diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c
index ae5305d77c..e718210e8b 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c
@@ -2718,8 +2718,7 @@ void configure_UE_BWP(gNB_MAC_INST *nr_mac,
       AssertFatal(dl_bwp_switch == ul_bwp_switch, "Different UL and DL BWP not supported\n");
       DL_BWP->bwp_id = dl_bwp_switch;
       UL_BWP->bwp_id = ul_bwp_switch;
-    }
-    else {
+    } else {
       // (re)configuring BWP
       // TODO BWP switching not via RRC reconfiguration
       // via RRC if firstActiveXlinkBWP_Id is NULL, MAC stays on the same BWP as before
@@ -2768,8 +2767,7 @@ void configure_UE_BWP(gNB_MAC_INST *nr_mac,
     UL_BWP->pusch_Config = ubwpd->pusch_Config->choice.setup;
     UL_BWP->pucch_Config = ubwpd->pucch_Config->choice.setup;
     UL_BWP->srs_Config = ubwpd->srs_Config->choice.setup;
-  }
-  else {
+  } else {
     DL_BWP->bwp_id = 0;
     UL_BWP->bwp_id = 0;
     DL_BWP->pdsch_Config = NULL;
@@ -2778,11 +2776,6 @@ void configure_UE_BWP(gNB_MAC_INST *nr_mac,
     UL_BWP->configuredGrantConfig = NULL;
   }
 
-  if (old_dl_bwp_id != DL_BWP->bwp_id)
-    LOG_I(NR_MAC, "Switching to DL-BWP %li\n", DL_BWP->bwp_id);
-  if (old_ul_bwp_id != UL_BWP->bwp_id)
-    LOG_I(NR_MAC, "Switching to UL-BWP %li\n", UL_BWP->bwp_id);
-
   // TDA lists
   if (DL_BWP->bwp_id>0)
     DL_BWP->tdaList_Common = dl_bwp->bwp_Common->pdsch_ConfigCommon->choice.setup->pdsch_TimeDomainAllocationList;
@@ -2832,6 +2825,19 @@ void configure_UE_BWP(gNB_MAC_INST *nr_mac,
     UL_BWP->rach_ConfigCommon = scc->uplinkConfigCommon->initialUplinkBWP->rach_ConfigCommon->choice.setup;
   }
 
+  // if PRACH occasions are not configured for the active UL BWP
+  // switch the active UL BWP to BWP indicated by initialUplinkBWP
+  // as described in 5.15 of 38.321
+  if (is_RA && !UL_BWP->rach_ConfigCommon) {
+    LOG_I(NR_MAC, "Cannot perform RA in current BWP, switching to initial BWP\n");
+    configure_UE_BWP(nr_mac, scc, UE, is_RA, target_ss, 0, 0);
+    return;
+  }
+  if (old_dl_bwp_id != DL_BWP->bwp_id)
+    LOG_I(NR_MAC, "Switching to DL-BWP %li\n", DL_BWP->bwp_id);
+  if (old_ul_bwp_id != UL_BWP->bwp_id)
+    LOG_I(NR_MAC, "Switching to UL-BWP %li\n", UL_BWP->bwp_id);
+
   NR_UE_sched_ctrl_t *sched_ctrl = &UE->UE_sched_ctrl;
   // Reset required fields in sched_ctrl (e.g. ul_ri and tpmi)
   reset_sched_ctrl(sched_ctrl);