diff --git a/openair2/F1AP/f1ap_cu_interface_management.c b/openair2/F1AP/f1ap_cu_interface_management.c
index 4104fce837..2d393ad520 100644
--- a/openair2/F1AP/f1ap_cu_interface_management.c
+++ b/openair2/F1AP/f1ap_cu_interface_management.c
@@ -246,14 +246,14 @@ int CU_handle_F1_SETUP_REQUEST(instance_t instance,
   );
 
   if (num_cells_available > 0) {
-    if (RC.nrrrc[0]->node_type == ngran_gNB_CU) {
+    if (RC.nrrrc && RC.nrrrc[0]->node_type == ngran_gNB_CU) {
       itti_send_msg_to_task(TASK_RRC_GNB, GNB_MODULE_ID_TO_INSTANCE(instance), message_p);
     } else {
       itti_send_msg_to_task(TASK_RRC_ENB, ENB_MODULE_ID_TO_INSTANCE(instance), message_p);
     }
   } else {
     CU_send_F1_SETUP_FAILURE(instance);
-    if (RC.nrrrc[0]->node_type == ngran_gNB_CU) {
+    if (RC.nrrrc && RC.nrrrc[0]->node_type == ngran_gNB_CU) {
       itti_free(TASK_RRC_GNB,message_p);
     } else {
       itti_free(TASK_RRC_ENB,message_p);
diff --git a/openair2/F1AP/f1ap_cu_rrc_message_transfer.c b/openair2/F1AP/f1ap_cu_rrc_message_transfer.c
index 1b1e8b1299..604cacb176 100644
--- a/openair2/F1AP/f1ap_cu_rrc_message_transfer.c
+++ b/openair2/F1AP/f1ap_cu_rrc_message_transfer.c
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ int CU_handle_INITIAL_UL_RRC_MESSAGE_TRANSFER(instance_t             instance,
                              F1AP_ProtocolIE_ID_id_RRCContainer, true);
   AssertFatal(ie!=NULL,"RRCContainer is missing\n");
   // create an ITTI message and copy SDU
-  if (RC.nrrrc[GNB_INSTANCE_TO_MODULE_ID(instance)]->node_type == ngran_gNB_CU) {
+  if (RC.nrrrc && RC.nrrrc[GNB_INSTANCE_TO_MODULE_ID(instance)]->node_type == ngran_gNB_CU) {
     message_p = itti_alloc_new_message (TASK_CU_F1, 0, NR_RRC_MAC_CCCH_DATA_IND);
     memset (NR_RRC_MAC_CCCH_DATA_IND (message_p).sdu, 0, CCCH_SDU_SIZE);
     ccch_sdu_len = ie->value.choice.RRCContainer.size;
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ int CU_handle_INITIAL_UL_RRC_MESSAGE_TRANSFER(instance_t             instance,
   }
   // Find instance from nr_cellid
   int rrc_inst = -1;
-  if (RC.nrrrc[GNB_INSTANCE_TO_MODULE_ID(instance)]->node_type == ngran_gNB_CU) {
+  if (RC.nrrrc && RC.nrrrc[GNB_INSTANCE_TO_MODULE_ID(instance)]->node_type == ngran_gNB_CU) {
     for (int i=0;i<RC.nb_nr_inst;i++) {
       // first get RRC instance (note, no the ITTI instance)
       gNB_RRC_INST *rrc = RC.nrrrc[i];
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ int CU_handle_INITIAL_UL_RRC_MESSAGE_TRANSFER(instance_t             instance,
   }
   f1ap_cu_inst[rrc_inst].f1ap_ue[f1ap_uid].du_ue_f1ap_id = du_ue_f1ap_id;
 
-  if (RC.nrrrc[GNB_INSTANCE_TO_MODULE_ID(instance)]->node_type == ngran_gNB_CU) {
+  if (RC.nrrrc && RC.nrrrc[GNB_INSTANCE_TO_MODULE_ID(instance)]->node_type == ngran_gNB_CU) {
     NR_RRC_MAC_CCCH_DATA_IND (message_p).frame     = 0;
     NR_RRC_MAC_CCCH_DATA_IND (message_p).sub_frame = 0;
     NR_RRC_MAC_CCCH_DATA_IND (message_p).sdu_size  = ccch_sdu_len;
diff --git a/openair2/F1AP/f1ap_cu_task.c b/openair2/F1AP/f1ap_cu_task.c
index 4e4ade111c..b261d8e85b 100644
--- a/openair2/F1AP/f1ap_cu_task.c
+++ b/openair2/F1AP/f1ap_cu_task.c
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ void cu_task_handle_sctp_association_resp(instance_t instance, sctp_new_associat
   f1ap_du_data_from_du->sctp_out_streams = sctp_new_association_resp->out_streams;
 
   /* setup parameters for F1U and start the server */
-  const cudu_params_t params = RC.nrrrc[instance]->node_type == ngran_gNB_CU ? (cudu_params_t){
+  const cudu_params_t params = (RC.nrrrc && RC.nrrrc[instance]->node_type == ngran_gNB_CU) ? (cudu_params_t){
     .local_ipv4_address  = RC.nrrrc[instance]->eth_params_s.my_addr,
     .local_port          = RC.nrrrc[instance]->eth_params_s.my_portd,
     .remote_ipv4_address = RC.nrrrc[instance]->eth_params_s.remote_addr,
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ void cu_task_send_sctp_init_req(instance_t enb_id) {
   message_p->ittiMsg.sctp_init.ipv4 = 1;
   message_p->ittiMsg.sctp_init.ipv6 = 0;
   message_p->ittiMsg.sctp_init.nb_ipv4_addr = 1;
-  if (RC.nrrrc[0]->node_type == ngran_gNB_CU) {
+  if (RC.nrrrc && RC.nrrrc[0]->node_type == ngran_gNB_CU) {
     message_p->ittiMsg.sctp_init.ipv4_address[0] = inet_addr(RC.nrrrc[enb_id]->eth_params_s.my_addr);
   } else{
     message_p->ittiMsg.sctp_init.ipv4_address[0] = inet_addr(RC.rrc[enb_id]->eth_params_s.my_addr);
diff --git a/openair2/F1AP/f1ap_du_interface_management.c b/openair2/F1AP/f1ap_du_interface_management.c
index e75580cece..39b4802cf6 100644
--- a/openair2/F1AP/f1ap_du_interface_management.c
+++ b/openair2/F1AP/f1ap_du_interface_management.c
@@ -600,7 +600,7 @@ int DU_handle_F1_SETUP_RESPONSE(instance_t instance,
   0,0,//MSC_AS_TIME_ARGS(ctxt_pP),
   assoc_id);
 
-  if (RC.nrrrc[0]->node_type == ngran_gNB_DU) {
+  if (RC.nrrrc && RC.nrrrc[0]->node_type == ngran_gNB_DU) {
     LOG_D(F1AP, "Sending F1AP_SETUP_RESP ITTI message to GNB_APP with assoc_id (%d->%d)\n",
          assoc_id,ENB_MODULE_ID_TO_INSTANCE(assoc_id));
     itti_send_msg_to_task(TASK_GNB_APP, GNB_MODULE_ID_TO_INSTANCE(assoc_id), msg_p);
@@ -1212,7 +1212,7 @@ int DU_handle_gNB_CU_CONFIGURATION_UPDATE(instance_t instance,
   0,0,//MSC_AS_TIME_ARGS(ctxt_pP),
   assoc_id);
 
-  if (RC.nrrrc[0]->node_type == ngran_gNB_DU) {
+  if (RC.nrrrc && RC.nrrrc[0]->node_type == ngran_gNB_DU) {
     LOG_D(F1AP, "Sending F1AP_GNB_CU_CONFIGURATION_UPDATE ITTI message to GNB_APP with assoc_id (%d->%d)\n",
          assoc_id,ENB_MODULE_ID_TO_INSTANCE(assoc_id));
     itti_send_msg_to_task(TASK_GNB_APP, GNB_MODULE_ID_TO_INSTANCE(assoc_id), msg_p);
diff --git a/openair2/F1AP/f1ap_du_rrc_message_transfer.c b/openair2/F1AP/f1ap_du_rrc_message_transfer.c
index c820791094..f1c1684518 100644
--- a/openair2/F1AP/f1ap_du_rrc_message_transfer.c
+++ b/openair2/F1AP/f1ap_du_rrc_message_transfer.c
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ int DU_handle_DL_RRC_MESSAGE_TRANSFER(instance_t       instance,
                                       uint32_t         stream,
                                       F1AP_F1AP_PDU_t *pdu) {
 
-  if (RC.nrrrc[instance]->node_type == ngran_gNB_DU) {
+  if (RC.nrrrc && RC.nrrrc[instance]->node_type == ngran_gNB_DU) {
     LOG_I(F1AP, "node is gNB DU, call DU_handle_DL_NR_RRC_MESSAGE_TRANSFER \n");
     return DU_handle_DL_NR_RRC_MESSAGE_TRANSFER(instance, assoc_id, stream, pdu);
   }
@@ -893,7 +893,7 @@ int DU_send_INITIAL_UL_RRC_MESSAGE_TRANSFER(module_id_t     module_idP,
     return -1;
   }
 
-  if (RC.nrrrc[module_idP]->node_type == ngran_gNB_DU) {
+  if (RC.nrrrc && RC.nrrrc[module_idP]->node_type == ngran_gNB_DU) {
     struct rrc_gNB_ue_context_s* ue_context_p = rrc_gNB_allocate_new_UE_context(RC.nrrrc[module_idP]);
     ue_context_p->ue_id_rnti                    = rntiP; 
     ue_context_p->ue_context.rnti               = rntiP;
diff --git a/openair2/F1AP/f1ap_du_task.c b/openair2/F1AP/f1ap_du_task.c
index 3e50e7816b..20e47ddaa5 100644
--- a/openair2/F1AP/f1ap_du_task.c
+++ b/openair2/F1AP/f1ap_du_task.c
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ void du_task_handle_sctp_association_resp(instance_t instance, sctp_new_associat
   f1ap_du_data->default_sctp_stream_id = 0;
 
   /* setup parameters for F1U and start the server */
-  const cudu_params_t params = RC.nrrrc[instance]->node_type == ngran_gNB_DU ? (cudu_params_t){
+  const cudu_params_t params = (RC.nrrrc && RC.nrrrc[instance]->node_type == ngran_gNB_DU) ? (cudu_params_t){
     .local_ipv4_address  = RC.nrmac[instance]->eth_params_n.my_addr,
     .local_port          = RC.nrmac[instance]->eth_params_n.my_portd,
     .remote_ipv4_address = RC.nrmac[instance]->eth_params_n.remote_addr,
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ void *F1AP_DU_task(void *arg) {
 
      case F1AP_UL_RRC_MESSAGE: // to rrc
         LOG_I(F1AP, "DU Task Received F1AP_UL_RRC_MESSAGE\n");
-        if (RC.nrrrc[0]->node_type == ngran_gNB_DU) {
+        if (RC.nrrrc && RC.nrrrc[0]->node_type == ngran_gNB_DU) {
           DU_send_UL_NR_RRC_MESSAGE_TRANSFER(ITTI_MSG_DESTINATION_INSTANCE(received_msg),
                                              &F1AP_UL_RRC_MESSAGE(received_msg));
         } else {