diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_dlsch.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_dlsch.c
index 89fccece07..499ceb859b 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_dlsch.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_dlsch.c
@@ -1163,6 +1163,7 @@ void nr_schedule_ue_spec(module_id_t module_id,
         pdsch_pdu->pduBitmap |= 0x1; // Bit 0: pdschPtrs - Indicates PTRS included (FR2)
     }
 
+    LOG_D(NR_MAC,"Configuring DCI/PDCCH in %d.%d at CCE %d, rnti %x\n", frame,slot,sched_ctrl->cce_index,rnti);
     /* Fill PDCCH DL DCI PDU */
     nfapi_nr_dl_dci_pdu_t *dci_pdu = &pdcch_pdu->dci_pdu[pdcch_pdu->numDlDci];
     pdcch_pdu->numDlDci++;
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c
index 8f1bc986fe..f42fda5092 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c
@@ -306,13 +306,13 @@ int cce_to_reg_interleaving(const int R, int k, int n_shift, const int C, int L,
   return f;
 }
 
-uint8_t find_pdcch_candidate(gNB_MAC_INST *mac,
-                             int cc_id,
-                             int aggregation,
-                             int nr_of_candidates,
-                             NR_sched_pdcch_t *pdcch,
-                             NR_ControlResourceSet_t *coreset,
-                             uint16_t Y){
+int find_pdcch_candidate(gNB_MAC_INST *mac,
+                         int cc_id,
+                         int aggregation,
+                         int nr_of_candidates,
+                         NR_sched_pdcch_t *pdcch,
+                         NR_ControlResourceSet_t *coreset,
+                         uint16_t Y){
 
   uint16_t *vrb_map = mac->common_channels[cc_id].vrb_map;
   const int next_cand = mac->pdcch_cand[coreset->controlResourceSetId];
@@ -332,12 +332,11 @@ uint8_t find_pdcch_candidate(gNB_MAC_INST *mac,
   const int C = R>0 ? N_regs/(L*R) : 0;
   const int B_rb = L/N_symb; // nb of RBs occupied by each REG bundle
 
-  int first_cce;
-  bool taken = false; // flag if the resource for a given candidate are taken
   // loop over all the available candidates
   // this implements TS 38.211 Sec. 7.3.2.2
   for(int m=next_cand; m<nr_of_candidates; m++) { // loop over candidates
-    first_cce = aggregation * (( Y + CEILIDIV((m*N_cces),(aggregation*nr_of_candidates)) + N_ci ) % CEILIDIV(N_cces,aggregation));
+    bool taken = false; // flag if the resource for a given candidate are taken
+    int first_cce = aggregation * (( Y + CEILIDIV((m*N_cces),(aggregation*nr_of_candidates)) + N_ci ) % CEILIDIV(N_cces,aggregation));
     for (int j=first_cce; (j<first_cce+aggregation) && !taken; j++) { // loop over CCEs
       for (int k=6*j/L; (k<(6*j/L+6/L)) && !taken; k++) { // loop over REG bundles
         int f = cce_to_reg_interleaving(R, k, pdcch->ShiftIndex, C, L, N_regs);
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_ulsch.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_ulsch.c
index e4fcecf059..ccefe94cd6 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_ulsch.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_ulsch.c
@@ -1512,6 +1512,11 @@ void nr_schedule_ulsch(module_id_t module_id, frame_t frame, sub_frame_t slot)
   nfapi_nr_ul_dci_request_t *ul_dci_req = &RC.nrmac[module_id]->UL_dci_req[CC_id];
   ul_dci_req->SFN = frame;
   ul_dci_req->Slot = slot;
+  /* a PDCCH PDU groups DCIs per BWP and CORESET. Save a pointer to each
+   * allocated PDCCH so we can easily allocate UE's DCIs independent of any
+   * CORESET order */
+  nfapi_nr_dl_tti_pdcch_pdu_rel15_t *pdcch_pdu_coreset[MAX_NUM_CORESET] = {0};
+
 
   NR_ServingCellConfigCommon_t *scc = RC.nrmac[module_id]->common_channels[0].ServingCellConfigCommon;
   NR_UE_info_t *UE_info = &RC.nrmac[module_id]->UE_info;
@@ -1750,7 +1755,7 @@ void nr_schedule_ulsch(module_id_t module_id, frame_t frame, sub_frame_t slot)
     NR_SearchSpace_t *ss = (sched_ctrl->active_bwp || ubwpd) ? sched_ctrl->search_space: RC.nrmac[module_id]->sched_ctrlCommon->search_space;
     NR_ControlResourceSet_t *coreset = (sched_ctrl->active_bwp || ubwpd) ? sched_ctrl->coreset: RC.nrmac[module_id]->sched_ctrlCommon->coreset;
     const int coresetid = coreset->controlResourceSetId;
-    nfapi_nr_dl_tti_pdcch_pdu_rel15_t *pdcch_pdu = nr_mac->pdcch_pdu_idx[CC_id][coresetid];
+    nfapi_nr_dl_tti_pdcch_pdu_rel15_t *pdcch_pdu = pdcch_pdu_coreset[coresetid];
     if (!pdcch_pdu) {
       nfapi_nr_ul_dci_request_pdus_t *ul_dci_request_pdu = &ul_dci_req->ul_dci_pdu_list[ul_dci_req->numPdus];
       memset(ul_dci_request_pdu, 0, sizeof(nfapi_nr_ul_dci_request_pdus_t));
@@ -1759,7 +1764,7 @@ void nr_schedule_ulsch(module_id_t module_id, frame_t frame, sub_frame_t slot)
       pdcch_pdu = &ul_dci_request_pdu->pdcch_pdu.pdcch_pdu_rel15;
       ul_dci_req->numPdus += 1;
       nr_configure_pdcch(pdcch_pdu, coreset, genericParameters, &sched_ctrl->sched_pdcch);
-      nr_mac->pdcch_pdu_idx[CC_id][coresetid] = pdcch_pdu;
+      pdcch_pdu_coreset[coresetid] = pdcch_pdu;
     }
 
     LOG_D(NR_MAC,"Configuring ULDCI/PDCCH in %d.%d at CCE %d, rnti %x\n", frame,slot,sched_ctrl->cce_index,rnti);
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/mac_proto.h b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/mac_proto.h
index ed125fddb0..2dbb924d7b 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/mac_proto.h
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/mac_proto.h
@@ -260,13 +260,13 @@ NR_sched_pdcch_t set_pdcch_structure(gNB_MAC_INST *gNB_mac,
                                      NR_BWP_t *bwp,
                                      NR_Type0_PDCCH_CSS_config_t *type0_PDCCH_CSS_config);
 
-uint8_t find_pdcch_candidate(gNB_MAC_INST *mac,
-                             int cc_id,
-                             int aggregation,
-                             int nr_of_candidates,
-                             NR_sched_pdcch_t *pdcch,
-                             NR_ControlResourceSet_t *coreset,
-                             uint16_t Y);
+int find_pdcch_candidate(gNB_MAC_INST *mac,
+                         int cc_id,
+                         int aggregation,
+                         int nr_of_candidates,
+                         NR_sched_pdcch_t *pdcch,
+                         NR_ControlResourceSet_t *coreset,
+                         uint16_t Y);
 
 void fill_pdcch_vrb_map(gNB_MAC_INST *mac,
                         int CC_id,