diff --git a/lib_com/options.h b/lib_com/options.h
index 503146f4a67bd0929699ce90a2752323d0d5fbeb..1deb15668697282105fe8a7c9d29f685913b2745 100755
--- a/lib_com/options.h
+++ b/lib_com/options.h
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@
 #define FIX_FIX_I59                                     /* Issue 59:  small fix concerning LFE delay rounding */
 #define MC_BITRATE_SWITCHING                            /* Issue 116: support bitrate switching in MC format  */
 #define MC_JBM                                          /* FhG: extend JBM beyond mono for running IVAS in VoIP mode (contribution 19) */
-
+#define FIX_265_MC_BRATE_SWITCHING                      /* Issue 265: fix use-of-uninitialized-value in MC bitrate switching */
 
 
 /* ################## End DEVELOPMENT switches ######################### */
diff --git a/lib_dec/ivas_corecoder_dec_reconfig.c b/lib_dec/ivas_corecoder_dec_reconfig.c
index 04dc4cccfcb14f86841410d665ad389fc1a9d033..8b29d9c7859afc9347415f920955b9c383a969f8 100644
--- a/lib_dec/ivas_corecoder_dec_reconfig.c
+++ b/lib_dec/ivas_corecoder_dec_reconfig.c
@@ -244,6 +244,12 @@ ivas_error ivas_corecoder_dec_reconfig(
         for ( ; cpe_id < st_ivas->nCPE; cpe_id++ )
         {
 #ifdef MC_BITRATE_SWITCHING
+#ifdef FIX_265_MC_BRATE_SWITCHING
+            if ( st_ivas->mc_mode == MC_MODE_MCMASA && st_ivas->hOutSetup.separateChannelEnabled )
+            {
+                st_ivas->element_mode_init = IVAS_CPE_MDCT;
+            }
+#endif
             if ( ( error = create_cpe_dec( st_ivas, cpe_id, brate_CPE ) ) != IVAS_ERR_OK )
 #else
             if ( ( error = create_cpe_dec( st_ivas, cpe_id, ( ivas_total_brate / st_ivas->nchan_transport ) * CPE_CHANNELS ) ) != IVAS_ERR_OK )
diff --git a/lib_dec/ivas_stereo_switching_dec.c b/lib_dec/ivas_stereo_switching_dec.c
index b04cae97a9404ba0081c2f303309445abaf5ed1e..165d7dc89624b5aac5eb00e64b9a10c4975b79cf 100755
--- a/lib_dec/ivas_stereo_switching_dec.c
+++ b/lib_dec/ivas_stereo_switching_dec.c
@@ -40,6 +40,9 @@
 #include "prot.h"
 #include "ivas_prot.h"
 #include "ivas_rom_com.h"
+#ifdef FIX_265_MC_BRATE_SWITCHING
+#include "assert.h"
+#endif
 #include "wmc_auto.h"
 #include <math.h>
 
@@ -354,6 +357,11 @@ ivas_error stereo_memory_dec(
 
     error = IVAS_ERR_OK;
 
+#ifdef FIX_265_MC_BRATE_SWITCHING
+    assert( hCPE->last_element_mode >= IVAS_CPE_DFT && "Switching from SCE to CPE is not a valid configuration!" );
+#endif
+
+
     hCPE->hCoreCoder[0]->element_mode = hCPE->element_mode;
     hCPE->hCoreCoder[1]->element_mode = hCPE->element_mode;
 
diff --git a/lib_enc/ivas_stereo_switching_enc.c b/lib_enc/ivas_stereo_switching_enc.c
index 75c62cfba961b1679017a3ddb207bddda118a4ab..8f39a1f15d540184d6d7ac54e9b050b78f435427 100644
--- a/lib_enc/ivas_stereo_switching_enc.c
+++ b/lib_enc/ivas_stereo_switching_enc.c
@@ -32,16 +32,18 @@
 
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include "options.h"
-#ifdef DEBUGGING
-#include "debug.h"
-#endif
 #include "cnst.h"
 #include "rom_com.h"
 #include "prot.h"
 #include "ivas_prot.h"
 #include "ivas_rom_com.h"
+#ifdef FIX_265_MC_BRATE_SWITCHING
+#include "assert.h"
+#endif
 #include "wmc_auto.h"
-
+#ifdef DEBUGGING
+#include "debug.h"
+#endif
 
 /*-------------------------------------------------------------------*
  * Function allocate_CoreCoder_enc()
@@ -231,6 +233,10 @@ ivas_error stereo_memory_enc(
 
     error = IVAS_ERR_OK;
 
+#ifdef FIX_265_MC_BRATE_SWITCHING
+    assert( hCPE->last_element_mode >= IVAS_CPE_DFT && "Switching from SCE to CPE is not a valid configuration!" );
+#endif
+
     /*--------------------------------------------------------------*
      * save parameters from structures that will be freed
      *---------------------------------------------------------------*/