diff --git a/executables/nr-softmodem.c b/executables/nr-softmodem.c
index d97ec3a10d..29cb7caeda 100644
--- a/executables/nr-softmodem.c
+++ b/executables/nr-softmodem.c
@@ -571,6 +571,50 @@ void init_pdcp(void) {
   }
 }
 
+#ifdef E2_AGENT
+static void initialize_agent(ngran_node_t node_type, e2_agent_args_t oai_args)
+{
+  AssertFatal(oai_args.sm_dir != NULL , "Please, specify the directory where the SMs are located in the config file, i.e., add in config file the next line: e2_agent = {near_ric_ip_addr = \"127.0.0.1\"; sm_dir = \"/usr/local/lib/flexric/\");} ");
+  AssertFatal(oai_args.ip != NULL , "Please, specify the IP address of the nearRT-RIC in the config file, i.e., e2_agent = {near_ric_ip_addr = \"127.0.0.1\"; sm_dir = \"/usr/local/lib/flexric/\"");
+
+  printf("After RCconfig_NR_E2agent %s %s \n",oai_args.sm_dir, oai_args.ip  );
+
+  fr_args_t args = { .ip = oai_args.ip }; // init_fr_args(0, NULL);
+  memcpy(args.libs_dir, oai_args.sm_dir, 128);
+
+  sleep(1);
+  const gNB_RRC_INST* rrc = RC.nrrrc[0];
+  assert(rrc != NULL && "rrc cannot be NULL");
+
+  const int mcc = rrc->configuration.mcc[0];
+  const int mnc = rrc->configuration.mnc[0];
+  const int mnc_digit_len = rrc->configuration.mnc_digit_length[0];
+  // const ngran_node_t node_type = rrc->node_type;
+  int nb_id = 0;
+  int cu_du_id = 0;
+  if (node_type == ngran_gNB) {
+    nb_id = rrc->nr_cellid;
+  } else if (node_type == ngran_gNB_DU) {
+    AssertFatal(rrc->node_id != 0, "cannot handle node ID 0, please change gNB_ID\n");
+    cu_du_id = rrc->node_id;
+    nb_id = rrc->nr_cellid;
+  } else if (node_type == ngran_gNB_CU) {
+    AssertFatal(rrc->node_id != 0, "cannot handle node ID 0, please change gNB_ID\n");
+    cu_du_id = rrc->node_id;
+    nb_id = rrc->nr_cellid;
+  } else {
+    LOG_E(NR_RRC, "not supported ran type detect\n");
+  }
+
+  printf("[E2 NODE]: mcc = %d mnc = %d mnc_digit = %d nb_id = %d \n", mcc, mnc, mnc_digit_len, nb_id);
+
+  printf("[E2 NODE]: Args %s %s \n", args.ip, args.libs_dir);
+
+  sm_io_ag_ran_t io = init_ran_func_ag();
+  init_agent_api(mcc, mnc, mnc_digit_len, nb_id, cu_du_id, node_type, io, &args);
+}
+#endif
+
 configmodule_interface_t *uniqCfg = NULL;
 int main( int argc, char **argv ) {
   int ru_id, CC_id = 0;
@@ -689,54 +733,18 @@ int main( int argc, char **argv ) {
   config_sync_var=0;
 
 
-
-
 #ifdef E2_AGENT
 
 //////////////////////////////////
 //////////////////////////////////
 //// Init the E2 Agent
 
-  sm_io_ag_ran_t io = init_ran_func_ag();
-  
   // OAI Wrapper 
   e2_agent_args_t oai_args = RCconfig_NR_E2agent();
-  AssertFatal(oai_args.sm_dir != NULL , "Please, specify the directory where the SMs are located in the config file, i.e., add in config file the next line: e2_agent = {near_ric_ip_addr = \"127.0.0.1\"; sm_dir = \"/usr/local/lib/flexric/\");} ");
 
-  AssertFatal(oai_args.ip != NULL , "Please, specify the IP address of the nearRT-RIC in the config file, i.e., e2_agent = {near_ric_ip_addr = \"127.0.0.1\"; sm_dir = \"/usr/local/lib/flexric/\"");
-
-  printf("After RCconfig_NR_E2agent %s %s \n",oai_args.sm_dir, oai_args.ip  );
-
-  fr_args_t args = { .ip = oai_args.ip }; // init_fr_args(0, NULL);
-  memcpy(args.libs_dir, oai_args.sm_dir, 128);
-
-  sleep(1);
-  const gNB_RRC_INST* rrc = RC.nrrrc[0];
-  assert(rrc != NULL && "rrc cannot be NULL");
-
-  const int mcc = rrc->configuration.mcc[0];
-  const int mnc = rrc->configuration.mnc[0];
-  const int mnc_digit_len = rrc->configuration.mnc_digit_length[0];
-  // const ngran_node_t node_type = rrc->node_type;
-  int nb_id = 0;
-  int cu_du_id = 0;
-  if (node_type == ngran_gNB) {
-    nb_id = rrc->configuration.cell_identity;
-  } else if (node_type == ngran_gNB_DU) {
-    cu_du_id = rrc->node_id + 1; // Hack to avoid been 0
-    nb_id = rrc->configuration.cell_identity;
-  } else if (node_type == ngran_gNB_CU) {
-    cu_du_id = rrc->node_id + 1;
-    nb_id = rrc->configuration.cell_identity;
-  } else {
-    LOG_E(NR_RRC, "not supported ran type detect\n");
+  if (oai_args.enabled) {
+    initialize_agent(node_type, oai_args);
   }
-     
-  printf("[E2 NODE]: mcc = %d mnc = %d mnc_digit = %d nb_id = %d \n", mcc, mnc, mnc_digit_len, nb_id);
-
-  printf("[E2 NODE]: Args %s %s \n", args.ip, args.libs_dir);
-  init_agent_api(mcc, mnc, mnc_digit_len, nb_id, cu_du_id, node_type, io, &args);
-//   }
 
 #endif // E2_AGENT
 
diff --git a/openair2/E2AP/e2_agent_arg.h b/openair2/E2AP/e2_agent_arg.h
index b719c32d97..30f1ce4750 100644
--- a/openair2/E2AP/e2_agent_arg.h
+++ b/openair2/E2AP/e2_agent_arg.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 typedef struct{
   const char *ip;
   const char *sm_dir;
+  const bool enabled;
 } e2_agent_args_t;
 
 #endif
diff --git a/openair2/ENB_APP/enb_config.c b/openair2/ENB_APP/enb_config.c
index c57f5205f9..a360369c94 100644
--- a/openair2/ENB_APP/enb_config.c
+++ b/openair2/ENB_APP/enb_config.c
@@ -2942,7 +2942,18 @@ e2_agent_args_t RCconfig_E2agent(void)
     LOG_W(GNB_APP, "configuration file does not contain a \"%s\" section, applying default parameters\n", CONFIG_STRING_E2AGENT);
     return (e2_agent_args_t) {0}; 
   }
+
+  bool enabled = config_isparamset(e2agent_params, E2AGENT_CONFIG_SMDIR_IDX)
+              && config_isparamset(e2agent_params, E2AGENT_CONFIG_IP_IDX);
+  if (!enabled) {
+    LOG_W(GNB_APP, "E2 agent is DISABLED (for activation, define .%s.{%s,%s} parameters)\n", CONFIG_STRING_E2AGENT, E2AGENT_CONFIG_IP, E2AGENT_CONFIG_SMDIR);
+    return (e2_agent_args_t) {
+      .enabled = false,
+    };
+  }
+
   return (e2_agent_args_t) {
+    .enabled = true,
     .ip = *e2agent_params[E2AGENT_CONFIG_IP_IDX].strptr,
     .sm_dir = *e2agent_params[E2AGENT_CONFIG_SMDIR_IDX].strptr,
   };
diff --git a/openair2/ENB_APP/enb_paramdef.h b/openair2/ENB_APP/enb_paramdef.h
index 6417d3cb75..626705317b 100644
--- a/openair2/ENB_APP/enb_paramdef.h
+++ b/openair2/ENB_APP/enb_paramdef.h
@@ -1330,9 +1330,8 @@ typedef struct srb1_params_s {
 //#define E2AGENT_CONFIG_PORT  "port"
 #define E2AGENT_CONFIG_SMDIR "sm_dir"
 
-static const char* const e2agent_config_ip_default = NULL;
-static const char* const e2agent_config_smdir_default = NULL;
-//static const uint16_t e2agent_config_port_default = 36421;
+static const char* const e2agent_config_ip_default = "127.0.0.1";
+static const char* const e2agent_config_smdir_default = ".";
 
 #define E2AGENT_PARAMS_DESC { \
   {E2AGENT_CONFIG_IP,    "RIC IP address",             0, strptr:NULL, defstrval:(char*)e2agent_config_ip_default,    TYPE_STRING, 0}, \
diff --git a/openair2/GNB_APP/gnb_config.c b/openair2/GNB_APP/gnb_config.c
index 24b2e639b8..17e74f4608 100644
--- a/openair2/GNB_APP/gnb_config.c
+++ b/openair2/GNB_APP/gnb_config.c
@@ -2281,7 +2281,14 @@ e2_agent_args_t RCconfig_NR_E2agent(void)
     LOG_W(GNB_APP, "configuration file does not contain a \"%s\" section, applying default parameters from FlexRIC\n", CONFIG_STRING_E2AGENT);
     return (e2_agent_args_t) { 0 };
   }
-  e2_agent_args_t dst = {0};
+
+  bool enabled = config_isparamset(e2agent_params, E2AGENT_CONFIG_SMDIR_IDX)
+              && config_isparamset(e2agent_params, E2AGENT_CONFIG_IP_IDX);
+  e2_agent_args_t dst = {.enabled = enabled};
+  if (!enabled) {
+    LOG_W(GNB_APP, "E2 agent is DISABLED (for activation, define .%s.{%s,%s} parameters)\n", CONFIG_STRING_E2AGENT, E2AGENT_CONFIG_IP, E2AGENT_CONFIG_SMDIR);
+    return dst;
+  }
 
   if (e2agent_params[E2AGENT_CONFIG_SMDIR_IDX].strptr != NULL)
     dst.sm_dir = *e2agent_params[E2AGENT_CONFIG_SMDIR_IDX].strptr;