diff --git a/executables/nr-ue.c b/executables/nr-ue.c
index bd64a9d361..d6c3086317 100644
--- a/executables/nr-ue.c
+++ b/executables/nr-ue.c
@@ -607,7 +607,13 @@ static int UE_dl_preprocessing(PHY_VARS_NR_UE *UE, const UE_nr_rxtx_proc_t *proc
     if (UE->synch_request.received_synch_request == 1) {
       fapi_nr_synch_request_t *synch_req = &UE->synch_request.synch_req;
       UE->is_synchronized = 0;
-      UE->UE_scan_carrier = synch_req->ssb_bw_scan;
+      // if upper layers signal BW scan we do as instructed by command line parameter
+      // if upper layers disable BW scan we set it to false
+      if (UE->synch_request.synch_req.ssb_bw_scan)
+        UE->UE_scan_carrier = get_nrUE_params()->UE_scan_carrier;
+      else
+        UE->UE_scan_carrier = false;
+      UE->target_Nid_cell = UE->synch_request.synch_req.target_Nid_cell;
       UE->target_Nid_cell = synch_req->target_Nid_cell;
 
       uint64_t dl_bw = (12 * fp->N_RB_DL) * (15000 << fp->numerology_index);