diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler.c
index 1c36c474d8..752aed0810 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler.c
@@ -514,20 +514,15 @@ void gNB_dlsch_ulsch_scheduler(module_id_t module_idP,
   } else
     UE_list->fiveG_connected[UE_id] = true;
 
-  if (get_softmodem_params()->phy_test) {
-
+  if (UE_list->fiveG_connected[UE_id]) {
     // TbD once RACH is available, start ta_timer when UE is connected
     if (ue_sched_ctl->ta_timer)
       ue_sched_ctl->ta_timer--;
     if (ue_sched_ctl->ta_timer == 0) {
-      gNB->ta_command = ue_sched_ctl->ta_update;
+      ue_sched_ctl->ta_apply = true;
       /* if time is up, then set the timer to not send it for 5 frames
       // regardless of the TA value */
       ue_sched_ctl->ta_timer = 100;
-      /* reset ta_update */
-      ue_sched_ctl->ta_update = 31;
-      /* MAC CE flag indicating TA length */
-      gNB->ta_len = 2;
     }
   }
 
@@ -542,8 +537,7 @@ void gNB_dlsch_ulsch_scheduler(module_id_t module_idP,
     ue_sched_ctl->current_harq_pid = slot % num_slots_per_tdd;
     nr_update_pucch_scheduling(module_idP, UE_id, frame, slot, num_slots_per_tdd,&pucch_sched);
     nr_schedule_uss_dlsch_phytest(module_idP, frame, slot, &UE_list->UE_sched_ctrl[UE_id].sched_pucch[pucch_sched], NULL);
-    // resetting ta flag
-    gNB->ta_len = 0;
+    ue_sched_ctl->ta_apply = false;
   }
 
   if (UE_list->fiveG_connected[UE_id])
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_dlsch.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_dlsch.c
index 495095ce9e..86b35254a4 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_dlsch.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_dlsch.c
@@ -94,13 +94,13 @@ int nr_generate_dlsch_pdu(module_id_t module_idP,
   // now TA is always send when ta_timer resets regardless of its value
   // this is done to avoid issues with the timeAlignmentTimer which is
   // supposed to monitor if the UE received TA or not */
-  if (gNB->ta_len) {
+  if (ue_sched_ctl->ta_apply) {
     mac_pdu_ptr->R = 0;
     mac_pdu_ptr->LCID = DL_SCH_LCID_TA_COMMAND;
     //last_size = 1;
     mac_pdu_ptr++;
     // TA MAC CE (1 octet)
-    timing_advance_cmd = gNB->ta_command;
+    timing_advance_cmd = ue_sched_ctl->ta_update;
     AssertFatal(timing_advance_cmd < 64, "timing_advance_cmd %d > 63\n", timing_advance_cmd);
     ((NR_MAC_CE_TA *) ce_ptr)->TA_COMMAND = timing_advance_cmd;    //(timing_advance_cmd+31)&0x3f;
 
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_phytest.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_phytest.c
index f786db8ba9..4e206dd191 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_phytest.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_phytest.c
@@ -596,7 +596,7 @@ void nr_schedule_uss_dlsch_phytest(module_id_t   module_idP,
 
   LOG_D(MAC, "In nr_schedule_uss_dlsch_phytest frame %d slot %d\n",frameP,slotP);
 
-  int post_padding = 0, ta_len = 0, header_length_total = 0, sdu_length_total = 0, num_sdus = 0;
+  int post_padding = 0, header_length_total = 0, sdu_length_total = 0, num_sdus = 0;
   int lcid, offset, i, header_length_last, TBS_bytes = 0;
   int UE_id = 0, CC_id = 0;
 
@@ -615,12 +615,13 @@ void nr_schedule_uss_dlsch_phytest(module_id_t   module_idP,
   unsigned char sdu_lcids[NB_RB_MAX] = {0};
   uint16_t sdu_lengths[NB_RB_MAX] = {0};
   uint16_t rnti = UE_list->rnti[UE_id];
+  NR_UE_sched_ctrl_t *ue_sched_ctl = &UE_list->UE_sched_ctrl[UE_id];
 
   uint8_t mac_sdus[MAX_NR_DLSCH_PAYLOAD_BYTES];
   
   LOG_D(MAC, "Scheduling UE specific search space DCI type 1\n");
 
-  ta_len = gNB_mac->ta_len;
+  int ta_len = (ue_sched_ctl->ta_apply)?2:0;
 
   TBS_bytes = configure_fapi_dl_pdu(module_idP,
                                     dl_req,
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/nr_mac_gNB.h b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/nr_mac_gNB.h
index bd8f0208c6..04fb0c6995 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/nr_mac_gNB.h
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/nr_mac_gNB.h
@@ -289,6 +289,7 @@ typedef struct {
   NR_sched_pusch *sched_pusch;
   uint16_t ta_timer;
   int16_t ta_update;
+  bool ta_apply;
   uint8_t tpc0;
   uint8_t tpc1;
   uint16_t ul_rssi;
@@ -353,10 +354,6 @@ typedef struct gNB_MAC_INST_s {
   int                             pusch_target_snrx10;
   /// Pucch target SNR
   int                             pucch_target_snrx10;
-  /// TA command
-  int                             ta_command;
-  /// MAC CE flag indicating TA length
-  int                             ta_len;
   /// Common cell resources
   NR_COMMON_channels_t common_channels[NFAPI_CC_MAX];
   /// current PDU index (BCH,DLSCH)