diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_RA.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_RA.c
index 8c295a07ee..cf013b1f40 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_RA.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_RA.c
@@ -795,7 +795,12 @@ void nr_generate_Msg3_retransmission(module_id_t module_idP, int CC_id, frame_t
 
     uint8_t aggregation_level;
     uint8_t nr_of_candidates;
-    find_aggregation_candidates(&aggregation_level, &nr_of_candidates, ss, 4);
+    for (int i=0; i<5; i++) {
+      // for now taking the lowest value among the available aggregation levels
+      find_aggregation_candidates(&aggregation_level, &nr_of_candidates, ss, 1<<i);
+      if(nr_of_candidates>0) break;
+    }
+    AssertFatal(nr_of_candidates>0,"nr_of_candidates is 0\n");
     int CCEIndex = allocate_nr_CCEs(nr_mac, NULL, coreset, aggregation_level, 0, 0, nr_of_candidates);
     if (CCEIndex < 0) {
       LOG_E(NR_MAC, "%s(): cannot find free CCE for RA RNTI %04x!\n", __func__, ra->rnti);
@@ -1170,7 +1175,12 @@ void nr_generate_Msg2(module_id_t module_idP, int CC_id, frame_t frameP, sub_fra
 
     uint8_t aggregation_level;
     uint8_t nr_of_candidates;
-    find_aggregation_candidates(&aggregation_level, &nr_of_candidates, ss,4);
+    for (int i=0; i<5; i++) {
+      // for now taking the lowest value among the available aggregation levels
+      find_aggregation_candidates(&aggregation_level, &nr_of_candidates, ss, 1<<i);
+      if(nr_of_candidates>0) break;
+    }
+    AssertFatal(nr_of_candidates>0,"nr_of_candidates is 0\n");
     int CCEIndex = allocate_nr_CCEs(nr_mac, bwp, coreset, aggregation_level,0,0,nr_of_candidates);
     if (CCEIndex < 0) {
       LOG_E(NR_MAC, "%s(): cannot find free CCE for RA RNTI %04x!\n", __func__, ra->rnti);
@@ -1442,7 +1452,12 @@ void nr_generate_Msg4(module_id_t module_idP, int CC_id, frame_t frameP, sub_fra
     // get CCEindex, needed also for PUCCH and then later for PDCCH
     uint8_t aggregation_level;
     uint8_t nr_of_candidates;
-    find_aggregation_candidates(&aggregation_level, &nr_of_candidates, ss,4);
+    for (int i=0; i<5; i++) {
+      // for now taking the lowest value among the available aggregation levels
+      find_aggregation_candidates(&aggregation_level, &nr_of_candidates, ss, 1<<i);
+      if(nr_of_candidates>0) break;
+    }
+    AssertFatal(nr_of_candidates>0,"nr_of_candidates is 0\n");
     int CCEIndex = allocate_nr_CCEs(nr_mac, bwp, coreset, aggregation_level,0,0,nr_of_candidates);
     if (CCEIndex < 0) {
       LOG_E(NR_MAC, "%s(): cannot find free CCE for RA RNTI %04x!\n", __func__, ra->rnti);
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_phytest.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_phytest.c
index d5272d5cfc..2b1c26b82a 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_phytest.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_phytest.c
@@ -264,7 +264,6 @@ extern uint8_t getN_PRB_DMRS(NR_BWP_Downlink_t *bwp, int numDmrsCdmGrpsNoData);
 uint32_t target_dl_mcs = 9;
 uint32_t target_dl_Nl = 1;
 uint32_t target_dl_bw = 50;
-int dl_maxL = 4;
 uint64_t dlsch_slot_bitmap = (1<<1);
 /* schedules whole bandwidth for first user, all the time */
 void nr_preprocessor_phytest(module_id_t module_id,
@@ -325,12 +324,17 @@ void nr_preprocessor_phytest(module_id_t module_id,
   sched_ctrl->num_total_bytes += sched_ctrl->rlc_status[lcid].bytes_in_buffer;
   sched_ctrl->lcid_to_schedule = lcid;
 
-  sched_ctrl->maxL = dl_maxL;
   uint8_t nr_of_candidates;
-  find_aggregation_candidates(&sched_ctrl->aggregation_level,
-                              &nr_of_candidates,
-                              sched_ctrl->search_space,
-                              sched_ctrl->maxL);
+  for (int i=0; i<5; i++) {
+    // for now taking the lowest value among the available aggregation levels
+    find_aggregation_candidates(&sched_ctrl->aggregation_level,
+                                &nr_of_candidates,
+                                sched_ctrl->search_space,
+                                1<<i);
+    if(nr_of_candidates>0) break;
+  }
+  AssertFatal(nr_of_candidates>0,"nr_of_candidates is 0\n");
+
   const int cid = sched_ctrl->coreset->controlResourceSetId;
   const uint16_t Y = UE_info->Y[UE_id][cid][slot];
   const int m = UE_info->num_pdcch_cand[UE_id][cid];
@@ -405,7 +409,6 @@ void nr_preprocessor_phytest(module_id_t module_id,
 
 uint32_t target_ul_mcs = 9;
 uint32_t target_ul_bw = 50;
-int ul_maxL = 4;
 uint64_t ulsch_slot_bitmap = (1 << 8);
 bool nr_ul_preprocessor_phytest(module_id_t module_id, frame_t frame, sub_frame_t slot)
 {
@@ -488,11 +491,16 @@ bool nr_ul_preprocessor_phytest(module_id_t module_id, frame_t frame, sub_frame_
   sched_ctrl->sched_pusch.frame = sched_frame;
 
   uint8_t nr_of_candidates;
-  sched_ctrl->maxL = ul_maxL;
-  find_aggregation_candidates(&sched_ctrl->aggregation_level,
-                              &nr_of_candidates,
-                              sched_ctrl->search_space,
-			                        sched_ctrl->maxL);
+  for (int i=0; i<5; i++) {
+    // for now taking the lowest value among the available aggregation levels
+    find_aggregation_candidates(&sched_ctrl->aggregation_level,
+                                &nr_of_candidates,
+                                sched_ctrl->search_space,
+                                1<<i);
+    if(nr_of_candidates>0) break;
+  }
+  AssertFatal(nr_of_candidates>0,"nr_of_candidates is 0\n");
+
   const int cid = sched_ctrl->coreset->controlResourceSetId;
   const uint16_t Y = UE_info->Y[UE_id][cid][slot];
   const int m = UE_info->num_pdcch_cand[UE_id][cid];
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c
index eae031e08c..da2cfe88a9 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c
@@ -1937,9 +1937,6 @@ int add_new_nr_ue(module_id_t mod_idP, rnti_t rntiP, NR_CellGroupConfig_t *CellG
     if (!get_softmodem_params()->phy_test && !get_softmodem_params()->do_ra && !get_softmodem_params()->sa) {
       sched_ctrl->lcid_mask = 1<<DL_SCH_LCID_DTCH;
     }
-    if (!get_softmodem_params()->phy_test && !get_softmodem_params()->sa) {
-      sched_ctrl->maxL = 4;
-    }
     sched_ctrl->ta_frame = 0;
     sched_ctrl->ta_update = 31;
     sched_ctrl->ta_apply = false;
@@ -2387,10 +2384,15 @@ bool find_free_CCE(module_id_t module_id,
                    int UE_id){
   NR_UE_sched_ctrl_t *sched_ctrl = &RC.nrmac[module_id]->UE_info.UE_sched_ctrl[UE_id];
   uint8_t nr_of_candidates;
-  find_aggregation_candidates(&sched_ctrl->aggregation_level,
-                              &nr_of_candidates,
-                              sched_ctrl->search_space,
-                              sched_ctrl->maxL);
+  for (int i=0; i<5; i++) {
+    // for now taking the lowest value among the available aggregation levels
+    find_aggregation_candidates(&sched_ctrl->aggregation_level,
+                                &nr_of_candidates,
+                                sched_ctrl->search_space,
+                                1<<i);
+    if(nr_of_candidates>0) break;
+  }
+  AssertFatal(nr_of_candidates>0,"nr_of_candidates is 0\n");
   const int cid = sched_ctrl->coreset->controlResourceSetId;
   const uint16_t Y = RC.nrmac[module_id]->UE_info.Y[UE_id][cid][slot];
   const int m = RC.nrmac[module_id]->UE_info.num_pdcch_cand[UE_id][cid];