diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_dlsch.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_dlsch.c
index df5c8e1474..2d0e3d946d 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_dlsch.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_dlsch.c
@@ -628,7 +628,7 @@ static void pf_dl(module_id_t module_id,
     NR_UE_sched_ctrl_t *sched_ctrl = &UE->UE_sched_ctrl;
     NR_UE_DL_BWP_t *current_BWP = &UE->current_DL_BWP;
 
-    if (sched_ctrl->ul_failure)
+    if (!nr_mac_ue_is_active(UE))
       continue;
 
     const NR_mac_dir_stats_t *stats = &UE->mac_stats.dl;
@@ -1037,7 +1037,7 @@ void nr_schedule_ue_spec(module_id_t module_id,
     NR_UE_sched_ctrl_t *sched_ctrl = &UE->UE_sched_ctrl;
     NR_UE_DL_BWP_t *current_BWP = &UE->current_DL_BWP;
 
-    if (sched_ctrl->ul_failure && !get_softmodem_params()->phy_test)
+    if (!nr_mac_ue_is_active(UE) && !get_softmodem_params()->phy_test)
       continue;
 
     NR_sched_pdsch_t *sched_pdsch = &sched_ctrl->sched_pdsch;
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c
index 3d2d1254bf..ee0f57d082 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c
@@ -3432,10 +3432,7 @@ void nr_measgap_scheduling(gNB_MAC_INST *nr_mac, frame_t frame, sub_frame_t slot
     interrupt_followup_action_t a = nr_timer_is_active(t) ? UE->interrupt_action : FOLLOW_INSYNC;
     // start a timer to stop scheduling UE during MeasGap, or extend timer for
     // duration of measGap with existing follow-up action
-    // TODO: if the timer is running, it might be to stop scheduling of the UE afterwards, but then it does not make sense to stop
-    //  scheduling the UE now, we should maybe just skip it?
     if (!nr_timer_is_active(t) || nr_timer_remaining_time(t) < mgc->mgl_slots) {
-      nr_mac_trigger_ul_failure(&UE->UE_sched_ctrl, UE->current_DL_BWP.scs); /* set the UE to "not active" */
       nr_mac_interrupt_ue_transmission(nr_mac, UE, a, mgc->mgl_slots);
     }
   }
@@ -3564,12 +3561,9 @@ void nr_mac_update_timers(module_id_t module_id, frame_t frame, slot_t slot)
     if (nr_timer_tick(&sched_ctrl->transm_interrupt)) {
       /* expired */
       nr_timer_stop(&sched_ctrl->transm_interrupt);
-      if (UE->interrupt_action == FOLLOW_OUTOFSYNC) {
+      if (UE->interrupt_action == FOLLOW_OUTOFSYNC)
         nr_mac_trigger_ul_failure(sched_ctrl, UE->current_DL_BWP.scs);
-      } else {
-        DevAssert(UE->interrupt_action == FOLLOW_INSYNC);
-        nr_mac_reset_ul_failure(sched_ctrl);
-      }
+      /* else: default FOLLOW_INSYNC: nothing to do (UE is now active again) */
     }
   }
 }
@@ -3777,6 +3771,17 @@ bool nr_mac_check_release(NR_UE_sched_ctrl_t *sched_ctrl, int rnti)
   return sched_ctrl->release_timer == 0;
 }
 
+bool nr_mac_ue_is_active(const NR_UE_info_t *ue)
+{
+  /* pass NR_UE_info_t, so that later we could adapt, e.g., for DRX */
+  const NR_UE_sched_ctrl_t *sched_ctrl = &ue->UE_sched_ctrl;
+  if (sched_ctrl->ul_failure)
+    return false;
+  if (nr_timer_is_active(&sched_ctrl->transm_interrupt))
+    return false;
+  return true;
+}
+
 #define UL_FAILURE_REQ_GRACE 10000
 #define UL_FAILURE_TIMEOUT 30000
 void nr_mac_trigger_ul_failure(NR_UE_sched_ctrl_t *sched_ctrl, NR_SubcarrierSpacing_t subcarrier_spacing)
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_srs.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_srs.c
index 45bb68fa5c..03417b52e5 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_srs.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_srs.c
@@ -527,10 +527,9 @@ void nr_schedule_srs(int module_id, frame_t frame, int slot)
 
   UE_iterator(UE_info->connected_ue_list, UE) {
     const int CC_id = 0;
-    NR_UE_sched_ctrl_t *sched_ctrl = &UE->UE_sched_ctrl;
     NR_UE_UL_BWP_t *current_BWP = &UE->current_UL_BWP;
 
-    if ((sched_ctrl->ul_failure && !get_softmodem_params()->phy_test) || nr_timer_is_active(&sched_ctrl->transm_interrupt)) {
+    if (!nr_mac_ue_is_active(UE) && !get_softmodem_params()->phy_test) {
       continue;
     }
 
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_uci.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_uci.c
index 00201cdd8d..e35945f6da 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_uci.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_uci.c
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ void nr_csi_meas_reporting(int Mod_idP,frame_t frame, slot_t slot)
     NR_UE_sched_ctrl_t *sched_ctrl = &UE->UE_sched_ctrl;
     NR_UE_UL_BWP_t *ul_bwp = &UE->current_UL_BWP;
     const int n_slots_frame = nrmac->frame_structure.numb_slots_frame;
-    if (nr_timer_is_active(&sched_ctrl->transm_interrupt) || (sched_ctrl->ul_failure && !get_softmodem_params()->phy_test)) {
+    if (!nr_mac_ue_is_active(UE) && !get_softmodem_params()->phy_test) {
       continue;
     }
     const NR_CSI_MeasConfig_t *csi_measconfig = UE->sc_info.csi_MeasConfig;
@@ -1250,7 +1250,7 @@ void nr_sr_reporting(gNB_MAC_INST *nrmac, frame_t SFN, slot_t slot)
     NR_UE_sched_ctrl_t *sched_ctrl = &UE->UE_sched_ctrl;
     NR_UE_UL_BWP_t *ul_bwp = &UE->current_UL_BWP;
     const int n_slots_frame = nrmac->frame_structure.numb_slots_frame;
-    if (sched_ctrl->ul_failure || nr_timer_is_active(&sched_ctrl->transm_interrupt))
+    if (!nr_mac_ue_is_active(UE))
       continue;
     NR_PUCCH_Config_t *pucch_Config = ul_bwp->pucch_Config;
 
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_ulsch.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_ulsch.c
index b08e703076..68114688f7 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_ulsch.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_ulsch.c
@@ -1963,7 +1963,7 @@ static int  pf_ul(gNB_MAC_INST *nrmac,
   UE_iterator(UE_list, UE) {
 
     NR_UE_sched_ctrl_t *sched_ctrl = &UE->UE_sched_ctrl;
-    if (sched_ctrl->ul_failure)
+    if (!nr_mac_ue_is_active(UE))
       continue;
 
     LOG_D(NR_MAC,"pf_ul: preparing UL scheduling for UE %04x\n",UE->rnti);
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/mac_proto.h b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/mac_proto.h
index 84a0923e8b..f82263d928 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/mac_proto.h
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/mac_proto.h
@@ -478,6 +478,8 @@ void nr_mac_trigger_release_complete(gNB_MAC_INST *mac, int rnti);
 void nr_mac_release_ue(gNB_MAC_INST *mac, int rnti);
 bool nr_mac_request_release_ue(const gNB_MAC_INST *nrmac, int rnti);
 
+bool nr_mac_ue_is_active(const NR_UE_info_t *ue);
+
 void nr_mac_trigger_ul_failure(NR_UE_sched_ctrl_t *sched_ctrl, NR_SubcarrierSpacing_t subcarrier_spacing);
 void nr_mac_reset_ul_failure(NR_UE_sched_ctrl_t *sched_ctrl);
 bool nr_mac_check_ul_failure(gNB_MAC_INST *nrmac, int rnti, NR_UE_sched_ctrl_t *sched_ctrl);