diff --git a/lib_com/ivas_dirac_com.c b/lib_com/ivas_dirac_com.c
index bff649e726154d5a35a5b6d3dcba893a3e1d9128..1ffeb6564a386857863b32372be0c312d5910045 100644
--- a/lib_com/ivas_dirac_com.c
+++ b/lib_com/ivas_dirac_com.c
@@ -447,10 +447,14 @@ ivas_error ivas_dirac_sba_config(
     else
     {
         hQMetaData->useLowerBandRes = 0;
+#ifndef NONBE_FIX_973_HODIRAC_BAND_GROUPING
         if ( hodirac_flag == 0 )
         {
             nbands_coded = nbands - 1; /* always combine the last two bands */
         }
+#else
+        nbands_coded = nbands - 1; /* always combine the last two bands */
+#endif
     }
 
     {
diff --git a/lib_com/options.h b/lib_com/options.h
index 24808a6ccc5e1c873209f65f00b1b2efca8218cd..a8904e1662660a904a05b77e2a92e30448e872d6 100644
--- a/lib_com/options.h
+++ b/lib_com/options.h
@@ -190,9 +190,9 @@
 #define NONBE_FIX_935_SBA_REVERB                              /* FhG: issue 935: fix MSAN error for SBA related to BINAURAL_ROOM_REVERB */
 #define FIX_969_USAN_IGF_ARITH                          /* FhG: issue 969: fix USAN error in igf_sce_dec; same issue as #962 */
 #define FIX_959_MASA_LINEAR_REND                        /* VA: issue 959: remove unused calling of ivas_sba_linear_renderer() in MASA rendering */
+#define NONBE_FIX_973_HODIRAC_BAND_GROUPING                   /* FhG: issue 973: empty parameter band in DirAC */
 #define FIX_971_LOG2_IDX_GAIN_0                         /* VA: prevent -Inf due to log2(ratio==0)  */
 
-
 /* #################### End BASOP porting switches ############################ */
 
 /* clang-format on */