diff --git a/apps/decoder.c b/apps/decoder.c
index ac73553e7f0816edd6bd0dd0b7086f8f723b6aac..5221ec6281b31839bdffbab23f4de4387487157c 100644
--- a/apps/decoder.c
+++ b/apps/decoder.c
@@ -1468,6 +1468,18 @@ static bool parseCmdlIVAS_dec(
         return false;
     }
 
+#ifdef SUPPORT_JBM_TRACEFILE
+    /* Validate options that depend on other options */
+    if ( arg->jbmTraceFilename != NULL && arg->delayCompensationEnabled
+         /* This decMode check should be removed once timestamp sync issues between JBM trace and audio are fixed in EVS */
+         && arg->decMode != IVAS_DEC_MODE_EVS )
+    {
+        fprintf( stderr, "Error: Writing to a JBM trace file requires delay compensation to be disabled with -no_delay_cmp\n\n" );
+        usage_dec();
+        return false;
+    }
+#endif
+
     return true;
 }
 
@@ -1504,7 +1516,8 @@ static void usage_dec( void )
     fprintf( stdout, "                      EVS RTP Payload Format. The SDP parameter hf_only is required.\n" );
     fprintf( stdout, "                      Reading RFC4867 AMR/AMR-WB RTP payload format is not supported.\n" );
 #ifdef SUPPORT_JBM_TRACEFILE
-    fprintf( stdout, "-Tracefile TF       : VoIP mode: Generate trace file named TF\n" );
+    fprintf( stdout, "-Tracefile TF       : VoIP mode: Generate trace file named TF. Requires -no_delay_cmp to\n" );
+    fprintf( stdout, "                      be enabled so that trace contents remain in sync with audio output.\n" );
 #endif
     fprintf( stdout, "-fr L               : render frame size in ms L=(5,10,20), default is 20)\n" );
     fprintf( stdout, "-fec_cfg_file       : Optimal channel aware configuration computed by the JBM   \n" );
diff --git a/lib_com/options.h b/lib_com/options.h
index 181fc48743af514ff52538e6d989500fe2918770..c164c192e44d66bd3ad3a4872a83bb760a482b1a 100644
--- a/lib_com/options.h
+++ b/lib_com/options.h
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@
 #endif
 
 /*#define DISABLE_LIMITER*/
+/*#define DEBUG_APA_SILENCE_NON_SCALED*/        /* Switch APA into mode that replaces contents of non-scaled frames with silence. Useful for identifying scaled regions in the audio output of the decoder  */
 
 /* #################### End DEBUGGING switches ############################ */
 
diff --git a/lib_dec/jbm_pcmdsp_apa_fx.c b/lib_dec/jbm_pcmdsp_apa_fx.c
index d68e7312f5a167e50d8cd6adb6fcad36ce562b56..bf853c7c5ae8c4348dc98bb2bad401a94718a257 100644
--- a/lib_dec/jbm_pcmdsp_apa_fx.c
+++ b/lib_dec/jbm_pcmdsp_apa_fx.c
@@ -882,6 +882,17 @@ UWord8 apa_exec_fx(
         move32();
     }
 
+#ifdef DEBUG_APA_SILENCE_NON_SCALED
+    IF( l_in == *l_out )
+    {
+        set_s( a_out, 0, *l_out );
+    }
+    ELSE
+    {
+        set_s( a_out, INT16_MAX, *l_out );
+    }
+#endif
+
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/readme.txt b/readme.txt
index a953fe91d2bd255de45c45d64c7ec58371ad1d1d..391e0a35fdf97a3b3c1c9304e0d9a0b9a12aa88d 100644
--- a/readme.txt
+++ b/readme.txt
@@ -279,7 +279,8 @@ Options:
                       The decoder may read rtpdump files containing TS26.445 Annex A.2.2
                       EVS RTP Payload Format. The SDP parameter hf_only is required.
                       Reading RFC4867 AMR/AMR-WB RTP payload format is not supported.
--Tracefile TF       : VoIP mode: Generate trace file named TF
+-Tracefile TF       : VoIP mode: Generate trace file named TF. Requires -no_delay_cmp to
+                      be enabled so that trace contents remain in sync with audio output.
 -fec_cfg_file       : Optimal channel aware configuration computed by the JBM
                       as described in Section 6.3.1 of TS26.448. The output is
                       written into a .txt file. Each line contains the FER indicator