec/ivas_ism_dec_fx.c
index b087ab906b537a98f5c1c328033644490acc74a8..be53e67bd28f6491b7dd38fc75cb9d0ae6760880 100644
--- a/lib_dec/ivas_ism_dec_fx.c
+++ b/lib_dec/ivas_ism_dec_fx.c
@@ -168,7 +168,13 @@ static ivas_error ivas_ism_bitrate_switching_dec_fx(
     IF( EQ_32( st_ivas->ism_mode, ISM_MODE_DISC ) && EQ_32( last_ism_mode, ISM_MODE_PARAM ) )
     {
         /* Deallocate the ParamISM struct */
+#ifdef FIX_FLOAT_1526_DIRAC_MEM_LEAK
+        ivas_param_ism_dec_close_fx( &( st_ivas->hParamIsmDec ) );
+
+        ivas_spat_hSpatParamRendCom_close_fx( &( st_ivas->hSpatParamRendCom ) );
+#else
         ivas_param_ism_dec_close_fx( &( st_ivas->hParamIsmDec ), &( st_ivas->hSpatParamRendCom ), st_ivas->hDecoderConfig->output_config );
+#endif
 
         test();
         IF( EQ_32( st_ivas->hOutSetup.output_config, IVAS_AUDIO_CONFIG_BINAURAL ) || EQ_32( st_ivas->hOutSetup.output_config, IVAS_AUDIO_CONFIG_BINAURAL_ROOM_REVERB ) || EQ_32( st_ivas->hOutSetup.output_config, IVAS_AUDIO_CONFIG_BINAURAL_SPLIT_CODED ) || EQ_32( st_ivas->hOutSetup.output_config, IVAS_AUDIO_CONFIG_BINAURAL_SPLIT_PCM ) )
diff --git a/lib_dec/ivas_ism_param_dec_fx.c b/lib_dec/ivas_ism_param_dec_fx.c
index 00c95d6dca854c9fca1705b310646540067c482a..ff726c989d48c70799777f1e663e0a8e97e5bf69 100644
--- a/lib_dec/ivas_ism_param_dec_fx.c
+++ b/lib_dec/ivas_ism_param_dec_fx.c
@@ -617,22 +617,55 @@ ivas_error ivas_param_ism_dec_open_fx(
         return ( IVAS_ERROR( IVAS_ERR_FAILED_ALLOC, "Can not allocate memory for ParamISM\n" ) );
     }
 
+#ifdef FIX_FLOAT_1526_DIRAC_MEM_LEAK
+    /* initialize sub-handles with NULL */
+    hParamIsmDec->hParamIsm = NULL;
+    hParamIsmDec->hParamIsmRendering = NULL;
+#endif
+
     IF( ( hSpatParamRendCom = (SPAT_PARAM_REND_COMMON_DATA_HANDLE) malloc( sizeof( SPAT_PARAM_REND_COMMON_DATA ) ) ) == NULL )
     {
         return ( IVAS_ERROR( IVAS_ERR_FAILED_ALLOC, "Can not allocate memory for DirAC\n" ) );
     }
 
+#ifdef FIX_FLOAT_1526_DIRAC_MEM_LEAK
+    /* initialize buffers in handle with NULL - this handle is also used by other DirAC technologies, and not every technology is initializing all buffers */
+    hSpatParamRendCom->azimuth = NULL;
+    hSpatParamRendCom->elevation = NULL;
+    hSpatParamRendCom->azimuth2 = NULL;
+    hSpatParamRendCom->elevation2 = NULL;
+    hSpatParamRendCom->diffuseness_vector_fx = NULL;
+    hSpatParamRendCom->energy_ratio1_fx = NULL;
+    hSpatParamRendCom->energy_ratio2_fx = NULL;
+    hSpatParamRendCom->spreadCoherence_fx = NULL;
+    hSpatParamRendCom->spreadCoherence2_fx = NULL;
+    hSpatParamRendCom->surroundingCoherence_fx = NULL;
+#endif
+
     /* Assign memory to Param Object handle */
     IF( ( hParamIsmDec->hParamIsm = (PARAM_ISM_CONFIG_HANDLE) malloc( sizeof( PARAM_ISM_CONFIG_DATA ) ) ) == NULL )
     {
         return ( IVAS_ERROR( IVAS_ERR_FAILED_ALLOC, "Can not allocate memory for ParamISM\n" ) );
     }
 
+#ifdef FIX_FLOAT_1526_DIRAC_MEM_LEAK
+    /* initialize sub-handles with NULL */
+    hParamIsmDec->hParamIsm->hFbMixer = NULL;
+#endif
+
     IF( ( hParamIsmDec->hParamIsmRendering = (PARAM_ISM_RENDERING_HANDLE) malloc( sizeof( PARAM_ISM_RENDERING_DATA ) ) ) == NULL )
     {
         return ( IVAS_ERROR( IVAS_ERR_FAILED_ALLOC, "Can not allocate memory for ParamISM Rendering handle\n" ) );
     }
 
+#ifdef FIX_FLOAT_1526_DIRAC_MEM_LEAK
+    /* initialize sub-handles/buffers with NULL */
+    hParamIsmDec->hParamIsmRendering->proto_matrix_fx = NULL;
+    hParamIsmDec->hParamIsmRendering->interpolator_fx = NULL;
+    hParamIsmDec->hParamIsmRendering->Cldfb_RealBuffer_tc_fx = NULL;
+    hParamIsmDec->hParamIsmRendering->Cldfb_ImagBuffer_tc_fx = NULL;
+#endif
+
     output_Fs = st_ivas->hDecoderConfig->output_Fs;
     move32();
     output_config = st_ivas->hDecoderConfig->output_config;
@@ -838,11 +871,17 @@ ivas_error ivas_param_ism_dec_open_fx(
  * Close Param ISM handle
  *-------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 
+#ifdef FIX_FLOAT_1526_DIRAC_MEM_LEAK
+void ivas_param_ism_dec_close_fx(
+    PARAM_ISM_DEC_HANDLE *hParamIsmDec_out /* i/o: decoder DirAC handle         */
+)
+#else
 void ivas_param_ism_dec_close_fx(
     PARAM_ISM_DEC_HANDLE *hParamIsmDec_out,                    /* i/o: decoder DirAC handle         */
     SPAT_PARAM_REND_COMMON_DATA_HANDLE *hSpatParamRendCom_out, /* i/o: common spatial renderer data */
     AUDIO_CONFIG output_config                                 /* i  : output audio configuration   */
 )
+#endif
 {
     test();
     IF( hParamIsmDec_out != NULL && *hParamIsmDec_out != NULL )
@@ -857,9 +896,11 @@ void ivas_param_ism_dec_close_fx(
             hParamIsmDec->hParamIsm = NULL;
         }
 
+#ifndef FIX_FLOAT_1526_DIRAC_MEM_LEAK
         test();
         IF( !( EQ_32( output_config, IVAS_AUDIO_CONFIG_MONO ) || EQ_32( output_config, IVAS_AUDIO_CONFIG_STEREO ) ) )
         {
+#endif
             /* Param ISM Rendering */
             IF( hParamIsmDec->hParamIsmRendering->interpolator_fx != NULL )
             {
@@ -871,7 +912,10 @@ void ivas_param_ism_dec_close_fx(
                 free( hParamIsmDec->hParamIsmRendering->proto_matrix_fx );
                 hParamIsmDec->hParamIsmRendering->proto_matrix_fx = NULL;
             }
+#ifndef FIX_FLOAT_1526_DIRAC_MEM_LEAK
         }
+#endif
+
         IF( hParamIsmDec->hParamIsmRendering->Cldfb_RealBuffer_tc_fx != NULL )
         {
             free( hParamIsmDec->hParamIsmRendering->Cldfb_RealBuffer_tc_fx );
@@ -892,6 +936,7 @@ void ivas_param_ism_dec_close_fx(
         *hParamIsmDec_out = NULL;
     }
 
+#ifndef FIX_FLOAT_1526_DIRAC_MEM_LEAK
     test();
     IF( hSpatParamRendCom_out != NULL && *hSpatParamRendCom_out != NULL )
     {
@@ -906,6 +951,7 @@ void ivas_param_ism_dec_close_fx(
         free( *hSpatParamRendCom_out );
         *hSpatParamRendCom_out = NULL;
     }
+#endif
 
     return;
 }
diff --git a/lib_rend/ivas_dirac_rend_fx.c b/lib_rend/ivas_dirac_rend_fx.c
index 4ca7b0c14aa7faae911657acd9c8b0fc6e4cdf20..cbd31bd13eafa95e840437aa19210bff55ce6392 100644
--- a/lib_rend/ivas_dirac_rend_fx.c
+++ b/lib_rend/ivas_dirac_rend_fx.c
@@ -226,6 +226,20 @@ ivas_error ivas_spat_hSpatParamRendCom_config_fx(
             return ( IVAS_ERROR( IVAS_ERR_FAILED_ALLOC, "Can not allocate memory for DirAC meta\n" ) );
         }
 
+#ifdef FIX_FLOAT_1526_DIRAC_MEM_LEAK
+        /* initialize buffers in handle with NULL - this handle is also used by other DirAC technologies, and not every technology is initializing all buffers */
+        hSpatParamRendCom->azimuth = NULL;
+        hSpatParamRendCom->elevation = NULL;
+        hSpatParamRendCom->azimuth2 = NULL;
+        hSpatParamRendCom->elevation2 = NULL;
+        hSpatParamRendCom->diffuseness_vector_fx = NULL;
+        hSpatParamRendCom->energy_ratio1_fx = NULL;
+        hSpatParamRendCom->energy_ratio2_fx = NULL;
+        hSpatParamRendCom->spreadCoherence_fx = NULL;
+        hSpatParamRendCom->spreadCoherence2_fx = NULL;
+        hSpatParamRendCom->surroundingCoherence_fx = NULL;
+#endif
+
         *hSpatParamRendCom_out = hSpatParamRendCom;
     }