diff --git a/openair3/NAS/NR_UE/nr_nas_msg.c b/openair3/NAS/NR_UE/nr_nas_msg.c
index f2e3b8dd07..1a88b03205 100644
--- a/openair3/NAS/NR_UE/nr_nas_msg.c
+++ b/openair3/NAS/NR_UE/nr_nas_msg.c
@@ -1296,8 +1296,13 @@ static void handle_security_mode_command(nr_ue_nas_t *nas, as_nas_info_t *initia
   }
   printf("\n");
 
-  /* todo: stream_security_container_delete() is not called anywhere, deal with that */
-  nas->security_container = stream_security_container_init(ciphering_algorithm, integrity_algorithm, knas_enc, knas_int);
+  if (integrity_algorithm != EIA0_ALG_ID) {
+    nas->security_container = stream_security_container_init(ciphering_algorithm, integrity_algorithm, knas_enc, knas_int);
+  } else {
+    LOG_E(NAS, "Rejecting Invalid NULL integrity %d for 5G!\n",
+      integrity_algorithm);
+    nas->security_container = NULL;
+  }
 
   /* Handle the invalid container with a reject message */
   if(nas->security_container == NULL) {
diff --git a/openair3/SECU/secu_defs.c b/openair3/SECU/secu_defs.c
index f8edf167df..17e3ca96ec 100644
--- a/openair3/SECU/secu_defs.c
+++ b/openair3/SECU/secu_defs.c
@@ -118,12 +118,6 @@ stream_security_container_t *stream_security_container_init(int ciphering_algori
   container->integrity_context = stream_integrity_init(integrity_algorithm, integrity_key);
   container->ciphering_context = stream_ciphering_init(ciphering_algorithm, ciphering_key);
 
-  /* Reject invalid configurations, i.e. ones that set NIA0 */
-  if (container->integrity_context == NULL) {
-    stream_security_container_delete(container);
-    return NULL;
-  }
-
   return container;
 }