diff --git a/ci-scripts/docker/Dockerfile.unittest.ubuntu22 b/ci-scripts/docker/Dockerfile.unittest.ubuntu22
index 4401761c02..627b0d07f7 100644
--- a/ci-scripts/docker/Dockerfile.unittest.ubuntu22
+++ b/ci-scripts/docker/Dockerfile.unittest.ubuntu22
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ FROM ran-base:develop AS ran-tests
 RUN apt-get update && \
     DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get upgrade --yes && \
     DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get install --yes \
-        libgtest-dev
+        libgtest-dev \
+        libyaml-cpp-dev
 
 RUN rm -Rf /oai-ran
 WORKDIR /oai-ran
diff --git a/ci-scripts/yaml_files/5g_rfsimulator/docker-compose.yaml b/ci-scripts/yaml_files/5g_rfsimulator/docker-compose.yaml
index 06c945a250..edee7895ca 100644
--- a/ci-scripts/yaml_files/5g_rfsimulator/docker-compose.yaml
+++ b/ci-scripts/yaml_files/5g_rfsimulator/docker-compose.yaml
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ services:
         devices:
              - /dev/net/tun:/dev/net/tun
         volumes:
-            - ../../conf_files/nrue.uicc.conf:/opt/oai-nr-ue/etc/nr-ue.conf
+            - ../../conf_files/nrue.uicc.yaml:/opt/oai-nr-ue/etc/nr-ue.yaml
         healthcheck:
             test: /bin/bash -c "pgrep nr-uesoftmodem"
             interval: 10s
diff --git a/cmake_targets/build_oai b/cmake_targets/build_oai
index cd7e326be8..64ac258239 100755
--- a/cmake_targets/build_oai
+++ b/cmake_targets/build_oai
@@ -497,7 +497,7 @@ function main() {
     # add some default libraries that should always be built
     # for eNB, gNB, UEs, simulators
     if [[ $gNB == 1 || $eNB == 1 || $UE == 1 || $nrUE == 1 || $SIMUS_PHY == 1 || $RU == 1 ]]; then
-      TARGET_LIST="$TARGET_LIST params_libconfig coding rfsimulator dfts"
+      TARGET_LIST="$TARGET_LIST params_libconfig coding rfsimulator dfts params_yaml"
     fi
 
     mkdir -p $DIR/$BUILD_DIR/build
diff --git a/common/config/yaml/CMakeLists.txt b/common/config/yaml/CMakeLists.txt
index 67d90a0099..5ff8c23eb1 100644
--- a/common/config/yaml/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/common/config/yaml/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
-find_package(yaml-cpp REQUIRED)
-
+find_package(yaml-cpp REQUIRED PATHS /usr/lib/aarch64-linux-gnu/pkgconfig/)
 # include(FetchContent)
 
 # FetchContent_Declare(
diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile.base.ubuntu22.cross-arm64 b/docker/Dockerfile.base.ubuntu22.cross-arm64
index 74af391660..1bcba7bdd6 100644
--- a/docker/Dockerfile.base.ubuntu22.cross-arm64
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile.base.ubuntu22.cross-arm64
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ RUN apt-get update && \
       libssl-dev:arm64 \
       libtool:arm64 \
       zlib1g-dev:arm64 \
+      libyaml-cpp-dev:arm64 \
       # cross build libs and compilers
       libc6-dev-i386 \
       gcc-11-aarch64-linux-gnu \
diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile.build.ubuntu22.cross-arm64 b/docker/Dockerfile.build.ubuntu22.cross-arm64
index 349a4f791c..faadf79eb2 100644
--- a/docker/Dockerfile.build.ubuntu22.cross-arm64
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile.build.ubuntu22.cross-arm64
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ RUN /bin/sh oaienv && \
     ninja ldpc_generators generate_T > ../../log/host-tools.txt 2>&1 && \
     echo "====== End of log for host-tools ======" && \
     cd ../build-cross/ && \
+    # install missing libyaml-cpp-dev for arm64
+    apt install -y libyaml-cpp-dev:arm64 && \
     cmake ../../.. -GNinja -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=../../../cmake_targets/cross-arm.cmake -DNATIVE_DIR=../build && \
     echo "====== Start of log for cross-build executables ======" && \
     # making always passing so we can analyze the all.txt file
diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile.nrUE.rhel9 b/docker/Dockerfile.nrUE.rhel9
index 7279809fdb..8ab486bd85 100644
--- a/docker/Dockerfile.nrUE.rhel9
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile.nrUE.rhel9
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ FROM ran-build:latest AS nr-ue-build
 FROM registry.access.redhat.com/ubi9/ubi:latest AS oai-nr-ue
 ENV TZ=Europe/Paris
 
+# Install EPEL for RHEL9
+RUN dnf install -y https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/epel-release-latest-9.noarch.rpm
+
 RUN dnf update -y && \
     dnf install -y \
         lksctp-tools \
@@ -47,7 +50,8 @@ RUN dnf update -y && \
         python3 \
         python3-pip \
         libXpm \
-        libX11 && \
+        libX11 \
+        yaml-cpp-devel && \
     pip3 install six && \
     pip3 install requests && \
     echo "/usr/local/lib" > /etc/ld.so.conf.d/local-lib.conf && \
@@ -70,6 +74,7 @@ COPY --from=nr-ue-build \
     /oai-ran/cmake_targets/ran_build/build/libldpc*.so \
     /oai-ran/cmake_targets/ran_build/build/libtelnetsrv.so \
     /oai-ran/cmake_targets/ran_build/build/libtelnetsrv_5Gue.so \
+    /oai-ran/cmake_targets/ran_build/build/libparams_yaml.so \
     /usr/local/lib/
 
 COPY --from=nr-ue-base \
@@ -117,5 +122,5 @@ RUN /bin/bash -c "ln -s /usr/local/lib/liboai_usrpdevif.so /usr/local/lib/liboai
 
 WORKDIR /opt/oai-nr-ue
 COPY --from=nr-ue-base /tini /tini
-CMD ["/opt/oai-nr-ue/bin/nr-uesoftmodem", "-O", "/opt/oai-nr-ue/etc/nr-ue.conf"]
+CMD ["/opt/oai-nr-ue/bin/nr-uesoftmodem"]
 ENTRYPOINT ["/tini", "-v", "--", "/opt/oai-nr-ue/bin/entrypoint.sh"]
diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile.nrUE.rocky b/docker/Dockerfile.nrUE.rocky
index ec5ecf6a99..d0455527fa 100644
--- a/docker/Dockerfile.nrUE.rocky
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile.nrUE.rocky
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ COPY --from=nr-ue-build \
     /oai-ran/cmake_targets/ran_build/build/libldpc*.so \
     /oai-ran/cmake_targets/ran_build/build/libtelnetsrv.so \
     /oai-ran/cmake_targets/ran_build/build/libtelnetsrv_5Gue.so \
+    /oai-ran/cmake_targets/ran_build/build/libparams_yaml.so \
     /usr/local/lib/
 
 COPY --from=nr-ue-base \
@@ -118,5 +119,5 @@ RUN /bin/bash -c "ln -s /usr/local/lib/liboai_usrpdevif.so /usr/local/lib/liboai
 
 WORKDIR /opt/oai-nr-ue
 COPY --from=nr-ue-base /tini /tini
-CMD ["/opt/oai-nr-ue/bin/nr-uesoftmodem", "-O", "/opt/oai-nr-ue/etc/nr-ue.conf"]
+CMD ["/opt/oai-nr-ue/bin/nr-uesoftmodem"]
 ENTRYPOINT ["/tini", "-v", "--", "/opt/oai-nr-ue/bin/entrypoint.sh"]
diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile.nrUE.ubuntu22 b/docker/Dockerfile.nrUE.ubuntu22
index 74ae9620b0..dc0d425956 100644
--- a/docker/Dockerfile.nrUE.ubuntu22
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile.nrUE.ubuntu22
@@ -64,7 +64,8 @@ RUN apt-get update && \
         iputils-ping \
         iproute2 \
         iperf3 \
-        iperf && \
+        iperf \
+        libyaml-cpp-dev && \
 # if the --sanitize option was used to build, additional packages are required
     /bin/bash -c 'if [[ "$BUILD_OPTION" = "--sanitize" ]]; then DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get install --yes \
         #libasan5 \ # see below
@@ -97,6 +98,7 @@ COPY --from=nr-ue-build \
     /oai-ran/cmake_targets/ran_build/build/libtelnetsrv.so \
     /oai-ran/cmake_targets/ran_build/build/libtelnetsrv_ciUE.so \
     /oai-ran/cmake_targets/ran_build/build/libtelnetsrv_5Gue.so \
+    /oai-ran/cmake_targets/ran_build/build/libparams_yaml.so \
     /usr/local/lib/
 
 # Now we are copying from builder-image the UHD files.
@@ -123,5 +125,5 @@ RUN /bin/bash -c "ln -s /usr/local/lib/liboai_usrpdevif.so /usr/local/lib/liboai
 
 WORKDIR /opt/oai-nr-ue
 COPY --from=nr-ue-base /tini /tini
-CMD ["/opt/oai-nr-ue/bin/nr-uesoftmodem", "-O", "/opt/oai-nr-ue/etc/nr-ue.conf"]
+CMD ["/opt/oai-nr-ue/bin/nr-uesoftmodem"]
 ENTRYPOINT ["/tini", "-v", "--", "/opt/oai-nr-ue/bin/entrypoint.sh"]
diff --git a/docker/scripts/nr_ue_entrypoint.sh b/docker/scripts/nr_ue_entrypoint.sh
index 31382a9b07..26ae6da7f7 100755
--- a/docker/scripts/nr_ue_entrypoint.sh
+++ b/docker/scripts/nr_ue_entrypoint.sh
@@ -9,8 +9,13 @@ echo "=================================="
 echo "/proc/sys/kernel/core_pattern=$(cat /proc/sys/kernel/core_pattern)"
 
 if [ ! -f $CONFIGFILE ]; then
-  echo "No configuration file found: please mount at $CONFIGFILE"
-  exit 255
+  echo "No configuration file $CONFIGFILE found: attempting to find YAML config"
+  YAML_CONFIGFILE=$PREFIX/etc/nr-ue.yaml
+  if [ ! -f $YAML_CONFIGFILE ]; then
+    echo "No configuration file $YAML_CONFIGFILE found. Please mount either at $CONFIGFILE or $YAML_CONFIGFILE"
+    exit 255
+  fi
+  CONFIGFILE=$YAML_CONFIGFILE
 fi
 
 echo "=================================="
@@ -35,6 +40,9 @@ while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
   shift
 done
 
+new_args+=("-O")
+new_args+=("$CONFIGFILE")
+
 # enable printing of stack traces on assert
 export OAI_GDBSTACKS=1