diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_UE/config_ue.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_UE/config_ue.c
index 31107aea62..bc98e16d39 100755
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_UE/config_ue.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_UE/config_ue.c
@@ -334,41 +334,50 @@ void config_control_ue(NR_UE_MAC_INST_t *mac){
 
   uint8_t bwp_id = 1, coreset_id = 1, ss_id;
   NR_ServingCellConfig_t *scd = mac->scg->spCellConfig->spCellConfigDedicated;
-  NR_BWP_DownlinkCommon_t *bwp_Common = scd->downlinkBWP_ToAddModList->list.array[bwp_id - 1]->bwp_Common;
-  NR_BWP_DownlinkDedicated_t *dl_bwp_Dedicated = scd->downlinkBWP_ToAddModList->list.array[bwp_id - 1]->bwp_Dedicated;
-  NR_SetupRelease_PDCCH_Config_t *pdcch_Config = dl_bwp_Dedicated->pdcch_Config;
-  NR_SetupRelease_PDCCH_ConfigCommon_t *pdcch_ConfigCommon = bwp_Common->pdcch_ConfigCommon;
-  struct NR_PDCCH_ConfigCommon__commonSearchSpaceList *commonSearchSpaceList = pdcch_ConfigCommon->choice.setup->commonSearchSpaceList;
-  struct NR_PDCCH_Config__controlResourceSetToAddModList *controlResourceSetToAddModList = pdcch_Config->choice.setup->controlResourceSetToAddModList;
-  struct NR_PDCCH_Config__searchSpacesToAddModList *searchSpacesToAddModList = pdcch_Config->choice.setup->searchSpacesToAddModList;
-  struct NR_UplinkConfig__uplinkBWP_ToAddModList *uplinkBWP_ToAddModList = scd->uplinkConfig->uplinkBWP_ToAddModList;
-  NR_SearchSpace_t *NR_SearchSpace;
-
-  // check pdcch_Config, pdcch_ConfigCommon and DL BWP
   AssertFatal(scd->downlinkBWP_ToAddModList != NULL, "downlinkBWP_ToAddModList is null\n");
   AssertFatal(scd->downlinkBWP_ToAddModList->list.count == 1, "downlinkBWP_ToAddModList->list->count is %d\n", scd->downlinkBWP_ToAddModList->list.count);
-  mac->DLbwp[0] = scd->downlinkBWP_ToAddModList->list.array[bwp_id - 1];
-  AssertFatal(dl_bwp_Dedicated != NULL, "dl_bwp_Dedicated is null\n");
+
+  NR_BWP_DownlinkCommon_t *bwp_Common = scd->downlinkBWP_ToAddModList->list.array[bwp_id - 1]->bwp_Common;
   AssertFatal(bwp_Common != NULL, "bwp_Common is null\n");
+
+  NR_BWP_DownlinkDedicated_t *dl_bwp_Dedicated = scd->downlinkBWP_ToAddModList->list.array[bwp_id - 1]->bwp_Dedicated;
+  AssertFatal(dl_bwp_Dedicated != NULL, "dl_bwp_Dedicated is null\n");
+
+  NR_SetupRelease_PDCCH_Config_t *pdcch_Config = dl_bwp_Dedicated->pdcch_Config;
   AssertFatal(pdcch_Config != NULL, "pdcch_Config is null\n");
+
+  NR_SetupRelease_PDCCH_ConfigCommon_t *pdcch_ConfigCommon = bwp_Common->pdcch_ConfigCommon;
   AssertFatal(pdcch_ConfigCommon != NULL, "pdcch_ConfigCommon is null\n");
   AssertFatal(pdcch_ConfigCommon->choice.setup->ra_SearchSpace != NULL, "ra_SearchSpace must be available in DL BWP\n");
+
+  struct NR_PDCCH_ConfigCommon__commonSearchSpaceList *commonSearchSpaceList = pdcch_ConfigCommon->choice.setup->commonSearchSpaceList;
+  AssertFatal(commonSearchSpaceList != NULL, "commonSearchSpaceList is null\n");
+  AssertFatal(commonSearchSpaceList->list.count > 0, "PDCCH CSS list has 0 elements\n");
+
+  struct NR_PDCCH_Config__controlResourceSetToAddModList *controlResourceSetToAddModList = pdcch_Config->choice.setup->controlResourceSetToAddModList;
   AssertFatal(controlResourceSetToAddModList != NULL, "controlResourceSetToAddModList is null\n");
   AssertFatal(controlResourceSetToAddModList->list.count == 1, "controlResourceSetToAddModList->list.count=%d\n", controlResourceSetToAddModList->list.count);
-  mac->coreset[bwp_id - 1][coreset_id - 1] = controlResourceSetToAddModList->list.array[0];
   AssertFatal(controlResourceSetToAddModList->list.array[0] != NULL, "coreset[0][0] is null\n");
 
-  // Check dedicated UL BWP and pass to MAC
+  struct NR_PDCCH_Config__searchSpacesToAddModList *searchSpacesToAddModList = pdcch_Config->choice.setup->searchSpacesToAddModList;
+  AssertFatal(searchSpacesToAddModList != NULL, "searchSpacesToAddModList is null\n");
+  AssertFatal(searchSpacesToAddModList->list.count > 0, "list of UE specifically configured Search Spaces is empty\n");
+  AssertFatal(searchSpacesToAddModList->list.count < FAPI_NR_MAX_SS_PER_CORESET, "too many searchpaces per coreset %d\n", searchSpacesToAddModList->list.count);
+
+  struct NR_UplinkConfig__uplinkBWP_ToAddModList *uplinkBWP_ToAddModList = scd->uplinkConfig->uplinkBWP_ToAddModList;
   AssertFatal(uplinkBWP_ToAddModList != NULL, "uplinkBWP_ToAddModList is null\n");
   AssertFatal(uplinkBWP_ToAddModList->list.count == 1, "uplinkBWP_ToAddModList->list->count is %d\n", uplinkBWP_ToAddModList->list.count);
+
+  // check pdcch_Config, pdcch_ConfigCommon and DL BWP
+  mac->DLbwp[0] = scd->downlinkBWP_ToAddModList->list.array[bwp_id - 1];
+  mac->coreset[bwp_id - 1][coreset_id - 1] = controlResourceSetToAddModList->list.array[0];
+
+  // Check dedicated UL BWP and pass to MAC
   mac->ULbwp[0] = uplinkBWP_ToAddModList->list.array[0];
   AssertFatal(mac->ULbwp[0]->bwp_Dedicated != NULL, "UL bwp_Dedicated is null\n");
 
   // check available Search Spaces in the searchSpacesToAddModList and pass to MAC
   // note: the network configures at most 10 Search Spaces per BWP per cell (including UE-specific and common Search Spaces).
-  AssertFatal(searchSpacesToAddModList != NULL, "searchSpacesToAddModList is null\n");
-  AssertFatal(searchSpacesToAddModList->list.count > 0, "list of UE specifically configured Search Spaces is empty\n");
-  AssertFatal(searchSpacesToAddModList->list.count < FAPI_NR_MAX_SS_PER_CORESET, "too many searchpaces per coreset %d\n", searchSpacesToAddModList->list.count);
   for (ss_id = 0; ss_id < searchSpacesToAddModList->list.count; ss_id++) {
     NR_SearchSpace_t *ss = searchSpacesToAddModList->list.array[ss_id];
     AssertFatal(ss->controlResourceSetId != NULL, "ss->controlResourceSetId is null\n");
@@ -381,13 +390,11 @@ void config_control_ue(NR_UE_MAC_INST_t *mac){
 
   // Check available CSSs in the commonSearchSpaceList (list of additional common search spaces)
   // note: commonSearchSpaceList SIZE(1..4)
-  AssertFatal(commonSearchSpaceList != NULL, "commonSearchSpaceList is null\n");
-  AssertFatal(commonSearchSpaceList->list.count > 0, "PDCCH CSS list has 0 elements\n");
   for (int css_id = 0; css_id < commonSearchSpaceList->list.count; css_id++) {
     NR_SearchSpace_t *css = commonSearchSpaceList->list.array[css_id];
     AssertFatal(css->controlResourceSetId != NULL, "ss->controlResourceSetId is null\n");
     AssertFatal(*css->controlResourceSetId == mac->coreset[bwp_id - 1][coreset_id - 1]->controlResourceSetId, "ss->controlResourceSetId is unknown\n");
-    AssertFatal(css->searchSpaceId != NULL, "css->searchSpaceId is null\n");
+    AssertFatal(css->searchSpaceId != 0, "css->searchSpaceId is 0\n");
     AssertFatal(css->searchSpaceType != NULL, "css->searchSpaceType is null\n");
     AssertFatal(css->monitoringSymbolsWithinSlot != NULL, "css->monitoringSymbolsWithinSlot is null\n");
     AssertFatal(css->monitoringSymbolsWithinSlot->buf != NULL, "css->monitoringSymbolsWithinSlot->buf is null\n");