diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_RA.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_RA.c
index 5e9cd47a79..520aa6dfe1 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_RA.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_RA.c
@@ -2115,10 +2115,9 @@ static void nr_fill_rar(uint8_t Mod_idP, NR_UE_info_t *UE, uint8_t *dlsch_buffer
  * The corresponding function to add is add_new_UE_RA(). */
 void nr_release_ra_UE(gNB_MAC_INST *mac, rnti_t rnti)
 {
+  NR_SCHED_ENSURE_LOCKED(&mac->sched_lock);
   NR_UEs_t *UE_info = &mac->UE_info;
-  NR_SCHED_LOCK(&UE_info->mutex);
   NR_UE_info_t *UE = remove_UE_from_list(NR_NB_RA_PROC_MAX, UE_info->access_ue_list, rnti);
-  NR_SCHED_UNLOCK(&UE_info->mutex);
   if (UE) {
     delete_nr_ue_data(UE, mac->common_channels, &UE_info->uid_allocator);
   } else {
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c
index 4e55941420..d5cda66b5b 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c
@@ -3033,18 +3033,17 @@ bool transition_ra_connected_nr_ue(gNB_MAC_INST *nr_mac, NR_UE_info_t *UE)
  * To remove the UE, use mac_remove_nr_ue(). */
 bool add_connected_nr_ue(gNB_MAC_INST *nr_mac, NR_UE_info_t *UE)
 {
+  NR_SCHED_ENSURE_LOCKED(&nr_mac->sched_lock);
+
   LOG_I(NR_MAC, "Adding new UE context with RNTI 0x%04x\n", UE->rnti);
   NR_UEs_t *UE_info = &nr_mac->UE_info;
   dump_nr_list(UE_info->connected_ue_list);
   AssertFatal(!UE->ra, "UE in connected cannot have RA process\n");
 
-  NR_SCHED_LOCK(&UE_info->mutex);
-
   bool success = add_UE_to_list(MAX_MOBILES_PER_GNB, UE_info->connected_ue_list, UE);
   if (!success) {
     LOG_E(NR_MAC,"Try to add UE %04x but the list is full\n", UE->rnti);
     delete_nr_ue_data(UE, NULL, &UE_info->uid_allocator);
-    NR_SCHED_UNLOCK(&UE_info->mutex);
     return false;
   }
 
@@ -3057,7 +3056,6 @@ bool add_connected_nr_ue(gNB_MAC_INST *nr_mac, NR_UE_info_t *UE)
   init_bler_stats(&nr_mac->dl_bler, &sched_ctrl->dl_bler_stats, nr_mac->frame);
   init_bler_stats(&nr_mac->ul_bler, &sched_ctrl->ul_bler_stats, nr_mac->frame);
 
-  NR_SCHED_UNLOCK(&UE_info->mutex);
   dump_nr_list(UE_info->connected_ue_list);
   return true;
 }
@@ -3110,9 +3108,7 @@ void mac_remove_nr_ue(gNB_MAC_INST *nr_mac, rnti_t rnti)
   /* already mutex protected */
   NR_SCHED_ENSURE_LOCKED(&nr_mac->sched_lock);
   NR_UEs_t *UE_info = &nr_mac->UE_info;
-  NR_SCHED_LOCK(&UE_info->mutex);
   NR_UE_info_t *UE = remove_UE_from_list(MAX_MOBILES_PER_GNB + 1, UE_info->connected_ue_list, rnti);
-  NR_SCHED_UNLOCK(&UE_info->mutex);
   if (UE)
     delete_nr_ue_data(UE, nr_mac->common_channels, &UE_info->uid_allocator);
   else
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/main.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/main.c
index 4b8196fc1b..ec8fe2010d 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/main.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/main.c
@@ -127,7 +127,6 @@ size_t dump_mac_stats(gNB_MAC_INST *gNB, char *output, size_t strlen, bool reset
    * scheduler to be locked*/
   NR_SCHED_ENSURE_LOCKED(&gNB->sched_lock);
 
-  NR_SCHED_LOCK(&gNB->UE_info.mutex);
   UE_iterator(gNB->UE_info.connected_ue_list, UE) {
     NR_UE_sched_ctrl_t *sched_ctrl = &UE->UE_sched_ctrl;
     NR_mac_stats_t *stats = &UE->mac_stats;
@@ -237,7 +236,6 @@ size_t dump_mac_stats(gNB_MAC_INST *gNB, char *output, size_t strlen, bool reset
                          stats->ul.lc_bytes[c->lcid]);
     }
   }
-  NR_SCHED_UNLOCK(&gNB->UE_info.mutex);
   return output - begin;
 }
 
@@ -304,7 +302,6 @@ void mac_top_init_gNB(ngran_node_t node_type,
 
       pthread_mutex_init(&RC.nrmac[i]->sched_lock, NULL);
 
-      pthread_mutex_init(&RC.nrmac[i]->UE_info.mutex, NULL);
       uid_linear_allocator_init(&RC.nrmac[i]->UE_info.uid_allocator);
 
       if (get_softmodem_params()->phy_test) {
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/nr_mac_gNB.h b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/nr_mac_gNB.h
index 026d8d563e..a5b21d2bc0 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/nr_mac_gNB.h
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/nr_mac_gNB.h
@@ -797,7 +797,6 @@ typedef struct {
 typedef struct {
   /// scheduling control info
   // last element always NULL
-  pthread_mutex_t mutex;
   NR_UE_info_t *connected_ue_list[MAX_MOBILES_PER_GNB + 1];
   NR_UE_info_t *access_ue_list[NR_NB_RA_PROC_MAX + 1];
   // bitmap of CSI-RS already scheduled in current slot