diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 34b1755a4caca433a4cdc62faadff918e2f3bc70..78c4d078fcbf882ab53a80688a096619ad4a89e0 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ variables:
   TEST_SUITE: ""
   DUT_ENCODER_PATH: "./IVAS_cod"
   DUT_DECODER_PATH: "./IVAS_dec"
+  REF_ENCODER_PATH: "./IVAS_cod_ref"
+  REF_DECODER_PATH: "./IVAS_dec_ref"
   LEVEL_SCALING: "1.0"
   IVAS_PIPELINE_NAME: ''
   BASOP_CI_BRANCH_PC_REPO: "basop-ci-branch"
@@ -102,8 +104,8 @@ stages:
   - git pull
   - make clean
   - make -j
-  - mv ./IVAS_cod ./IVAS_cod_ref
-  - mv ./IVAS_dec ./IVAS_dec_ref
+  - mv ./IVAS_cod ./$REF_ENCODER_PATH
+  - mv ./IVAS_dec ./$REF_DECODER_PATH
   - mv ./IVAS_rend ./IVAS_rend_ref
 
   ### build test binaries
@@ -120,8 +122,8 @@ stages:
   - python3 tests/create_short_testvectors.py
   # create references
   - exit_code=0
-  - python3 -m pytest $TEST_SUITE -v --update_ref 1 -m create_ref --create_ref -n auto || exit_code=$? 
-  - python3 -m pytest $TEST_SUITE -v --update_ref 1 -m create_ref_part2 -n auto || exit_code=$? # Catch exit code to prevent halt in case this step produces zero tests
+  - python3 -m pytest $TEST_SUITE -v --update_ref 1 -m create_ref --create_ref -n auto --ref_encoder_path $REF_ENCODER_PATH --ref_decoder_path $REF_DECODER_PATH --dut_encoder_path $DUT_ENCODER_PATH --dut_decoder_path $DUT_DECODER_PATH || exit_code=$?
+  - python3 -m pytest $TEST_SUITE -v --update_ref 1 -m create_ref_part2 -n auto --ref_encoder_path $REF_ENCODER_PATH --ref_decoder_path $REF_DECODER_PATH --dut_encoder_path $DUT_ENCODER_PATH --dut_decoder_path $DUT_DECODER_PATH || exit_code=$? # Catch exit code to prevent halt in case this step produces zero tests
 
 
 .update-scripts-repo: &update-scripts-repo
@@ -235,7 +237,7 @@ stages:
 
     ### run pytest
     - exit_code=0
-    - python3 -m pytest --tb=no $TEST_SUITE -v --create_cut --html=report.html --self-contained-html --junit-xml=report-junit.xml --mld --ssnr --odg --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 --odg -n auto --testcase_timeout $testcase_timeout --ref_encoder_path $REF_ENCODER_PATH --ref_decoder_path $REF_DECODER_PATH --dut_encoder_path $DUT_ENCODER_PATH --dut_decoder_path $DUT_DECODER_PATH || exit_code=$?
     - zero_errors=$(cat report-junit.xml | grep -c 'errors="0"') || true
 
     - python3 scripts/parse_xml_report.py report-junit.xml $MLD_ARTIFACT_NAME
@@ -418,7 +420,7 @@ ivas-pytest-mld-enc:
     - .test-job-linux
   before_script:
     - USE_LTV=0
-    - DUT_DECODER_PATH=./IVAS_dec_ref
+    - DUT_DECODER_PATH=./$REF_DECODER_PATH
     - TEST_SUITE="$SHORT_TEST_SUITE"
     - LEVEL_SCALING=1.0
   <<: *ivas-pytest-anchor
@@ -429,7 +431,7 @@ ivas-pytest-mld-enc-lev-10:
     - .test-job-linux    
   before_script:
     - USE_LTV=0
-    - DUT_DECODER_PATH=./IVAS_dec_ref
+    - DUT_DECODER_PATH=./$REF_DECODER_PATH
     - TEST_SUITE="$SHORT_TEST_SUITE"
     - LEVEL_SCALING=0.3162
   <<: *ivas-pytest-anchor
@@ -440,7 +442,7 @@ ivas-pytest-mld-enc-lev+10:
     - .test-job-linux    
   before_script:
     - USE_LTV=0
-    - DUT_DECODER_PATH=./IVAS_dec_ref
+    - DUT_DECODER_PATH=./$REF_DECODER_PATH
     - TEST_SUITE="$SHORT_TEST_SUITE"
     - LEVEL_SCALING=3.162
   <<: *ivas-pytest-anchor
@@ -450,7 +452,7 @@ ivas-pytest-enc-msan:
     - .test-job-linux
   before_script:
     - CLANG_NUM=1
-    - DUT_DECODER_PATH=./IVAS_dec_ref
+    - DUT_DECODER_PATH=./$REF_DECODER_PATH
   <<: *ivas-pytest-sanitizers-anchor
 
 ivas-pytest-enc-asan:
@@ -458,7 +460,7 @@ ivas-pytest-enc-asan:
     - .test-job-linux
   before_script:
     - CLANG_NUM=2
-    - DUT_DECODER_PATH=./IVAS_dec_ref
+    - DUT_DECODER_PATH=./$REF_DECODER_PATH
   <<: *ivas-pytest-sanitizers-anchor
 
 ivas-pytest-enc-usan:
@@ -466,7 +468,7 @@ ivas-pytest-enc-usan:
     - .test-job-linux
   before_script:
     - CLANG_NUM=3
-    - DUT_DECODER_PATH=./IVAS_dec_ref
+    - DUT_DECODER_PATH=./$REF_DECODER_PATH
   <<: *ivas-pytest-sanitizers-anchor
   
 ### jobs that test flt encoder -> fx decoder
@@ -476,7 +478,7 @@ ivas-pytest-mld-dec:
     - .test-job-linux    
   before_script:
     - USE_LTV=0
-    - DUT_ENCODER_PATH=./IVAS_cod_ref
+    - DUT_ENCODER_PATH=./$REF_ENCODER_PATH
     - TEST_SUITE="$SHORT_TEST_SUITE"
     - LEVEL_SCALING=1.0
   <<: *ivas-pytest-anchor
@@ -487,7 +489,7 @@ ivas-pytest-mld-dec-lev-10:
     - .test-job-linux    
   before_script:
     - USE_LTV=0  
-    - DUT_ENCODER_PATH=./IVAS_cod_ref
+    - DUT_ENCODER_PATH=./$REF_ENCODER_PATH
     - TEST_SUITE="$SHORT_TEST_SUITE"
     - LEVEL_SCALING=0.3162
   <<: *ivas-pytest-anchor
@@ -498,7 +500,7 @@ ivas-pytest-mld-dec-lev+10:
     - .test-job-linux    
   before_script:
     - USE_LTV=0  
-    - DUT_ENCODER_PATH=./IVAS_cod_ref
+    - DUT_ENCODER_PATH=./$REF_ENCODER_PATH
     - TEST_SUITE="$SHORT_TEST_SUITE"
     - LEVEL_SCALING=3.162
   <<: *ivas-pytest-anchor
@@ -508,7 +510,7 @@ ivas-pytest-dec-msan:
     - .test-job-linux
   before_script:
     - CLANG_NUM=1
-    - DUT_ENCODER_PATH=./IVAS_cod_ref
+    - DUT_ENCODER_PATH=./$REF_ENCODER_PATH
   <<: *ivas-pytest-sanitizers-anchor
 
 ivas-pytest-dec-asan:
@@ -516,7 +518,7 @@ ivas-pytest-dec-asan:
     - .test-job-linux
   before_script:
     - CLANG_NUM=2
-    - DUT_ENCODER_PATH=./IVAS_cod_ref
+    - DUT_ENCODER_PATH=./$REF_ENCODER_PATH
   <<: *ivas-pytest-sanitizers-anchor
 
 ivas-pytest-dec-usan:
@@ -524,7 +526,7 @@ ivas-pytest-dec-usan:
     - .test-job-linux
   before_script:
     - CLANG_NUM=3
-    - DUT_ENCODER_PATH=./IVAS_cod_ref
+    - DUT_ENCODER_PATH=./$REF_ENCODER_PATH
   <<: *ivas-pytest-sanitizers-anchor
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -537,7 +539,7 @@ ivas-pytest-mld-long-enc:
     - .test-job-linux    
   before_script:
     - USE_LTV=1
-    - DUT_DECODER_PATH=./IVAS_dec_ref
+    - DUT_DECODER_PATH=./$REF_DECODER_PATH
     - TEST_SUITE="$LONG_TEST_SUITE"
     - LEVEL_SCALING=1.0
   <<: *ivas-pytest-anchor
@@ -548,7 +550,7 @@ ivas-pytest-mld-long-dec:
     - .test-job-linux    
   before_script:
     - USE_LTV=1  
-    - DUT_ENCODER_PATH=./IVAS_cod_ref
+    - DUT_ENCODER_PATH=./$REF_ENCODER_PATH
     - TEST_SUITE="$LONG_TEST_SUITE"
     - LEVEL_SCALING=1.0
   <<: *ivas-pytest-anchor
@@ -559,7 +561,7 @@ ivas-pytest-mld-long-enc-lev-10:
     - .test-job-linux    
   before_script:
     - USE_LTV=1
-    - DUT_DECODER_PATH=./IVAS_dec_ref
+    - DUT_DECODER_PATH=./$REF_DECODER_PATH
     - TEST_SUITE="$LONG_TEST_SUITE"
     - LEVEL_SCALING=0.3162
   <<: *ivas-pytest-anchor
@@ -570,7 +572,7 @@ ivas-pytest-mld-long-dec-lev-10:
     - .test-job-linux    
   before_script:
     - USE_LTV=1
-    - DUT_ENCODER_PATH=./IVAS_cod_ref
+    - DUT_ENCODER_PATH=./$REF_ENCODER_PATH
     - TEST_SUITE="$LONG_TEST_SUITE"
     - LEVEL_SCALING=0.3162
   <<: *ivas-pytest-anchor
@@ -581,7 +583,7 @@ ivas-pytest-mld-long-enc-lev+10:
     - .test-job-linux    
   before_script:
     - USE_LTV=1
-    - DUT_DECODER_PATH=./IVAS_dec_ref
+    - DUT_DECODER_PATH=./$REF_DECODER_PATH
     - TEST_SUITE="$LONG_TEST_SUITE"
     - LEVEL_SCALING=3.162
   <<: *ivas-pytest-anchor
@@ -592,7 +594,7 @@ ivas-pytest-mld-long-dec-lev+10:
     - .test-job-linux    
   before_script:
     - USE_LTV=1  
-    - DUT_ENCODER_PATH=./IVAS_cod_ref
+    - DUT_ENCODER_PATH=./$REF_ENCODER_PATH
     - TEST_SUITE="$LONG_TEST_SUITE"
     - LEVEL_SCALING=3.162
   <<: *ivas-pytest-anchor