diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c
index 88052763f9..bae9f71b61 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c
@@ -2904,16 +2904,17 @@ void nr_mac_update_timers(module_id_t module_id,
     if (UE->ra_timer > 0) {
       UE->ra_timer--;
       if (UE->ra_timer == 0) {
-        LOG_W(NR_MAC, "Removing UE %04x because RA timer expired\n", UE->rnti);
         const rnti_t rnti = UE->rnti;
-        mac_remove_nr_ue(mac, UE->rnti);
+        LOG_W(NR_MAC, "Removing UE %04x because RA timer expired\n", rnti);
+        mac_remove_nr_ue(mac, rnti);
         NR_COMMON_channels_t *cc = &mac->common_channels[0];
         for (int i = 0; i < NR_NB_RA_PROC_MAX; i++) {
           if (cc->ra[i].rnti == rnti) {
-            LOG_E(NR_MAC, "free RA process %d for rnti %04x\n", i, rnti);
             nr_clear_ra_proc(module_id, 0, frame, &cc->ra[i]);
           }
         }
+        // don't skip a UE, current UE does not exist anymore
+        UE--;
       }
     }
   }