diff --git a/openair2/SDAP/nr_sdap/nr_sdap_entity.c b/openair2/SDAP/nr_sdap/nr_sdap_entity.c
index 389213986e..9056c6e733 100644
--- a/openair2/SDAP/nr_sdap/nr_sdap_entity.c
+++ b/openair2/SDAP/nr_sdap/nr_sdap_entity.c
@@ -210,15 +210,20 @@ static void nr_sdap_rx_entity(nr_sdap_entity_t *entity,
 {
   /* The offset of the SDAP header, it might be 0 if has_sdap_rx is not true in the pdcp entity. */
   int offset=0;
-  uint8_t qfi = buf[0] & 0x3F; // QFI is always the first 6 bits in the first octet
-  if (qfi >= SDAP_MAX_QFI) {
-    LOG_E(SDAP, "Invalid QFI %d received in SDAP header\n", qfi);
-    return;
+  bool sdap_ul_rx = false;
+  bool sdap_dl_rx = false;
+  /* If SDAP header is disabled for this entity, bypass header parsing */
+  if (entity->enable_sdap) {
+    uint8_t qfi = buf[0] & 0x3F; // QFI is always the first 6 bits in the first octet
+    if (qfi >= SDAP_MAX_QFI) {
+      LOG_E(SDAP, "Invalid QFI %d received in SDAP header\n", qfi);
+      return;
+    }
+    // Fetch entity role from the qfi2drb_table
+    sdap_ul_rx = entity->qfi2drb_table[qfi].entity_role & SDAP_UL_RX; // gNB RX entity
+    sdap_dl_rx = entity->qfi2drb_table[qfi].entity_role & SDAP_DL_RX; // UE RX entity
   }
 
-  // Fetch entity role from the qfi2drb_table
-  bool sdap_ul_rx = entity->qfi2drb_table[qfi].entity_role & SDAP_UL_RX; // gNB RX entity
-  bool sdap_dl_rx = entity->qfi2drb_table[qfi].entity_role & SDAP_DL_RX; // UE RX entity
 
   if (is_gnb) { // gNB
     if (sdap_ul_rx) { // UL Data/Control PDU with SDAP header
@@ -495,6 +500,7 @@ static void nr_sdap_add_entity(const int is_gnb, const ue_id_t ue_id, const sdap
   sdap_entity->ue_id = ue_id;
   sdap_entity->pdusession_id = sdap->pdusession_id;
   sdap_entity->is_gnb = is_gnb;
+  sdap_entity->enable_sdap = (sdap->role != NO_SDAP_HEADER);
 
   // rx/tx entities
   sdap_entity->tx_entity = nr_sdap_tx_entity;
diff --git a/openair2/SDAP/nr_sdap/nr_sdap_entity.h b/openair2/SDAP/nr_sdap/nr_sdap_entity.h
index e96836ac79..9f85ac21cf 100644
--- a/openair2/SDAP/nr_sdap/nr_sdap_entity.h
+++ b/openair2/SDAP/nr_sdap/nr_sdap_entity.h
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ typedef struct nr_sdap_entity_s {
   /// sdap_tun_read_thread needs to know if we are gNB/UE, so for noS1 mode,
   /// store which one we are
   bool is_gnb;
+  bool enable_sdap;
   int pdusession_id;
   int pdusession_sock;
   pthread_t pdusession_thread;