diff --git a/lib_com/options.h b/lib_com/options.h
index e5f3428659f5d61179ddaa0dcf35d9ae5dbee7e3..b0a19c335e54e4fc238c567e859473acc406490d 100755
--- a/lib_com/options.h
+++ b/lib_com/options.h
@@ -156,6 +156,7 @@
 #define FIX_INV_DIFFUSE_WEIGHT                          /* Orange : Fix error in energy compensation in late binaural reverb*/
 #define FIX_20_MS_FRAME_LEN_TABLES_CONVERTER            /* Orange : generate_tables_converter tools can generate rom for 5 and 20 ms frame length */
 #define FIX_955_FASTCONV_REND_IN_ISM                    /* VA: put FastConv rendering call under DEBUGGING */
+#define FIX_959_MASA_LINEAR_REND                        /* VA: issue 959: remove unused calling of ivas_sba_linear_renderer() in MASA rendering */
 
 /* #################### End BE switches ################################## */
 
diff --git a/lib_dec/ivas_jbm_dec.c b/lib_dec/ivas_jbm_dec.c
index dc6ba921779512d44cf47e78fad18683faa16b4b..dc394dda02babf81328e08467c59823141d749fc 100644
--- a/lib_dec/ivas_jbm_dec.c
+++ b/lib_dec/ivas_jbm_dec.c
@@ -1138,6 +1138,7 @@ ivas_error ivas_jbm_dec_render(
         }
         else if ( st_ivas->ivas_format == MASA_FORMAT )
         {
+#ifndef FIX_959_MASA_LINEAR_REND
             if ( st_ivas->renderer_type == RENDERER_SBA_LINEAR_DEC )
             {
                 *nSamplesRendered = min( st_ivas->hTcBuffer->n_samples_available, nSamplesAskedLocal );
@@ -1152,6 +1153,9 @@ ivas_error ivas_jbm_dec_render(
                 }
             }
             else if ( st_ivas->renderer_type == RENDERER_DIRAC )
+#else
+            if ( st_ivas->renderer_type == RENDERER_DIRAC )
+#endif
             {
                 ivas_dirac_dec_render( st_ivas, nchan_remapped, nSamplesAskedLocal, nSamplesRendered, nSamplesAvailableNext, p_output );
             }
diff --git a/lib_dec/ivas_output_config.c b/lib_dec/ivas_output_config.c
index 34bfbb57fabc5a4ca651c8e11967e2245017e79d..6aa97062ad5f1d2cf4a82498bf1d8dd22cd947c7 100644
--- a/lib_dec/ivas_output_config.c
+++ b/lib_dec/ivas_output_config.c
@@ -371,7 +371,11 @@ void ivas_renderer_select(
             {
                 *internal_config = IVAS_AUDIO_CONFIG_HOA3;
             }
+#ifdef FIX_959_MASA_LINEAR_REND
+            *renderer_type = RENDERER_SBA_LINEAR_DEC;
+#else
             st_ivas->renderer_type = RENDERER_SBA_LINEAR_DEC;
+#endif
         }
         else if ( ( ivas_format == MASA_FORMAT && output_config == IVAS_AUDIO_CONFIG_MONO && st_ivas->nchan_transport == 1 ) ||
                   ( ivas_format == SBA_FORMAT && ( output_config == IVAS_AUDIO_CONFIG_STEREO || output_config == IVAS_AUDIO_CONFIG_MONO ) ) )