diff --git a/apps/encoder.c b/apps/encoder.c
index 1dc0aead517c33f79a1a282ca6d40b4745143074..10fd12a94baa165231f82866b2a8aa893976112b 100644
--- a/apps/encoder.c
+++ b/apps/encoder.c
@@ -1225,16 +1225,6 @@ static bool parseCmdlIVAS_enc(
          * IVAS Formats
          *-----------------------------------------------------------------*/
 
-#ifdef BINAURAL_AUDIO_CMDLINE
-        else if ( strcmp( argv_to_upper, "-BINAURAL" ) == 0 )
-        {
-            i++;
-            if ( strcmp( argv_to_upper, "-BINAURAL" ) == 0 )
-            {
-                arg->is_binaural = true;
-            }
-        }
-#endif
         else if ( strcmp( argv_to_upper, "-STEREO" ) == 0 )
         {
             i++;
@@ -1312,6 +1302,13 @@ static bool parseCmdlIVAS_enc(
             }
 #endif /* DEBUGGING */
         }
+#ifdef BINAURAL_AUDIO_CMDLINE
+        else if ( strcmp( argv_to_upper, "-BINAURAL" ) == 0 )
+        {
+            arg->is_binaural = true;
+            i++;
+        }
+#endif
         else if ( strcmp( argv_to_upper, "-ISM" ) == 0 )
         {
             arg->inputFormat = IVAS_ENC_INPUT_ISM;
@@ -1703,9 +1700,6 @@ static void usage_enc( void )
     fprintf( stdout, "Options:\n" );
     fprintf( stdout, "--------\n" );
     fprintf( stdout, "EVS mono is default, for IVAS choose one of the following: -stereo, -ism, -sba, -masa, -mc\n" );
-#ifdef BINAURAL_AUDIO_CMDLINE
-    fprintf( stdout, "-binaural           : Optional indication that input is binaural audio (to be used with -stereo or -stereo_dmx_evs)\n" );
-#endif
     fprintf( stdout, "-stereo             : Stereo format \n" );
     fprintf( stdout, "-ism (+)Ch Files    : ISM format \n" );
     fprintf( stdout, "                      where Ch specifies the number of ISMs (1-4)\n" );
@@ -1737,6 +1731,9 @@ static void usage_enc( void )
     fprintf( stdout, "                      alternatively, B can be a text file where each line contains \"nb_frames B\"\n" );
     fprintf( stdout, "-no_delay_cmp       : Turn off delay compensation\n" );
     fprintf( stdout, "-stereo_dmx_evs     : Activate stereo downmix function for EVS.\n" );
+#ifdef BINAURAL_AUDIO_CMDLINE
+    fprintf( stdout, "-binaural           : Optional indication that input is binaural audio (to be used with -stereo or -stereo_dmx_evs)\n" );
+#endif
     fprintf( stdout, "-mime               : Mime output bitstream file format\n" );
     fprintf( stdout, "                      The encoder produces TS26.445 Annex.2.6 Mime Storage Format, (not RFC4867 Mime Format).\n" );
     fprintf( stdout, "                      default output bitstream file format is G.192\n" );
diff --git a/lib_com/options.h b/lib_com/options.h
index 4328602f5a105a9733328433e16ba0d3cba3fd38..223c6a640446f125452eb4bc201974ff0a46b8bd 100755
--- a/lib_com/options.h
+++ b/lib_com/options.h
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@
 #define FIX_TODO_FD_CNG_SBA_CLEANUP                     /* FhG: BE, address TODO comment in fd_cng_enc */
 #define ENHANCED_STEREO_DMX                             /* Orange : Contribution 48 - Enhanced stereo downmix. */
 
-#define BINAURAL_AUDIO_CMDLINE
+#define BINAURAL_AUDIO_CMDLINE                          /* issue 491: Implement Commandline-Option for Binaural Audio */
 #define FIX_570_TCX_LPC_WRITE                           /* FhG: fix issue 570: LPC bitstream writer in TCX */
 #define FIX_506                                         /* FhG: Compiler warnings */
 #define FIX_511_OPTIMIZE_PARAMBIN_GAIN_FETCH            /* Nokia: Issue 511, significant optimization of parametric binauralizer gain fetching. */
diff --git a/lib_enc/ivas_stat_enc.h b/lib_enc/ivas_stat_enc.h
index 4f2f375af7094af2561f6b387a47f98565b070ef..23d0acbe93c9568becd8bc8bd647d4fa31d69e73 100644
--- a/lib_enc/ivas_stat_enc.h
+++ b/lib_enc/ivas_stat_enc.h
@@ -1084,7 +1084,7 @@ typedef struct encoder_config_structure
     int16_t max_bwidth;                             /* maximum encoded bandwidth */
     IVAS_FORMAT ivas_format;                        /* IVAS format */
 #ifdef BINAURAL_AUDIO_CMDLINE
-	bool is_binaural;                               /* flag indicating if input is binaural audio */
+    int16_t is_binaural;                            /* flag indicating if input is binaural audio */
 #endif
 
     int16_t element_mode_init;                      /* element mode used at initialization */
diff --git a/lib_enc/lib_enc.c b/lib_enc/lib_enc.c
index 472497bea5b8912fc4feb34ce842168599bdde5a..2668eed044eb284d8ee4217e09fefd7e7eaad35c 100755
--- a/lib_enc/lib_enc.c
+++ b/lib_enc/lib_enc.c
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ ivas_error IVAS_ENC_ConfigureForMono(
 
     hIvasEnc->st_ivas->hEncoderConfig->ivas_format = MONO_FORMAT;
 #ifdef BINAURAL_AUDIO_CMDLINE
-    hIvasEnc->st_ivas->hEncoderConfig->is_binaural = is_binaural;
+    hIvasEnc->st_ivas->hEncoderConfig->is_binaural = (int16_t) is_binaural;
 #endif
 
     if ( downmixFromStereo )
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ ivas_error IVAS_ENC_ConfigureForStereo(
     hEncoderConfig->nchan_inp = 2;
     hEncoderConfig->ivas_format = STEREO_FORMAT;
 #ifdef BINAURAL_AUDIO_CMDLINE
-    hEncoderConfig->is_binaural = is_binaural;
+    hEncoderConfig->is_binaural = (int16_t) is_binaural;
 #endif
 
 #ifdef DEBUGGING
@@ -933,6 +933,13 @@ static ivas_error configureEncoder(
         return error;
     }
 
+#ifdef BINAURAL_AUDIO_CMDLINE
+    if ( hEncoderConfig->is_binaural && !( ( hEncoderConfig->ivas_format == MONO_FORMAT && hEncoderConfig->stereo_dmx_evs ) || hEncoderConfig->ivas_format == STEREO_FORMAT ) )
+    {
+        return IVAS_ERROR( IVAS_ERR_NOT_SUPPORTED_OPTION, "'-binaural' option is supported only with '-stereo' or '-stereo_dmx_evs'" );
+    }
+#endif
+
     /*-----------------------------------------------------------------*
      * Finalize initialization
      *-----------------------------------------------------------------*/
@@ -1540,12 +1547,6 @@ static ivas_error printConfigInfo_enc(
         if ( hEncoderConfig->stereo_dmx_evs )
         {
             fprintf( stdout, "IVAS format:            stereo downmix to bit-exact EVS mono\n" );
-#ifdef BINAURAL_AUDIO_CMDLINE
-            if ( hEncoderConfig->is_binaural )
-            {
-                fprintf( stdout, "Optional indication:    binaural audio\n" );
-            }
-#endif
         }
         else
         {
@@ -1580,12 +1581,6 @@ static ivas_error printConfigInfo_enc(
         {
             fprintf( stdout, "IVAS format:            stereo - MDCT stereo\n" );
         }
-#endif
-#ifdef BINAURAL_AUDIO_CMDLINE
-        if ( hEncoderConfig->is_binaural )
-        {
-            fprintf( stdout, "Optional indication:    binaural audio\n" );
-        }
 #endif
     }
     else if ( hEncoderConfig->ivas_format == ISM_FORMAT )
@@ -1654,6 +1649,13 @@ static ivas_error printConfigInfo_enc(
         }
     }
 
+#ifdef BINAURAL_AUDIO_CMDLINE
+    if ( hEncoderConfig->is_binaural )
+    {
+        fprintf( stdout, "Optional indication:    binaural audio\n" );
+    }
+#endif
+
     /*-----------------------------------------------------------------*
      * Print CNG update interval, if DTX is activated
      *-----------------------------------------------------------------*/
@@ -2323,6 +2325,9 @@ static void init_encoder_config(
     hEncoderConfig->nchan_inp = 1;
     hEncoderConfig->element_mode_init = EVS_MONO;
     hEncoderConfig->ivas_format = UNDEFINED_FORMAT;
+#ifdef BINAURAL_AUDIO_CMDLINE
+    hEncoderConfig->is_binaural = 0;
+#endif
     hEncoderConfig->Opt_SC_VBR = 0;
     hEncoderConfig->last_Opt_SC_VBR = 0;
     hEncoderConfig->Opt_AMR_WB = 0;