diff --git a/openair2/GNB_APP/gnb_config.c b/openair2/GNB_APP/gnb_config.c
index e190b21748..b2ae0039b7 100644
--- a/openair2/GNB_APP/gnb_config.c
+++ b/openair2/GNB_APP/gnb_config.c
@@ -970,6 +970,28 @@ static NR_ServingCellConfigCommon_t *get_scc_config(int minRXTXTIME)
     fix_scc(scc, ssb_bitmap);
   }
   nr_rrc_config_ul_tda(scc, minRXTXTIME);
+
+  // the gNB uses the servingCellConfigCommon everywhere, even when it should use the servingCellConfigCommonSIB.
+  // previously (before this commit), the following fields were indirectly populated through get_SIB1_NR().
+  // since this might lead to memory problems (e.g., double frees), it has been moved here.
+  // note that the "right solution" would be to not populate the servingCellConfigCommon here, and use
+  // an "abstraction struct" that contains the corresponding values, from which SCC/SIB1/... is generated.
+  NR_PDCCH_ConfigCommon_t *pcc = scc->downlinkConfigCommon->initialDownlinkBWP->pdcch_ConfigCommon->choice.setup;
+  AssertFatal(pcc != NULL && pcc->commonSearchSpaceList == NULL, "memory leak\n");
+  pcc->commonSearchSpaceList = calloc_or_fail(1, sizeof(*pcc->commonSearchSpaceList));
+
+  NR_SearchSpace_t *ss1 = rrc_searchspace_config(true, 1, 0);
+  asn1cSeqAdd(&pcc->commonSearchSpaceList->list, ss1);
+  NR_SearchSpace_t *ss2 = rrc_searchspace_config(true, 2, 0);
+  asn1cSeqAdd(&pcc->commonSearchSpaceList->list, ss2);
+  NR_SearchSpace_t *ss3 = rrc_searchspace_config(true, 3, 0);
+  asn1cSeqAdd(&pcc->commonSearchSpaceList->list, ss3);
+
+  asn1cCallocOne(pcc->searchSpaceSIB1,  0);
+  asn1cCallocOne(pcc->ra_SearchSpace, 1);
+  asn1cCallocOne(pcc->pagingSearchSpace, 2);
+  asn1cCallocOne(pcc->searchSpaceOtherSystemInformation, 3);
+
   return scc;
 }
 
diff --git a/openair2/RRC/NR/nr_rrc_config.c b/openair2/RRC/NR/nr_rrc_config.c
index 831ebd097d..6c940fb21a 100644
--- a/openair2/RRC/NR/nr_rrc_config.c
+++ b/openair2/RRC/NR/nr_rrc_config.c
@@ -103,6 +103,23 @@ static NR_SetupRelease_PUCCH_ConfigCommon_t *clone_pucch_configcommon(const NR_S
   return clone;
 }
 
+static NR_SetupRelease_PDCCH_ConfigCommon_t *clone_pdcch_configcommon(const NR_SetupRelease_PDCCH_ConfigCommon_t *pcc)
+{
+  if (pcc == NULL || pcc->present == NR_SetupRelease_PDCCH_ConfigCommon_PR_NOTHING)
+    return NULL;
+  NR_SetupRelease_PDCCH_ConfigCommon_t *clone = calloc(1, sizeof(*clone));
+  clone->present = pcc->present;
+  if (clone->present == NR_SetupRelease_PDCCH_ConfigCommon_PR_release)
+    return clone;
+
+  uint8_t buf[1024];
+  asn_enc_rval_t enc_rval = uper_encode_to_buffer(&asn_DEF_NR_PDCCH_ConfigCommon, NULL, pcc->choice.setup, buf, sizeof(buf));
+  AssertFatal(enc_rval.encoded > 0 && enc_rval.encoded < sizeof(buf), "could not clone NR_PDCCH_ConfigCommon: problem while encoding\n");
+  asn_dec_rval_t dec_rval = uper_decode(NULL, &asn_DEF_NR_PDCCH_ConfigCommon, (void **)&clone->choice.setup, buf, enc_rval.encoded, 0, 0);
+  AssertFatal(dec_rval.code == RC_OK && dec_rval.consumed == enc_rval.encoded, "could not clone NR_PDCCH_ConfigCommon: problem while decoding\n");
+  return clone;
+}
+
 static NR_SetupRelease_PDSCH_ConfigCommon_t *clone_pdsch_configcommon(const NR_SetupRelease_PDSCH_ConfigCommon_t *pcc)
 {
   if (pcc == NULL || pcc->present == NR_SetupRelease_PDSCH_ConfigCommon_PR_NOTHING)
@@ -120,7 +137,7 @@ static NR_SetupRelease_PDSCH_ConfigCommon_t *clone_pdsch_configcommon(const NR_S
   return clone;
 }
 
-static NR_SearchSpace_t *rrc_searchspace_config(bool is_common, int searchspaceid, int coresetid)
+NR_SearchSpace_t *rrc_searchspace_config(bool is_common, int searchspaceid, int coresetid)
 {
 
   NR_SearchSpace_t *ss = calloc(1,sizeof(*ss));
@@ -1916,25 +1933,18 @@ NR_BCCH_DL_SCH_Message_t *get_SIB1_NR(const NR_ServingCellConfigCommon_t *scc, c
                 frequencyInfoDL->scs_SpecificCarrierList.list.array[i]);
   }
 
-  initialDownlinkBWP->pdcch_ConfigCommon = scc->downlinkConfigCommon->initialDownlinkBWP->pdcch_ConfigCommon;
-  initialDownlinkBWP->pdcch_ConfigCommon->choice.setup->commonSearchSpaceList =
-      CALLOC(1, sizeof(struct NR_PDCCH_ConfigCommon__commonSearchSpaceList));
-  AssertFatal(initialDownlinkBWP->pdcch_ConfigCommon->choice.setup->commonSearchSpaceList != NULL, "out of memory\n");
+  initialDownlinkBWP->pdcch_ConfigCommon = clone_pdcch_configcommon(scc->downlinkConfigCommon->initialDownlinkBWP->pdcch_ConfigCommon);
+  AssertFatal(initialDownlinkBWP->pdcch_ConfigCommon->choice.setup->commonSearchSpaceList != NULL,
+              "expected commonSearchSpaceList to be populated through SCC\n");
+  AssertFatal(initialDownlinkBWP->pdcch_ConfigCommon->choice.setup->searchSpaceSIB1 != NULL,
+              "expected searchSpaceSIB1 to be populated through SCC\n");
+  AssertFatal(initialDownlinkBWP->pdcch_ConfigCommon->choice.setup->ra_SearchSpace != NULL,
+              "expected ra_SearchSpace to be populated through SCC\n");
+  AssertFatal(initialDownlinkBWP->pdcch_ConfigCommon->choice.setup->pagingSearchSpace != NULL,
+              "expected pagingSearchSpace to be populated through SCC\n");
+  AssertFatal(initialDownlinkBWP->pdcch_ConfigCommon->choice.setup->searchSpaceOtherSystemInformation != NULL,
+              "expected searchSpaceOtherSystemInformation to be populated through SCC\n");
 
-  NR_SearchSpace_t *ss1 = rrc_searchspace_config(true, 1, 0);
-  asn1cSeqAdd(&initialDownlinkBWP->pdcch_ConfigCommon->choice.setup->commonSearchSpaceList->list, ss1);
-
-  NR_SearchSpace_t *ss2 = rrc_searchspace_config(true, 2, 0);
-  asn1cSeqAdd(&initialDownlinkBWP->pdcch_ConfigCommon->choice.setup->commonSearchSpaceList->list, ss2);
-
-  NR_SearchSpace_t *ss3 = rrc_searchspace_config(true, 3, 0);
-  asn1cSeqAdd(&initialDownlinkBWP->pdcch_ConfigCommon->choice.setup->commonSearchSpaceList->list, ss3);
-
-  asn1cCallocOne(initialDownlinkBWP->pdcch_ConfigCommon->choice.setup->searchSpaceSIB1,  0);
-  asn1cCallocOne(initialDownlinkBWP->pdcch_ConfigCommon->choice.setup->searchSpaceOtherSystemInformation, 3);
-  asn1cCallocOne(initialDownlinkBWP->pdcch_ConfigCommon->choice.setup->pagingSearchSpace, 2);
-  asn1cCallocOne(initialDownlinkBWP->pdcch_ConfigCommon->choice.setup->ra_SearchSpace, 1);
-   
   initialDownlinkBWP->pdsch_ConfigCommon = clone_pdsch_configcommon(scc->downlinkConfigCommon->initialDownlinkBWP->pdsch_ConfigCommon);
   ServCellCom->downlinkConfigCommon.bcch_Config.modificationPeriodCoeff = NR_BCCH_Config__modificationPeriodCoeff_n2;
   ServCellCom->downlinkConfigCommon.pcch_Config.defaultPagingCycle = NR_PagingCycle_rf256;
diff --git a/openair2/RRC/NR/nr_rrc_config.h b/openair2/RRC/NR/nr_rrc_config.h
index 802d57428c..1db2d4a2f1 100644
--- a/openair2/RRC/NR/nr_rrc_config.h
+++ b/openair2/RRC/NR/nr_rrc_config.h
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ void nr_rrc_config_dl_tda(struct NR_PDSCH_TimeDomainResourceAllocationList *pdsc
                           NR_TDD_UL_DL_ConfigCommon_t *tdd_UL_DL_ConfigurationCommon,
                           int curr_bwp);
 void nr_rrc_config_ul_tda(NR_ServingCellConfigCommon_t *scc, int min_fb_delay);
+NR_SearchSpace_t *rrc_searchspace_config(bool is_common, int searchspaceid, int coresetid);
 
 void prepare_sim_uecap(NR_UE_NR_Capability_t *cap,
                        NR_ServingCellConfigCommon_t *scc,