diff --git a/nfapi/open-nFAPI/pnf/public_inc/nfapi_pnf_interface.h b/nfapi/open-nFAPI/pnf/public_inc/nfapi_pnf_interface.h
index 8b2aba0ba5..58ad99c66b 100644
--- a/nfapi/open-nFAPI/pnf/public_inc/nfapi_pnf_interface.h
+++ b/nfapi/open-nFAPI/pnf/public_inc/nfapi_pnf_interface.h
@@ -576,7 +576,7 @@ typedef struct
 	//TODO: Change P7 structs to NR
 	nfapi_nr_dl_tti_request_t* dl_tti_req;//nfapi_dl_config_request_t* dl_config_req; 
 	nfapi_nr_ul_tti_request_t* ul_tti_req;//nfapi_ul_config_request_t* ul_config_req;
-	nfapi_nr_ul_dci_request_t* ul_dci_req;//nfapi_hi_dci0_request_t* hi_dci0_req;
+	nfapi_nr_ul_dci_request_t  ul_dci_req;
 	nfapi_nr_tx_data_request_t tx_data_req;
 
 	//TODO: check these two later
diff --git a/nfapi/open-nFAPI/pnf/src/pnf_p7.c b/nfapi/open-nFAPI/pnf/src/pnf_p7.c
index 93670f45cd..fa39dee30a 100644
--- a/nfapi/open-nFAPI/pnf/src/pnf_p7.c
+++ b/nfapi/open-nFAPI/pnf/src/pnf_p7.c
@@ -232,31 +232,11 @@ void deallocate_nfapi_ul_config_request(nfapi_ul_config_request_t* req, pnf_p7_t
 	pnf_p7_free(pnf_p7, req);
 }
 
-nfapi_nr_ul_dci_request_t* allocate_nfapi_ul_dci_request(pnf_p7_t* pnf_p7) 
-{ 
-	return pnf_p7_malloc(pnf_p7, sizeof(nfapi_nr_ul_dci_request_t));
-}
-
 nfapi_hi_dci0_request_t* allocate_nfapi_hi_dci0_request(pnf_p7_t* pnf_p7) 
 { 
 	return pnf_p7_malloc(pnf_p7, sizeof(nfapi_hi_dci0_request_t));
 }
 
-void deallocate_nfapi_ul_dci_request(nfapi_nr_ul_dci_request_t* req, pnf_p7_t* pnf_p7) 
-{ 
-  //printf("%s() SFN/SF:%d %s req:%p pdu_list:%p\n", __FUNCTION__, NFAPI_SFNSF2DEC(req->sfn_sf), pnf_p7->_public.codec_config.deallocate ? "DEALLOCATE" : "FREE", req, req->hi_dci0_request_body.hi_dci0_pdu_list);
-	// if(pnf_p7->_public.codec_config.deallocate)
-	// {
-	// 	(pnf_p7->_public.codec_config.deallocate)(req->ul_dci_pdu_list);
-	// }
-	// else
-	// {
-	// 	free(req->ul_dci_pdu_list);
-	// }
-
-	pnf_p7_free(pnf_p7, req);
-}
-
 void deallocate_nfapi_hi_dci0_request(nfapi_hi_dci0_request_t* req, pnf_p7_t* pnf_p7) 
 { 
   //printf("%s() SFN/SF:%d %s req:%p pdu_list:%p\n", __FUNCTION__, NFAPI_SFNSF2DEC(req->sfn_sf), pnf_p7->_public.codec_config.deallocate ? "DEALLOCATE" : "FREE", req, req->hi_dci0_request_body.hi_dci0_pdu_list);
@@ -919,12 +899,12 @@ int pnf_p7_slot_ind(pnf_p7_t* pnf_p7, uint16_t phy_id, uint16_t sfn, uint16_t sl
 		}
 		 
 
-		if(tx_slot_buffer->ul_dci_req!= 0 && tx_slot_buffer->ul_dci_req->SFN == sfn_tx && tx_slot_buffer->ul_dci_req->Slot == slot_tx)
+		if(tx_slot_buffer->ul_dci_req.numPdus > 0 && tx_slot_buffer->ul_dci_req.SFN == sfn_tx && tx_slot_buffer->ul_dci_req.Slot == slot_tx)
 		{
 			DevAssert(pnf_p7->_public.ul_dci_req_fn != NULL);
-			LOG_D(PHY, "Process ul_dci SFN/slot %d.%d buffer index: %d \n",sfn_tx,slot_tx,buffer_index_tx);
-			// pnf_phy_ul_dci_req()
-			(pnf_p7->_public.ul_dci_req_fn)(NULL, &(pnf_p7->_public), tx_slot_buffer->ul_dci_req);
+      (pnf_p7->_public.ul_dci_req_fn)(NULL, &(pnf_p7->_public), &tx_slot_buffer->ul_dci_req);
+      tx_slot_buffer->ul_dci_req.SFN = -1;
+      tx_slot_buffer->ul_dci_req.Slot = -1;
 		}
 
 		//deallocate slot buffers after passing down the PDUs to PHY processing
@@ -936,13 +916,6 @@ int pnf_p7_slot_ind(pnf_p7_t* pnf_p7, uint16_t phy_id, uint16_t sfn, uint16_t sl
 			LOG_D(PHY,"SFN/slot %d.%d Buffer index : %d freed \n",sfn_tx,slot_tx,buffer_index_tx);
 		}
 
-		if(tx_slot_buffer->ul_dci_req != 0)
-		{
-			deallocate_nfapi_ul_dci_request(tx_slot_buffer->ul_dci_req, pnf_p7);
-			tx_slot_buffer->ul_dci_req = 0;
-		}
-
-
 		//checking in the rx slot buffers to see if a p7 msg is present.
 
 		if(rx_slot_buffer->ul_tti_req != 0)
@@ -1687,77 +1660,50 @@ void pnf_handle_ul_config_request(void* pRecvMsg, int recvMsgLen, pnf_p7_t* pnf_
 	}
 }
 
-
 void pnf_handle_ul_dci_request(void* pRecvMsg, int recvMsgLen, pnf_p7_t* pnf_p7)
 {
-	//NFAPI_TRACE(NFAPI_TRACE_INFO, "HI_DCI0.req Received\n");
+  uint16_t frame, slot;
+  if (peek_nr_nfapi_p7_sfn_slot(pRecvMsg, recvMsgLen, &frame, &slot)) {
+    if (pthread_mutex_lock(&(pnf_p7->mutex)) != 0) {
+      NFAPI_TRACE(NFAPI_TRACE_INFO, "failed to lock mutex\n");
+      return;
+    }
+    if (check_nr_nfapi_p7_slot_type(frame, slot, "UL_DCI.request", NR_DOWNLINK_SLOT)
+        && is_nr_p7_request_in_window(frame, slot, "ul_dci_request", pnf_p7)) {
+      uint32_t sfn_slot_dec = NFAPI_SFNSLOT2DEC(frame, slot);
+      uint8_t buffer_index = sfn_slot_dec % 20;
+      pnf_p7->slot_buffer[buffer_index].sfn = frame;
+      pnf_p7->slot_buffer[buffer_index].slot = slot;
+      nfapi_nr_ul_dci_request_t *req = &pnf_p7->slot_buffer[buffer_index].ul_dci_req;
+      pnf_p7->stats.ul_dci_ontime++;
 
-	nfapi_nr_ul_dci_request_t* req  = allocate_nfapi_ul_dci_request(pnf_p7);
+      NFAPI_TRACE(NFAPI_TRACE_DEBUG,
+                  "POPULATE UL_DCI.request current tx sfn/slot:%d.%d p7 msg sfn/slot: %d.%d buffer_index:%d\n",
+                  pnf_p7->sfn,
+                  pnf_p7->slot,
+                  frame,
+                  slot,
+                  buffer_index);
 
-	if(req == NULL)
-	{
-		NFAPI_TRACE(NFAPI_TRACE_INFO, "failed to allocate nfapi_ul_dci_request structure\n");
-		return;
-	}
+      if (nfapi_nr_p7_message_unpack(pRecvMsg, recvMsgLen, req, sizeof(*req), &pnf_p7->_public.codec_config) != 0)
+        NFAPI_TRACE(NFAPI_TRACE_INFO, "failed to unpack request\n");
+    } else {
+      if (pnf_p7->_public.timing_info_mode_aperiodic) {
+        pnf_p7->timing_info_aperiodic_send = 1;
+      }
 
-	int unpack_result = nfapi_nr_p7_message_unpack(pRecvMsg, recvMsgLen, req, sizeof(nfapi_nr_ul_dci_request_t), &pnf_p7->_public.codec_config);
+      pnf_p7->stats.ul_dci_late++;
+    }
 
-	if(unpack_result == 0)
-	{
-		if(pthread_mutex_lock(&(pnf_p7->mutex)) != 0)
-		{
-			NFAPI_TRACE(NFAPI_TRACE_INFO, "failed to lock mutex\n");
-			return;
-		}
-
-		if(is_nr_p7_request_in_window(req->SFN,req->Slot,"ul_dci_request", pnf_p7))
-		{
-			uint32_t sfn_slot_dec = NFAPI_SFNSLOT2DEC(req->SFN,req->Slot);
-			uint8_t buffer_index = sfn_slot_dec % 20;
-
-			if(pnf_p7->slot_buffer[buffer_index].ul_dci_req!= 0)
-			{
-				//NFAPI_TRACE(NFAPI_TRACE_NOTE, "[%d] Freeing hi_dci0_req at index %d (%d/%d)", 
-				//			pMyPhyInfo->sfnSf, bufferIdx,
-				//			SFNSF2SFN(dreq->sfn_sf), SFNSF2SF(dreq->sfn_sf));
-
-				deallocate_nfapi_ul_dci_request(pnf_p7->slot_buffer[buffer_index].ul_dci_req, pnf_p7);
-			}
-
-			pnf_p7->slot_buffer[buffer_index].sfn = req->SFN;
-			pnf_p7->slot_buffer[buffer_index].ul_dci_req = req;
-
-			pnf_p7->stats.ul_dci_ontime++;
-			
-		}
-		else
-		{
-			//NFAPI_TRACE(NFAPI_TRACE_NOTE, "[%d] NOT storing hi_dci0_req SFN/SF %d/%d\n", pMyPhyInfo->sfnSf, SFNSF2SFN(req->sfn_sf), SFNSF2SF(req->sfn_sf));
-			deallocate_nfapi_ul_dci_request(req, pnf_p7);
-
-			if(pnf_p7->_public.timing_info_mode_aperiodic)
-			{
-				pnf_p7->timing_info_aperiodic_send = 1;
-			}
-
-			pnf_p7->stats.ul_dci_late++;
-		}
-
-		if(pthread_mutex_unlock(&(pnf_p7->mutex)) != 0)
-		{
-			NFAPI_TRACE(NFAPI_TRACE_INFO, "failed to unlock mutex\n");
-			return;
-		}
-	}
-	else
-	{
-		NFAPI_TRACE(NFAPI_TRACE_ERROR, "Failed to unpack UL DCI req\n");
-		deallocate_nfapi_ul_dci_request(req, pnf_p7);
-	}
+    if (pthread_mutex_unlock(&(pnf_p7->mutex)) != 0) {
+      NFAPI_TRACE(NFAPI_TRACE_INFO, "failed to unlock mutex\n");
+      return;
+    }
+  } else {
+    NFAPI_TRACE(NFAPI_TRACE_ERROR, "Failed to unpack UL DCI req\n");
+  }
 }
 
-
-
 void pnf_handle_hi_dci0_request(void* pRecvMsg, int recvMsgLen, pnf_p7_t* pnf_p7)
 
 {