diff --git a/cmake/modules/FindVolk.cmake b/cmake/modules/FindVolk.cmake
index a6b045ecd..dfcef3b91 100644
--- a/cmake/modules/FindVolk.cmake
+++ b/cmake/modules/FindVolk.cmake
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ FIND_LIBRARY(
 IF(NOT ${VOLK_LIBRARIES} STREQUAL "")
   SET(CMAKE_REQUIRED_LIBRARIES ${VOLK_LIBRARIES} m)
   CHECK_FUNCTION_EXISTS_MATH(volk_32f_index_max_16u HAVE_VOLK_MAX_FUNCTION)
+  CHECK_FUNCTION_EXISTS_MATH(volk_32f_x2_max_32f HAVE_VOLK_MAX_VEC_FUNCTION)
   CHECK_FUNCTION_EXISTS_MATH(volk_32f_accumulator_s32f HAVE_VOLK_ACC_FUNCTION)
   CHECK_FUNCTION_EXISTS_MATH(volk_32fc_s32fc_multiply_32fc HAVE_VOLK_MULT_FUNCTION)
   CHECK_FUNCTION_EXISTS_MATH(volk_32fc_conjugate_32fc HAVE_VOLK_CONJ_FUNCTION)
@@ -60,6 +61,9 @@ IF(NOT ${VOLK_LIBRARIES} STREQUAL "")
   IF(${HAVE_VOLK_MAX_ABS_FUNCTION})
     SET(VOLK_DEFINITIONS "${VOLK_DEFINITIONS}; HAVE_VOLK_MAX_ABS_FUNCTION")
   ENDIF()
+  IF(${HAVE_VOLK_MAX_VEC_FUNCTION})
+    SET(VOLK_DEFINITIONS "${VOLK_DEFINITIONS}; HAVE_VOLK_MAX_VEC_FUNCTION")
+  ENDIF()
   IF(${HAVE_VOLK_DOTPROD_CONJ_FC_FUNCTION})
     SET(VOLK_DEFINITIONS "${VOLK_DEFINITIONS}; HAVE_VOLK_DOTPROD_CONJ_FC_FUNCTION")
   ENDIF()
diff --git a/lte/phy/include/liblte/phy/utils/vector.h b/lte/phy/include/liblte/phy/utils/vector.h
index 186329b4b..ed6fa8a09 100644
--- a/lte/phy/include/liblte/phy/utils/vector.h
+++ b/lte/phy/include/liblte/phy/utils/vector.h
@@ -124,6 +124,9 @@ LIBLTE_API float vec_avg_power_cf(cf_t *x, uint32_t len);
 LIBLTE_API uint32_t vec_max_fi(float *x, uint32_t len);
 LIBLTE_API uint32_t vec_max_abs_ci(cf_t *x, uint32_t len);
 
+/* maximum between two vectors */
+LIBLTE_API void vec_max_fff(float *x, float *y, float *z, uint32_t len);
+
 /* quantify vector of floats and convert to uint8_t */
 LIBLTE_API void vec_quant_fuc(float *in, uint8_t *out, float gain, float offset, float clip, uint32_t len);
 
diff --git a/lte/phy/lib/fec/test/turbodecoder_test.c b/lte/phy/lib/fec/test/turbodecoder_test.c
index 748fc7ec1..eca44ccb4 100644
--- a/lte/phy/lib/fec/test/turbodecoder_test.c
+++ b/lte/phy/lib/fec/test/turbodecoder_test.c
@@ -162,29 +162,29 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
     printf("  EbNo: %.2f\n", ebno_db);
   }
 
-  data_tx = malloc(frame_length * sizeof(uint8_t));
+  data_tx = vec_malloc(frame_length * sizeof(uint8_t));
   if (!data_tx) {
     perror("malloc");
     exit(-1);
   }
 
-  data_rx = malloc(frame_length * sizeof(uint8_t));
+  data_rx = vec_malloc(frame_length * sizeof(uint8_t));
   if (!data_rx) {
     perror("malloc");
     exit(-1);
   }
 
-  symbols = malloc(coded_length * sizeof(uint8_t));
+  symbols = vec_malloc(coded_length * sizeof(uint8_t));
   if (!symbols) {
     perror("malloc");
     exit(-1);
   }
-  llr = malloc(coded_length * sizeof(float));
+  llr = vec_malloc(coded_length * sizeof(float));
   if (!llr) {
     perror("malloc");
     exit(-1);
   }
-  llr_c = malloc(coded_length * sizeof(uint8_t));
+  llr_c = vec_malloc(coded_length * sizeof(uint8_t));
   if (!llr_c) {
     perror("malloc");
     exit(-1);
diff --git a/lte/phy/lib/utils/src/vector.c b/lte/phy/lib/utils/src/vector.c
index d78836b33..d695a4de6 100644
--- a/lte/phy/lib/utils/src/vector.c
+++ b/lte/phy/lib/utils/src/vector.c
@@ -533,6 +533,21 @@ uint32_t vec_max_fi(float *x, uint32_t len) {
 #endif
 }
 
+void vec_max_fff(float *x, float *y, float *z, uint32_t len) {
+#ifdef HAVE_VOLK_MAX_VEC_FUNCTION
+  volk_32f_x2_max_32f(z,x,y,len);
+#else
+  uint32_t i; 
+  for (i=0;i<len;i++) {
+    if (x[i] > y[i]) {
+      z[i] = x[i]; 
+    } else {
+      z[i] = y[i]; 
+    }
+  }
+#endif  
+}
+
 
 uint32_t vec_max_abs_ci(cf_t *x, uint32_t len) {
 #ifdef HAVE_VOLK_MAX_ABS_FUNCTION