diff --git a/lib_com/options.h b/lib_com/options.h
index e1afdee81a239594712facefcdb93f8de1eebae1..58e8ff69ed0898f32fdcd085ff3aeb7d4904ff2d 100644
--- a/lib_com/options.h
+++ b/lib_com/options.h
@@ -159,6 +159,8 @@
 #define FIX_NUM_SUBFRAME_UPDATE
 
 #define FIX_1053_REVERB_RECONFIGURATION                 /* Philips: issue 1053: fix for dynamic switching of acoustic environment */
+
+#define FIX_1077_MEMORY_TEST_MISSING                    /* orange: issue 1077 : add missing memory test*/
 #define FIX_1081_BINAURAL_SPLIT_PCM_SANITY_CHECK        /* VA: issue 1081: correct error print-out when BINAURAL_SPLIT_PCM is requested */
 
 /* #################### End BE switches ################################## */
diff --git a/lib_util/hrtf_file_reader.c b/lib_util/hrtf_file_reader.c
index 813a3dfc27c32c2a3082ca8249920f5aac2e6908..c42d5c643afc624efb83d8bd8daee7533e0c342a 100644
--- a/lib_util/hrtf_file_reader.c
+++ b/lib_util/hrtf_file_reader.c
@@ -1860,7 +1860,11 @@ ivas_error destroy_hrtf_statistics(
     IVAS_DEC_HRTF_STATISTICS_HANDLE *hHrtfStatistics /* i/o: HRTF statistics handle  */
 )
 {
+#ifdef FIX_1077_MEMORY_TEST_MISSING
+    if ( ( hHrtfStatistics != NULL ) && ( *hHrtfStatistics != NULL ) && ( ( *hHrtfStatistics )->fromROM == FALSE ) )
+#else
     if ( hHrtfStatistics != NULL && ( *hHrtfStatistics )->fromROM == FALSE )
+#endif
     {
         free( ( *hHrtfStatistics )->average_energy_l );
         free( ( *hHrtfStatistics )->average_energy_r );