diff --git a/lib_com/options.h b/lib_com/options.h
index 369eb91f249bc50cca322b989491bde49da96c88..0c4de1f64b44110228496ed30df99feeaaa001f6 100755
--- a/lib_com/options.h
+++ b/lib_com/options.h
@@ -238,6 +238,8 @@
 
 #define BINAURAL_AUDIO_CMDLINE
 
+#define BWD_HIGH_BR                                     /* FhG: BW to max_bwidth at bitrates using an MDCT core only */
+
 /* ################## End DEVELOPMENT switches ######################### */
 /* clang-format on */
 
diff --git a/lib_enc/bw_detect.c b/lib_enc/bw_detect.c
index 6de35a211a50ba5e2461bb2f42041346828d5e30..a7992547ad57d73d918e8f757d6e4ec793ceea83 100644
--- a/lib_enc/bw_detect.c
+++ b/lib_enc/bw_detect.c
@@ -634,6 +634,7 @@ void set_bw_stereo(
 {
     Encoder_State **sts = hCPE->hCoreCoder;
 
+#ifndef BWD_HIGH_BR
     if ( hCPE->element_mode == IVAS_CPE_MDCT )
     {
         /* ensure that both CPE channels have the same audio band-width */
@@ -651,6 +652,10 @@ void set_bw_stereo(
 
     sts[0]->bwidth = max( sts[0]->bwidth, WB );
     sts[1]->bwidth = max( sts[1]->bwidth, WB );
+#else
+    sts[0]->bwidth = max( sts[0]->max_bwidth, WB );
+    sts[1]->bwidth = max( sts[1]->max_bwidth, WB );
+#endif
 
     return;
 }
@@ -685,7 +690,11 @@ int16_t set_bw_mct(
                 continue;
             }
 
+#ifndef BWD_HIGH_BR
             mct_bwidth = max( mct_bwidth, st->input_bwidth );
+#else
+            mct_bwidth = max( mct_bwidth, st->max_bwidth );
+#endif
         }
     }