diff --git a/lib_com/ivas_cnst.h b/lib_com/ivas_cnst.h
index 105c0e8057fc08f9b1f63be8e0b0aa4d3fc8771d..4e6ad47f249fe7551212aed8faafc94327e2836c 100755
--- a/lib_com/ivas_cnst.h
+++ b/lib_com/ivas_cnst.h
@@ -233,7 +233,11 @@ typedef enum
 #define SID_MDCT_STEREO                         0x1                         /*      1|      0|     0 */
 #define SID_ISM                                 0x2                         /*      0|      1|     0 */
 #define SID_MASA_1TC                            0x3                         /*      1|      1|     0 */
+#ifdef FIX_1209_SID_SIGNALING
+/*reserved*/                                  /*0x4*/                       /*      0|      0|     1 */
+#else
 #define SID_MULTICHANNEL                        0x4                         /*      0|      0|     1 */
+#endif
 #define SID_SBA_1TC                             0x5                         /*      1|      0|     1 */
 #define SID_SBA_2TC                             0x6                         /*      0|      1|     1 */
 #define SID_MASA_2TC                            0x7                         /*      1|      1|     1 */
diff --git a/lib_com/options.h b/lib_com/options.h
index f57c066bdcdefe19f1af1bc5269877a3cb79e635..b82706a7eb022af29454c4379f57ddff739baeef 100644
--- a/lib_com/options.h
+++ b/lib_com/options.h
@@ -174,6 +174,7 @@
 #define FIX_587_DEFAULT_REVERB                          /* Philips: issue 587: inconsistent default reverb parameters across renderers */
 
 #define FIX_HRTF_LOAD                                   /* VA: issue 1187: fix memory issue when HRTFs are loaded from a binary file */
+#define FIX_1209_SID_SIGNALING                          /* VA: issue 1209: remove dead code in IVAS SID signaling */
 
 
 /* #################### End BE switches ################################## */
diff --git a/lib_dec/ivas_init_dec.c b/lib_dec/ivas_init_dec.c
index 006f23216a7731f1839d2202946704a839e12750..0984693976cbb8908ff984c5fa9693f84e23018b 100644
--- a/lib_dec/ivas_init_dec.c
+++ b/lib_dec/ivas_init_dec.c
@@ -109,6 +109,9 @@ ivas_error ivas_dec_get_format(
     int32_t ivas_total_brate;
     uint16_t *bit_stream_orig;
     AUDIO_CONFIG signaled_config;
+#ifdef FIX_1209_SID_SIGNALING
+    ivas_error error;
+#endif
 
     num_bits_read = 0;
     element_mode_flag = 0;
@@ -120,7 +123,14 @@ ivas_error ivas_dec_get_format(
      * Read IVAS format
      *-------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 
+#ifdef FIX_1209_SID_SIGNALING
+    if ( ( error = ivas_read_format( st_ivas, &num_bits_read ) ) != IVAS_ERR_OK )
+    {
+        return error;
+    }
+#else
     ivas_read_format( st_ivas, &num_bits_read );
+#endif
 
     if ( st_ivas->ini_frame > 0 && st_ivas->ivas_format != st_ivas->last_ivas_format &&
          !( st_ivas->ivas_format == MASA_FORMAT && st_ivas->last_ivas_format == MASA_ISM_FORMAT ) &&
@@ -485,7 +495,14 @@ ivas_error ivas_dec_setup(
      * Read IVAS format
      *-------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 
+#ifdef FIX_1209_SID_SIGNALING
+    if ( ( error = ivas_read_format( st_ivas, &num_bits_read ) ) != IVAS_ERR_OK )
+    {
+        return error;
+    }
+#else
     ivas_read_format( st_ivas, &num_bits_read );
+#endif
 
     /*-------------------------------------------------------------------*
      * Read other signling (ISM/MC mode, number of channels, etc.)
@@ -1048,11 +1065,12 @@ static ivas_error ivas_read_format(
                 break;
             case SID_ISM:
                 st_ivas->ivas_format = ISM_FORMAT;
-
                 break;
+#ifndef FIX_1209_SID_SIGNALING
             case SID_MULTICHANNEL:
                 st_ivas->ivas_format = MC_FORMAT;
                 break;
+#endif
             case SID_SBA_1TC:
                 st_ivas->ivas_format = SBA_FORMAT;
                 st_ivas->element_mode_init = IVAS_SCE;
@@ -1077,7 +1095,9 @@ static ivas_error ivas_read_format(
                 }
                 break;
             default:
+#ifndef FIX_1209_SID_SIGNALING
                 /* This should actually be impossible, since only 3 bits are read, so if this happens something is broken */
+#endif
                 return IVAS_ERROR( IVAS_ERR_INTERNAL_FATAL, "Invalid value %c found in SID format field.", st_ivas->sid_format );
         }
 
diff --git a/lib_enc/ivas_init_enc.c b/lib_enc/ivas_init_enc.c
index 48a3286a4ed55b74249f954b260f6663d7e8b706..c4ad5e3c9cadae7f1c40fcf244126a462d78312b 100644
--- a/lib_enc/ivas_init_enc.c
+++ b/lib_enc/ivas_init_enc.c
@@ -161,9 +161,11 @@ void ivas_write_format_sid(
         case ISM_FORMAT:
             ind = SID_ISM;
             break;
+#ifndef FIX_1209_SID_SIGNALING
         case MC_FORMAT:
             ind = SID_MULTICHANNEL;
             break;
+#endif
         case SBA_FORMAT:
             switch ( element_mode )
             {