diff --git a/executables/nr-ue.c b/executables/nr-ue.c
index c13adb70b3..66b08522f6 100644
--- a/executables/nr-ue.c
+++ b/executables/nr-ue.c
@@ -380,9 +380,11 @@ static void *NRUE_phy_stub_standalone_pnf_task(void *arg)
     }
     if (slot_ind) {
       sfn_slot = *slot_ind;
+      free_and_zero(slot_ind);
     }
     else if (ch_info) {
       sfn_slot = ch_info->sfn_slot;
+      free_and_zero(ch_info);
     }
 
     frame_t frame = NFAPI_SFNSLOT2SFN(sfn_slot);
@@ -465,10 +467,6 @@ static void *NRUE_phy_stub_standalone_pnf_task(void *arg)
       pdcp_run(&ctxt);
     }
     process_queued_nr_nfapi_msgs(mac, sfn_slot);
-    free(slot_ind);
-    slot_ind = NULL;
-    free(ch_info);
-    ch_info = NULL;
   }
   return NULL;
 }
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_UE/nr_ue_scheduler.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_UE/nr_ue_scheduler.c
index 31e8231465..a68cd469fd 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_UE/nr_ue_scheduler.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_UE/nr_ue_scheduler.c
@@ -2255,26 +2255,29 @@ void nr_ue_pucch_scheduler(module_id_t module_idP, frame_t frameP, int slotP, in
   int O_CSI = 0;
   int N_UCI = 0;
 
-  PUCCH_sched_t *pucch = calloc(1,sizeof(*pucch));
-  pucch->resource_indicator = -1;
-  pucch->initial_pucch_id = -1;
+  PUCCH_sched_t pucch = {
+    .resource_indicator = -1,
+    .initial_pucch_id = -1
+  };
+  pucch.resource_indicator = -1;
+  pucch.initial_pucch_id = -1;
   uint16_t rnti = mac->crnti;  //FIXME not sure this is valid for all pucch instances
 
   // SR
-  if(trigger_periodic_scheduling_request(mac, pucch, frameP, slotP)) {
+  if (trigger_periodic_scheduling_request(mac, &pucch, frameP, slotP)) {
     O_SR = 1;
     /* sr_payload = 1 means that this is a positive SR, sr_payload = 0 means that it is a negative SR */
-    pucch->sr_payload = nr_ue_get_SR(module_idP,
+    pucch.sr_payload = nr_ue_get_SR(module_idP,
                                      frameP,
                                      slotP);
   }
 
   // CSI
   if (mac->ra.ra_state == RA_SUCCEEDED || get_softmodem_params()->phy_test == 1)
-    O_CSI = nr_get_csi_measurements(mac, frameP, slotP, pucch);
+    O_CSI = nr_get_csi_measurements(mac, frameP, slotP, &pucch);
 
   // ACKNACK
-  O_ACK = get_downlink_ack(mac, frameP, slotP, pucch);
+  O_ACK = get_downlink_ack(mac, frameP, slotP, &pucch);
 
   NR_BWP_Id_t bwp_id = mac->UL_BWP_Id;
   NR_PUCCH_Config_t *pucch_Config = NULL;
@@ -2304,8 +2307,8 @@ void nr_ue_pucch_scheduler(module_id_t module_idP, frame_t frameP, int slotP, in
       pucch_Config->format2 &&
       (pucch_Config->format2->choice.setup->simultaneousHARQ_ACK_CSI == NULL)) {
     O_CSI = 0;
-    pucch->csi_part1_payload = 0;
-    pucch->csi_part2_payload = 0;
+    pucch.csi_part1_payload = 0;
+    pucch.csi_part2_payload = 0;
   }
 
   N_UCI = O_SR + O_ACK + O_CSI;
@@ -2314,13 +2317,13 @@ void nr_ue_pucch_scheduler(module_id_t module_idP, frame_t frameP, int slotP, in
   mac->nr_ue_emul_l1.num_csi_reports = O_CSI;
 
   // do no transmit pucch if only SR scheduled and it is negative
-  if ((O_ACK + O_CSI) == 0 && pucch->sr_payload == 0)
+  if ((O_ACK + O_CSI) == 0 && pucch.sr_payload == 0)
     return;
 
   if (N_UCI > 0) {
     LOG_D(NR_MAC,"%d.%d configure pucch, O_SR %d, O_ACK %d, O_CSI %d\n",frameP,slotP,O_SR,O_ACK,O_CSI);
-    pucch->resource_set_id = find_pucch_resource_set(mac, O_ACK + O_CSI);
-    select_pucch_resource(mac, pucch);
+    pucch.resource_set_id = find_pucch_resource_set(mac, O_ACK + O_CSI);
+    select_pucch_resource(mac, &pucch);
     fapi_nr_ul_config_request_t *ul_config = get_ul_config_request(mac, slotP);
     pthread_mutex_lock(&ul_config->mutex_ul_config);
     AssertFatal(ul_config->number_pdus<FAPI_NR_UL_CONFIG_LIST_NUM, "ul_config->number_pdus %d out of bounds\n",ul_config->number_pdus);
@@ -2333,10 +2336,10 @@ void nr_ue_pucch_scheduler(module_id_t module_idP, frame_t frameP, int slotP, in
     nr_ue_configure_pucch(mac,
                           slotP,
                           rnti,
-                          pucch,
+                          &pucch,
                           pucch_pdu,
                           O_SR, O_ACK, O_CSI);
-    LOG_D(NR_MAC,"Configuring pucch, is_common = %d\n",pucch->is_common);
+    LOG_D(NR_MAC, "Configuring pucch, is_common = %d\n", pucch.is_common);
     nr_scheduled_response_t scheduled_response;
     fill_scheduled_response(&scheduled_response, NULL, ul_config, NULL, module_idP, 0 /*TBR fix*/, frameP, slotP, thread_id);
     if(mac->if_module != NULL && mac->if_module->scheduled_response != NULL)
diff --git a/openair2/NR_UE_PHY_INTERFACE/NR_IF_Module.c b/openair2/NR_UE_PHY_INTERFACE/NR_IF_Module.c
index 2dd7e0cb27..a402e36222 100644
--- a/openair2/NR_UE_PHY_INTERFACE/NR_IF_Module.c
+++ b/openair2/NR_UE_PHY_INTERFACE/NR_IF_Module.c
@@ -640,12 +640,9 @@ static void copy_ul_tti_data_req_to_dl_info(nr_downlink_indication_t *dl_info, n
         if (!put_queue(&nr_ul_tti_req_queue, ul_tti_req))
         {
             LOG_E(NR_PHY, "put_queue failed for ul_tti_req.\n");
-            free(ul_tti_req);
-            ul_tti_req = NULL;
         }
         return;
     }
-    free(ul_tti_req);
 }
 
 static void fill_dci_from_dl_config(nr_downlink_indication_t*dl_ind, fapi_nr_dl_config_request_t *dl_config)
@@ -710,20 +707,29 @@ void check_and_process_dci(nfapi_nr_dl_tti_request_t *dl_tti_request,
         slot = dl_tti_request->Slot;
         LOG_I(NR_PHY, "[%d, %d] dl_tti_request\n", frame, slot);
         copy_dl_tti_req_to_dl_info(&mac->dl_info, dl_tti_request);
+        free_and_zero(dl_tti_request);
     }
     /* This checks if the previously recevied DCI matches our current RNTI
        value. The assumption is that if the DCI matches our RNTI, then the
        incoming tx_data_request is also destined for the current UE. If the
        RAR hasn't been processed yet, we do not want to be filtering the
        tx_data_requests. */
-    if (tx_data_request && (mac->nr_ue_emul_l1.expected_sib ||
-                            mac->nr_ue_emul_l1.expected_rar ||
-                            mac->nr_ue_emul_l1.expected_dci))
+    if (tx_data_request)
     {
-        frame = tx_data_request->SFN;
-        slot = tx_data_request->Slot;
-        LOG_I(NR_PHY, "[%d, %d] PDSCH in tx_request\n", frame, slot);
-        copy_tx_data_req_to_dl_info(&mac->dl_info, tx_data_request);
+        if (mac->nr_ue_emul_l1.expected_sib ||
+            mac->nr_ue_emul_l1.expected_rar ||
+            mac->nr_ue_emul_l1.expected_dci)
+        {
+            frame = tx_data_request->SFN;
+            slot = tx_data_request->Slot;
+            LOG_I(NR_PHY, "[%d, %d] PDSCH in tx_request\n", frame, slot);
+            copy_tx_data_req_to_dl_info(&mac->dl_info, tx_data_request);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            LOG_D(NR_MAC, "Unexpected tx_data_req\n");
+        }
+        free_and_zero(tx_data_request);
     }
     else if (ul_dci_request)
     {
@@ -731,6 +737,7 @@ void check_and_process_dci(nfapi_nr_dl_tti_request_t *dl_tti_request,
         slot = ul_dci_request->Slot;
         LOG_I(NR_PHY, "[%d, %d] ul_dci_request\n", frame, slot);
         copy_ul_dci_data_req_to_dl_info(&mac->dl_info, ul_dci_request);
+        free_and_zero(ul_dci_request);
     }
     else if (ul_tti_request)
     {
@@ -738,6 +745,7 @@ void check_and_process_dci(nfapi_nr_dl_tti_request_t *dl_tti_request,
         slot = ul_tti_request->Slot;
         LOG_D(NR_PHY, "[%d, %d] ul_tti_request\n", frame, slot);
         copy_ul_tti_data_req_to_dl_info(&mac->dl_info, ul_tti_request);
+        free_and_zero(ul_tti_request);
     }
     else
     {
@@ -771,7 +779,7 @@ void check_and_process_dci(nfapi_nr_dl_tti_request_t *dl_tti_request,
                           mac->scc->tdd_UL_DL_ConfigurationCommon :
                           mac->scc_SIB->tdd_UL_DL_ConfigurationCommon,
                           ul_info.slot_tx,
-                          mac->frame_type))
+                          mac->frame_type) && mac->ra.ra_state != RA_SUCCEEDED)
         {
             nr_ue_scheduler(NULL, &ul_info);
             nr_ue_prach_scheduler(ul_info.module_id, ul_info.frame_tx, ul_info.slot_tx, ul_info.thread_id);