diff --git a/lib_com/ivas_prot.h b/lib_com/ivas_prot.h
index e0e3a40dffdd607d9a449684c6402f564afc43ab..e80b23aa151c333dc8e6ff7aba0a09e81a0283a2 100755
--- a/lib_com/ivas_prot.h
+++ b/lib_com/ivas_prot.h
@@ -3499,12 +3499,13 @@ ivas_error ivas_cldfb_dec_reconfig(
     const int16_t numCldfbSyntheses_old                         /* i  : number of CLDFB synthesis instances in previous frame */
 );
 
+#ifndef FIX_993_REMOVE_SBA_GET_ORDER
 /*! r: Ambisonic (SBA) order */
 int16_t ivas_sba_get_order(
     const int16_t nb_channels,                                  /* i  : Number of ambisonic channels            */
     const int16_t sba_planar                                    /* i  : SBA planar flag                         */
 );
-
+#endif
 /*! r: Ambisonic (SBA) order used for analysis and coding */
 int16_t ivas_sba_get_analysis_order(
     const int32_t ivas_total_brate,                             /* i  : IVAS total bitrate                      */
diff --git a/lib_com/ivas_sba_config.c b/lib_com/ivas_sba_config.c
index 52ed4672b6526d70adc4b3ed49b463e7e61f08b3..f7f32c6a9a67d711836cc00f8ec18b84bf2d8476 100644
--- a/lib_com/ivas_sba_config.c
+++ b/lib_com/ivas_sba_config.c
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ void ivas_sba_config(
     int16_t *element_mode          /* o  : element mode of the core coder           */
 )
 {
+#ifndef FIX_993_REMOVE_SBA_GET_ORDER
     if ( ( sba_order < 0 ) && ( nb_channels < 0 ) )
     {
         assert( 0 && "Either order or number of channels must be positive" );
@@ -77,6 +78,9 @@ void ivas_sba_config(
         nb_channels = ivas_sba_get_nchan( sba_order, sba_planar );
     }
     else
+#else
+    if ( nb_channels > 0 )
+#endif
     {
         if ( sba_planar )
         {
@@ -117,7 +121,7 @@ void ivas_sba_config(
     return;
 }
 
-
+#ifndef FIX_993_REMOVE_SBA_GET_ORDER
 /*-------------------------------------------------------------------*
  * ivas_sba_get_order()
  *
@@ -147,7 +151,7 @@ int16_t ivas_sba_get_order(
 
     return ( sba_order );
 }
-
+#endif
 
 /*-------------------------------------------------------------------*
  * ivas_sba_get_analysis_order()
diff --git a/lib_com/options.h b/lib_com/options.h
index 1e291c172101f95ca25b46a2e3ca5b0f5775d137..9b39b13abd078143343a8e38a0c67db2ec949cdb 100644
--- a/lib_com/options.h
+++ b/lib_com/options.h
@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@
 
 #define FIX_998_UNUSED_FUNCTION                         /* FhG: issue 998: delete unused funtion ivas_dirac_dec_get_response_split_order */ 
 #define FIX_1009_ISM_NONDIEGETIC_PANNING                /* FhG: issue #1009: use correct object buffer for ISM1 non-diegetic pan      */
+#define FIX_993_REMOVE_SBA_GET_ORDER                    /* VA: issue 993: remove unused function ivas_sba_get_order() */
 
 /* #################### End BE switches ################################## */