diff --git a/include/Release.htm b/include/Release.htm
index 6f41287..c8fdb67 100644
--- a/include/Release.htm
+++ b/include/Release.htm
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@
 <h3>&nbsp; &nbsp;Version <b>1.0.3 <span class="gray">&nbsp;Apr. 2020, this release</span></b></h3>
 <ul>
  <li><h3>extended basic joint-stereo coding functionality for mid/high rates, minor bugfixes</h3></li>
+ <li><h3>exhaleLib: band adaptive joint-stereo coding for all CVBR modes, fixed rare crash</h3></li>
+ <li><h3>exhaleLib: audio quality fine-tuning, especially for very tonal and transient signals</h3></li>
+ <li><h3>makefile: -std=c++11 too allow for compilation with older gcc compilers (issue 4)</h3></li>
 </ul>
 <h3>&nbsp; &nbsp;Version <b>1.0.2 <span class="gray">&nbsp;Mar. 2020</span></b></h3>
 <ul>
diff --git a/src/lib/bitStreamWriter.cpp b/src/lib/bitStreamWriter.cpp
index 8344b63..b34641a 100644
--- a/src/lib/bitStreamWriter.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/bitStreamWriter.cpp
@@ -60,6 +60,27 @@ static uint32_t getDeltaCodeTimeFlag (const uint8_t* const alphaQCurr, const uns
   return (bitCountFreq > bitCountTime ? 1 : 0);
 }
 
+static uint8_t getOptMsMaskModeValue (const uint8_t* const msUsed, const unsigned numWinGroups, const unsigned numSwbShort,
+                                      const uint8_t    msMaskMode, const unsigned maxSfbSte)
+{
+  const unsigned sfbStep = (msMaskMode < 3 ? 1 : SFB_PER_PRED_BAND);
+  unsigned b, g;
+
+  if ((msUsed == nullptr) || ((msMaskMode & 1) == 0)) return msMaskMode;
+
+  for (g = 0; g < numWinGroups; g++)
+  {
+    const uint8_t* const gMsUsed = &msUsed[numSwbShort * g];
+
+    for (b = 0; b < maxSfbSte; b += sfbStep)
+    {
+      if (gMsUsed[b] == 0) return msMaskMode;  // M/S in some bands
+    }
+  } // for g
+
+  return (msMaskMode + 1); // upgrade mask mode to M/S in all bands
+}
+
 // private helper functions
 void BitStreamWriter::writeByteAlignment () // write '0' bits until stream is byte-aligned
 {
@@ -338,7 +359,8 @@ unsigned BitStreamWriter::writeStereoCoreToolInfo (const CoreCoderData& elData,
   if (elData.commonWindow)
   {
     const unsigned maxSfbSte = __max (icsInfo0.maxSfb, icsInfo1.maxSfb);
-    const unsigned sfb1Bits  = icsInfo1.windowSequence == EIGHT_SHORT ? 4 : 6;
+    const unsigned  sfb1Bits = icsInfo1.windowSequence == EIGHT_SHORT ? 4 : 6;
+    const uint8_t msMaskMode = getOptMsMaskModeValue (elData.stereoDataCurr, nWinGrps, m_numSwbShort, elData.stereoMode, maxSfbSte);
 
     bitCount += writeChannelWiseIcsInfo (icsInfo0);  // ics_info()
     m_auBitStream.write (elData.commonMaxSfb ? 1 : 0, 1);
@@ -347,9 +369,9 @@ unsigned BitStreamWriter::writeStereoCoreToolInfo (const CoreCoderData& elData,
       m_auBitStream.write (icsInfo1.maxSfb, sfb1Bits); // max_sfb1
       bitCount += sfb1Bits;
     }
-    m_auBitStream.write (__min (3, elData.stereoMode), 2); // ms_mask_present
+    m_auBitStream.write (__min (3, msMaskMode), 2); // ms_mask_pr.
     bitCount += 3;
-    if (elData.stereoMode == 1) // write SFB-wise ms_used[][] flag
+    if (msMaskMode == 1)  // some M/S, write SFB-wise ms_used flag
     {
       for (g = 0; g < nWinGrps; g++)
       {
@@ -363,13 +385,13 @@ unsigned BitStreamWriter::writeStereoCoreToolInfo (const CoreCoderData& elData,
       bitCount += maxSfbSte * g;
     }
 #if !RESTRICT_TO_AAC
-    else if (elData.stereoMode >= 3)  // SFB-wise cplx_pred_data()
+    else if (msMaskMode >= 3) // pred. M/S, write cplx_pred_data()
     {
       const bool complexCoef = (elData.stereoConfig & 1);
       uint32_t deltaCodeTime = 0;
 
-      m_auBitStream.write (elData.stereoMode - 3, 1); // _pred_all
-      if (elData.stereoMode == 3)
+      m_auBitStream.write (msMaskMode - 3, 1);    // cplx_pred_all
+      if (msMaskMode == 3)
       {
         for (g = 0; g < nWinGrps; g++)
         {
diff --git a/src/lib/exhaleEnc.cpp b/src/lib/exhaleEnc.cpp
index b24d3ad..75ef03d 100644
--- a/src/lib/exhaleEnc.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/exhaleEnc.cpp
@@ -928,7 +928,7 @@ unsigned ExhaleEncoder::psychBitAllocation () // perceptual bit-allocation via s
             for (uint16_t gr = 0; gr < grpData.numWindowGroups; gr++)
             {
 #ifndef NO_DTX_MODE
-              if (meanSpecFlat[ci] <= (SCHAR_MAX >> 1)) // noise-like low-energy "DTX" frame
+              if ((m_bitRateMode <= 4) && (meanSpecFlat[ci] <= (SCHAR_MAX >> 1))) // low-RMS
               {
                 for (s = (coreConfig.icsInfoPrev[ch].windowSequence == EIGHT_SHORT ? 24 : m_specGapFiller.getFirstGapFillSfb ()); s < maxSfbCh; s++)
                 {
@@ -1390,7 +1390,8 @@ unsigned ExhaleEncoder::spectralProcessing ()  // complete ics_info(), calc TNS
             TnsData& tnsData0 = coreConfig.tnsData[0];
             TnsData& tnsData1 = coreConfig.tnsData[1];
 
-            if (m_linPredictor.similarParCorCoeffs (tnsData0.coeffParCor, tnsData1.coeffParCor, maxTnsOrder, LP_DEPTH))
+            if ((maxTnsOrder > 0 && coreConfig.stereoMode > 0) ||
+                m_linPredictor.similarParCorCoeffs (tnsData0.coeffParCor, tnsData1.coeffParCor, maxTnsOrder, LP_DEPTH))
             {
               coreConfig.commonTnsData = true; // synch tns_data
               for (s = 0; s < maxTnsOrder; s++)
diff --git a/src/lib/linearPrediction.cpp b/src/lib/linearPrediction.cpp
index 1914410..acdfd45 100644
--- a/src/lib/linearPrediction.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/linearPrediction.cpp
@@ -417,5 +417,5 @@ bool LinearPredictor::similarParCorCoeffs (const short* const parCorCoeffs1, con
     sumAbsDiff += abs (parCorCoeffs1[s] - parCorCoeffs2[s]);
   }
 
-  return (sumAbsDiff < ((3u * (unsigned) nCoeffs) << (parCorCoeffBitDepth >> 1)));
+  return (sumAbsDiff < ((4u * (unsigned) nCoeffs) << (parCorCoeffBitDepth >> 1)));
 }