diff --git a/openair1/PHY/INIT/nr_init_ue.c b/openair1/PHY/INIT/nr_init_ue.c
index 48152db15b..83b2bd75ac 100644
--- a/openair1/PHY/INIT/nr_init_ue.c
+++ b/openair1/PHY/INIT/nr_init_ue.c
@@ -534,8 +534,7 @@ void free_nr_ue_ul_harq(NR_UL_UE_HARQ_t harq_list[NR_MAX_ULSCH_HARQ_PROCESSES],
   }
 
   for (int i = 0; i < number_of_processes; i++) {
-    free_and_zero(harq_list[i].a);
-    free_and_zero(harq_list[i].b);
+    free_and_zero(harq_list[i].payload_AB);
     for (int r = 0; r < a_segments; r++) {
       free_and_zero(harq_list[i].c[r]);
       free_and_zero(harq_list[i].d[r]);
@@ -598,13 +597,9 @@ void nr_init_ul_harq_processes(NR_UL_UE_HARQ_t harq_list[NR_MAX_ULSCH_HARQ_PROCE
 
     memset(harq_list + i, 0, sizeof(NR_UL_UE_HARQ_t));
 
-    harq_list[i].a = malloc16(ulsch_bytes);
-    DevAssert(harq_list[i].a);
-    bzero(harq_list[i].a, ulsch_bytes);
-
-    harq_list[i].b = malloc16(ulsch_bytes);
-    DevAssert(harq_list[i].b);
-    bzero(harq_list[i].b, ulsch_bytes);
+    harq_list[i].payload_AB = malloc16(ulsch_bytes);
+    DevAssert(harq_list[i].payload_AB);
+    bzero(harq_list[i].payload_AB, ulsch_bytes);
 
     harq_list[i].c = malloc16(a_segments*sizeof(uint8_t *));
     harq_list[i].d = malloc16(a_segments*sizeof(uint16_t *));
diff --git a/openair1/PHY/NR_UE_TRANSPORT/nr_transport_ue.h b/openair1/PHY/NR_UE_TRANSPORT/nr_transport_ue.h
index b2c277cc7a..8fea51ad75 100644
--- a/openair1/PHY/NR_UE_TRANSPORT/nr_transport_ue.h
+++ b/openair1/PHY/NR_UE_TRANSPORT/nr_transport_ue.h
@@ -55,9 +55,7 @@ typedef struct {
   /// Index of current HARQ round for this ULSCH
   uint8_t round;
   /// pointer to pdu from MAC interface (TS 36.212 V15.4.0, Sec 5.1 p. 8)
-  unsigned char *a;
-  /// Pointer to the payload + CRC 
-  uint8_t *b;
+  unsigned char *payload_AB;
   /// Pointers to transport block segments
   uint8_t **c;
   /// LDPC-code outputs
diff --git a/openair1/PHY/NR_UE_TRANSPORT/nr_ulsch_coding.c b/openair1/PHY/NR_UE_TRANSPORT/nr_ulsch_coding.c
index fa9d692751..ea2d6cec79 100644
--- a/openair1/PHY/NR_UE_TRANSPORT/nr_ulsch_coding.c
+++ b/openair1/PHY/NR_UE_TRANSPORT/nr_ulsch_coding.c
@@ -87,21 +87,19 @@ int nr_ulsch_encoding(PHY_VARS_NR_UE *ue,
     int B;
     if (A > NR_MAX_PDSCH_TBS) {
       // Add 24-bit crc (polynomial A) to payload
-      crc = crc24a(harq_process->a,A)>>8;
-      harq_process->a[A>>3] = ((uint8_t*)&crc)[2];
-      harq_process->a[1+(A>>3)] = ((uint8_t*)&crc)[1];
-      harq_process->a[2 + (A >> 3)] = ((uint8_t *)&crc)[0];
+      crc = crc24a(harq_process->payload_AB, A) >> 8;
+      harq_process->payload_AB[A >> 3] = ((uint8_t *)&crc)[2];
+      harq_process->payload_AB[1 + (A >> 3)] = ((uint8_t *)&crc)[1];
+      harq_process->payload_AB[2 + (A >> 3)] = ((uint8_t *)&crc)[0];
       B = A + 24;
       AssertFatal((A / 8) + 4 <= max_payload_bytes, "A %d is too big (A/8+4 = %d > %d)\n", A, (A / 8) + 4, max_payload_bytes);
-      memcpy(harq_process->b,harq_process->a,(A/8)+4);
     } else {
       // Add 16-bit crc (polynomial A) to payload
-      crc = crc16(harq_process->a,A)>>16;
-      harq_process->a[A>>3] = ((uint8_t*)&crc)[1];
-      harq_process->a[1 + (A >> 3)] = ((uint8_t *)&crc)[0];
+      crc = crc16(harq_process->payload_AB, A) >> 16;
+      harq_process->payload_AB[A >> 3] = ((uint8_t *)&crc)[1];
+      harq_process->payload_AB[1 + (A >> 3)] = ((uint8_t *)&crc)[0];
       B = A + 16;
       AssertFatal((A / 8) + 3 <= max_payload_bytes, "A %d is too big (A/8+3 = %d > %d)\n", A, (A / 8) + 3, max_payload_bytes);
-      memcpy(harq_process->b,harq_process->a,(A/8)+3);  // using 3 bytes to mimic the case of 24 bit crc
     }
 
     ///////////////////////// b---->| block segmentation |---->c /////////////////////////
@@ -110,7 +108,7 @@ int nr_ulsch_encoding(PHY_VARS_NR_UE *ue,
 
     VCD_SIGNAL_DUMPER_DUMP_FUNCTION_BY_NAME(VCD_SIGNAL_DUMPER_FUNCTIONS_NR_SEGMENTATION, VCD_FUNCTION_IN);
     start_meas(&ue->ulsch_segmentation_stats);
-    impp.Kb = nr_segmentation(harq_process->b,
+    impp.Kb = nr_segmentation(harq_process->payload_AB,
                               harq_process->c,
                               B,
                               &harq_process->C,
diff --git a/openair1/PHY/NR_UE_TRANSPORT/nr_ulsch_ue.c b/openair1/PHY/NR_UE_TRANSPORT/nr_ulsch_ue.c
index 0e511cd72b..2ac06bfe89 100644
--- a/openair1/PHY/NR_UE_TRANSPORT/nr_ulsch_ue.c
+++ b/openair1/PHY/NR_UE_TRANSPORT/nr_ulsch_ue.c
@@ -191,10 +191,7 @@ void nr_ue_ulsch_procedures(PHY_VARS_NR_UE *UE,
                             mod_order,
                             Nl);
 
-  trace_NRpdu(DIRECTION_UPLINK,
-              harq_process_ul_ue->a,
-              tb_size,
-              WS_C_RNTI, rnti, frame, slot, 0, 0);
+  trace_NRpdu(DIRECTION_UPLINK, harq_process_ul_ue->payload_AB, tb_size, WS_C_RNTI, rnti, frame, slot, 0, 0);
 
   if (nr_ulsch_encoding(UE, ulsch_ue, frame_parms, harq_pid, tb_size, G) == -1)
     return;
diff --git a/openair1/SCHED_NR_UE/fapi_nr_ue_l1.c b/openair1/SCHED_NR_UE/fapi_nr_ue_l1.c
index 369c388ad3..8560e3de82 100644
--- a/openair1/SCHED_NR_UE/fapi_nr_ue_l1.c
+++ b/openair1/SCHED_NR_UE/fapi_nr_ue_l1.c
@@ -468,7 +468,7 @@ static void nr_ue_scheduled_response_ul(PHY_VARS_NR_UE *phy, fapi_nr_ul_config_r
                 ul_config->slot,
                 pdu->pusch_config_pdu.tx_request_body.pdu_length,
                 current_harq_pid);
-          memcpy(harq_process_ul_ue->a,
+          memcpy(harq_process_ul_ue->payload_AB,
                  pdu->pusch_config_pdu.tx_request_body.pdu,
                  pdu->pusch_config_pdu.tx_request_body.pdu_length);
         }
diff --git a/openair1/SIMULATION/NR_PHY/ulschsim.c b/openair1/SIMULATION/NR_PHY/ulschsim.c
index 966971ee73..b41896da5e 100644
--- a/openair1/SIMULATION/NR_PHY/ulschsim.c
+++ b/openair1/SIMULATION/NR_PHY/ulschsim.c
@@ -507,7 +507,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
   ulsch_ue->pusch_pdu.target_code_rate = code_rate;
   ulsch_ue->pusch_pdu.qam_mod_order = mod_order;
   ulsch_ue->pusch_pdu.ldpcBaseGraph = get_BG(TBS, code_rate);
-  unsigned char *test_input = harq_process_ul_ue->a;
+  unsigned char *test_input = harq_process_ul_ue->payload_AB;
 
   ///////////
   ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/openair1/SIMULATION/NR_PHY/ulsim.c b/openair1/SIMULATION/NR_PHY/ulsim.c
index 091b1ad4ab..90f23c695c 100644
--- a/openair1/SIMULATION/NR_PHY/ulsim.c
+++ b/openair1/SIMULATION/NR_PHY/ulsim.c
@@ -1141,7 +1141,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         }
 
         for (int i = 0; i < (TBS / 8); i++)
-          UE->ul_harq_processes[harq_pid].a[i] = i & 0xff;
+          UE->ul_harq_processes[harq_pid].payload_AB[i] = i & 0xff;
 
         if (input_fd == NULL) {
           // set FAPI parameters for UE, put them in the scheduled response and call
@@ -1457,8 +1457,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
       for (i = 0; i < TBS; i++) {
         uint8_t estimated_output_bit = (ulsch_gNB->harq_process->b[i / 8] & (1 << (i & 7))) >> (i & 7);
-        uint8_t test_input_bit = (UE->ul_harq_processes[harq_pid].b[i / 8] & (1 << (i & 7))) >> (i & 7);
-      
+        uint8_t test_input_bit = (UE->ul_harq_processes[harq_pid].payload_AB[i / 8] & (1 << (i & 7))) >> (i & 7);
+
         if (estimated_output_bit != test_input_bit) {
           /*if(errors_decoding == 0)
               printf("\x1B[34m""[frame %d][trial %d]\t1st bit in error in decoding     = %d\n" "\x1B[0m", frame, trial, i);*/