diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index c64f0ac771ab65fd77025f7214fa53f3b3d23777..cf437109646cfb88d99b96999c1e99795b83fdb4 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ variables:
     options:
       - 'default'
       - 'pytest-mld'
-      - 'pytest-mld-interop'
       - 'pytest-mld-long'
       - 'pytest-saturation-smoke-test'
       - 'evs-26444'
@@ -53,9 +52,6 @@ workflow:
     - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'web' && $MANUAL_PIPELINE_TYPE == 'pytest-mld'
       variables:
         IVAS_PIPELINE_NAME: 'Run MLD tool against float ref: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH'
-    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'web' && $MANUAL_PIPELINE_TYPE == 'pytest-mld-interop'
-      variables:
-        IVAS_PIPELINE_NAME: 'Run MLD tool agains float ref - interop: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH'
     - 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'
@@ -172,15 +168,6 @@ stages:
     - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'merge_request_event'
       when: never
 
-
-.rules-pytest-mld-interop:
-  rules:
-    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'web' && $MANUAL_PIPELINE_TYPE == "pytest-mld-interop"
-    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'push'
-      when: never
-    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'merge_request_event'
-      when: never
-
 .rules-pytest-saturation-smoke-test:
   rules:
     - if: $PYTEST_SMOKE_TEST # Set by scheduled pipeline
@@ -240,7 +227,7 @@ stages:
 
     ### run pytest
     - exit_code=0
-    - python3 -m pytest $TEST_SUITE -v --create_cut --html=report.html --self-contained-html --junit-xml=report-junit.xml --mld --ssnr --dut_encoder_path $DUT_ENCODER_PATH --dut_decoder_path $DUT_DECODER_PATH -n auto --testcase_timeout $testcase_timeout || exit_code=$?
+    - python3 -m pytest --tb=no $TEST_SUITE -v --create_cut --html=report.html --self-contained-html --junit-xml=report-junit.xml --mld --ssnr --dut_encoder_path $DUT_ENCODER_PATH --dut_decoder_path $DUT_DECODER_PATH -n auto --testcase_timeout $testcase_timeout || exit_code=$?
     - zero_errors=$(cat report-junit.xml | grep -c 'errors="0"') || true
 
     - python3 scripts/parse_xml_report.py report-junit.xml $MLD_ARTIFACT_NAME
@@ -302,7 +289,7 @@ stages:
     - make -j CLANG=$CLANG_NUM
     - if [[ $CLANG_NUM == 3 ]]; then export UBSAN_OPTIONS="suppressions=scripts/ubsan.supp,report_error_type=1"; fi
     - testcase_timeout=$TESTCASE_TIMEOUT_STV
-    - python3 -m pytest $SHORT_TEST_SUITE -v --tb=no --update_ref 1 -m create_ref --html=report.html --self-contained-html --junit-xml=report-junit.xml --testcase_timeout $testcase_timeout --ref_encoder_path ./IVAS_cod_ref --ref_decoder_path ./IVAS_dec
+    - python3 -m pytest $SHORT_TEST_SUITE -v --tb=no --update_ref 1 -m create_ref --html=report.html --self-contained-html --junit-xml=report-junit.xml --testcase_timeout $testcase_timeout --ref_encoder_path $DUT_ENCODER_PATH --ref_decoder_path $DUT_DECODER_PATH
   artifacts:
     name: "$CI_JOB_NAME--sha-$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA--results"
     when: always
@@ -410,98 +397,94 @@ build-codec-linux-instrumented-make:
 # Short test jobs 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------
 
-#ivas-pytest-mld-enc-dec:
-#  extends:
-#    - .rules-pytest-mld
-#    - .test-job-linux
-#  before_script:
-#    - USE_LTV=0
-#    - TEST_SUITE="$SHORT_TEST_SUITE"
-#    - LEVEL_SCALING=1.0
-#  <<: *ivas-pytest-anchor
-  
-ivas-pytest-mld-dec:
+### jobs that test fx encoder -> flt decoder
+ivas-pytest-mld-enc:
   extends:
     - .rules-pytest-mld
-    - .test-job-linux    
+    - .test-job-linux
   before_script:
     - USE_LTV=0
-    - DUT_ENCODER_PATH=./IVAS_cod_ref
+    - DUT_DECODER_PATH=./IVAS_dec_ref
     - TEST_SUITE="$SHORT_TEST_SUITE"
     - LEVEL_SCALING=1.0
   <<: *ivas-pytest-anchor
-  
-#ivas-pytest-mld-enc-dec-lev-10:
-#  extends:
-#    - .rules-pytest-mld
-#    - .test-job-linux    
-#  before_script:
-#    - USE_LTV=0  
-#    - TEST_SUITE="$SHORT_TEST_SUITE"
-#    - LEVEL_SCALING=0.3162
-#  <<: *ivas-pytest-anchor
-  
-ivas-pytest-mld-dec-lev-10:
+
+ivas-pytest-mld-enc-lev-10:
   extends:
     - .rules-pytest-mld
     - .test-job-linux    
   before_script:
-    - USE_LTV=0  
-    - DUT_ENCODER_PATH=./IVAS_cod_ref
+    - USE_LTV=0
+    - DUT_DECODER_PATH=./IVAS_dec_ref
     - TEST_SUITE="$SHORT_TEST_SUITE"
     - LEVEL_SCALING=0.3162
   <<: *ivas-pytest-anchor
 
-#ivas-pytest-mld-enc-dec-lev+10:
-#  extends:
-#    - .rules-pytest-mld
-#    - .test-job-linux    
-#  before_script:
-#    - USE_LTV=0  
-#    - TEST_SUITE="$SHORT_TEST_SUITE"
-#    - LEVEL_SCALING=3.162
-#  <<: *ivas-pytest-anchor
-  
-ivas-pytest-mld-dec-lev+10:
+ivas-pytest-mld-enc-lev+10:
   extends:
     - .rules-pytest-mld
     - .test-job-linux    
   before_script:
-    - USE_LTV=0  
-    - DUT_ENCODER_PATH=./IVAS_cod_ref
+    - USE_LTV=0
+    - DUT_DECODER_PATH=./IVAS_dec_ref
     - TEST_SUITE="$SHORT_TEST_SUITE"
     - LEVEL_SCALING=3.162
   <<: *ivas-pytest-anchor
 
-ivas-pytest-mld-long-enc-fx-dec-flt-interop:
+ivas-pytest-enc-msan:
   extends:
-    - .rules-pytest-mld-interop
     - .test-job-linux
   before_script:
-    - USE_LTV=0
+    - CLANG_NUM=1
     - DUT_DECODER_PATH=./IVAS_dec_ref
-    - TEST_SUITE="$SHORT_TEST_SUITE"
-    - LEVEL_SCALING=1.0
-  <<: *ivas-pytest-anchor
+  <<: *ivas-pytest-sanitizers-anchor
 
-ivas-pytest-mld-long-enc-fx-dec-flt-lev-10-interop:
+ivas-pytest-enc-asan:
   extends:
-    - .rules-pytest-mld-interop
     - .test-job-linux
   before_script:
-    - USE_LTV=0
+    - CLANG_NUM=2
     - DUT_DECODER_PATH=./IVAS_dec_ref
-    - TEST_SUITE="$SHORT_TEST_SUITE"
-    - LEVEL_SCALING=0.3162
-  <<: *ivas-pytest-anchor
+  <<: *ivas-pytest-sanitizers-anchor
 
-ivas-pytest-mld-long-enc-fx-dec-flt-lev+10-interop:
+ivas-pytest-enc-usan:
   extends:
-    - .rules-pytest-mld-interop
     - .test-job-linux
   before_script:
-    - USE_LTV=0
+    - CLANG_NUM=3
     - DUT_DECODER_PATH=./IVAS_dec_ref
+  <<: *ivas-pytest-sanitizers-anchor
+  
+### jobs that test flt encoder -> fx decoder
+ivas-pytest-mld-dec:
+  extends:
+    - .rules-pytest-mld
+    - .test-job-linux    
+  before_script:
+    - USE_LTV=0
+    - DUT_ENCODER_PATH=./IVAS_cod_ref
+    - TEST_SUITE="$SHORT_TEST_SUITE"
+    - LEVEL_SCALING=1.0
+  <<: *ivas-pytest-anchor
+  
+ivas-pytest-mld-dec-lev-10:
+  extends:
+    - .rules-pytest-mld
+    - .test-job-linux    
+  before_script:
+    - USE_LTV=0  
+    - DUT_ENCODER_PATH=./IVAS_cod_ref
+    - TEST_SUITE="$SHORT_TEST_SUITE"
+    - LEVEL_SCALING=0.3162
+  <<: *ivas-pytest-anchor
+  
+ivas-pytest-mld-dec-lev+10:
+  extends:
+    - .rules-pytest-mld
+    - .test-job-linux    
+  before_script:
+    - USE_LTV=0  
+    - DUT_ENCODER_PATH=./IVAS_cod_ref
     - TEST_SUITE="$SHORT_TEST_SUITE"
     - LEVEL_SCALING=3.162
   <<: *ivas-pytest-anchor
@@ -511,6 +494,7 @@ ivas-pytest-dec-msan:
     - .test-job-linux
   before_script:
     - CLANG_NUM=1
+    - DUT_ENCODER_PATH=./IVAS_cod_ref
   <<: *ivas-pytest-sanitizers-anchor
 
 ivas-pytest-dec-asan:
@@ -518,6 +502,7 @@ ivas-pytest-dec-asan:
     - .test-job-linux
   before_script:
     - CLANG_NUM=2
+    - DUT_ENCODER_PATH=./IVAS_cod_ref
   <<: *ivas-pytest-sanitizers-anchor
 
 ivas-pytest-dec-usan:
@@ -525,6 +510,7 @@ ivas-pytest-dec-usan:
     - .test-job-linux
   before_script:
     - CLANG_NUM=3
+    - DUT_ENCODER_PATH=./IVAS_cod_ref
   <<: *ivas-pytest-sanitizers-anchor
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------