diff --git a/lib_com/mslvq_com_fx.c b/lib_com/mslvq_com_fx.c
index d2db655f13038748b26cf2f06a1a651b023665af..748f2f564111b7117de420a63d5d82e179bf0d02 100644
--- a/lib_com/mslvq_com_fx.c
+++ b/lib_com/mslvq_com_fx.c
@@ -904,8 +904,17 @@ static void decode_comb_fx(
 )
 {
     Word16 idx_sign;
-
-    idx_sign = extract_l( div_l( L_shl( index, 1 ), pi0[idx_lead] ) ); /*(index/pi0_fx[idx_lead]); */
+#ifdef FIX_961_CRASH_DIV_L
+    IF( LT_32( L_shl( index, 1 ), pi0[idx_lead] ) )
+    {
+        idx_sign = 0;
+        move16();
+    }
+    ELSE
+#endif
+    {
+        idx_sign = extract_l( div_l( L_shl( index, 1 ), pi0[idx_lead] ) ); /*(index/pi0_fx[idx_lead]); */
+    }
     index = L_sub( index, L_mult0( idx_sign, pi0[idx_lead] ) );
     decode_leaders_fx( extract_l( index ), idx_lead, cv );
     decode_sign_pc1_fx( cv, idx_sign, pl_par[idx_lead] );
diff --git a/lib_com/options.h b/lib_com/options.h
index d19e9d6b867b416fc42b0ea709ada712c2768bcf..06b5bb4131e8975045ffe3df866b61facf02f632 100644
--- a/lib_com/options.h
+++ b/lib_com/options.h
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@
 #define FIX_835_PARAMMC_BUFFER_VALUES                   /* FhG: issue 835: wide range of buffer values for cx in ParamMC */
 
 #define FIX_860_FER_CRASH                       /* VA: fix crash issues caused by saturation within shl */
-
+#define FIX_961_CRASH_DIV_L                     /* VA: fix to potential crash in div_l when index is <= 0 */
 /* ################## End DEVELOPMENT switches ######################### */
 
 /* clang-format on */