diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_dlsch.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_dlsch.c
index ef642dd04a..92391ed1d5 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_dlsch.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_dlsch.c
@@ -609,6 +609,7 @@ bool allocate_dl_retransmission(module_id_t module_id,
                                  temp_ps.nrOfSymbols,
                                  temp_ps.N_PRB_DMRS * temp_ps.N_DMRS_SLOT,
                                  retInfo->tb_size,
+                                 1, /* minimum of 1RB: need to find exact TBS, don't preclude any number */
                                  rbSize,
                                  &new_tbs,
                                  &new_rbSize);
@@ -763,8 +764,9 @@ void pf_dl(module_id_t module_id,
     }
   }
 
+  const int min_rbSize = 5;
   /* Loop UE_sched to find max coeff and allocate transmission */
-  while (max_num_ue > 0 && n_rb_sched > 0 && UE_sched.head >= 0) {
+  while (max_num_ue > 0 && n_rb_sched >= min_rbSize && UE_sched.head >= 0) {
 
     /* Find max coeff from UE_sched*/
     int *max = &UE_sched.head; /* assume head is max */
@@ -824,9 +826,6 @@ void pf_dl(module_id_t module_id,
       LOG_D(NR_MAC, "%4d.%2d could not find CCE for DL DCI UE %d/RNTI %04x\n", frame, slot, UE_id, rnti);
       continue;
     }
-    /* reduce max_num_ue once we are sure UE can be allocated, i.e., has CCE */
-    max_num_ue--;
-    if (max_num_ue < 0) return;
 
     /* Find PUCCH occasion: if it fails, undo CCE allocation (undoing PUCCH
     * allocation after CCE alloc fail would be more complex) */
@@ -840,9 +839,14 @@ void pf_dl(module_id_t module_id,
             frame,
             slot);
       mac->pdcch_cand[cid]--;
-      return;
+      continue;
     }
 
+    /* reduce max_num_ue once we are sure UE can be allocated, i.e., has CCE
+     * and PUCCH */
+    max_num_ue--;
+    AssertFatal(max_num_ue >= 0, "Illegal max_num_ue %d\n", max_num_ue);
+
     sched_ctrl->cce_index = CCEIndex;
 
     fill_pdcch_vrb_map(mac,
@@ -885,6 +889,7 @@ void pf_dl(module_id_t module_id,
                   ps->nrOfSymbols,
                   ps->N_PRB_DMRS * ps->N_DMRS_SLOT,
                   sched_ctrl->num_total_bytes + oh,
+                  min_rbSize,
                   max_rbSize,
                   &TBS,
                   &rbSize);
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c
index 8b1b537523..721f67295b 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c
@@ -462,6 +462,7 @@ bool nr_find_nb_rb(uint16_t Qm,
                    uint16_t nb_symb_sch,
                    uint16_t nb_dmrs_prb,
                    uint32_t bytes,
+                   uint16_t nb_rb_min,
                    uint16_t nb_rb_max,
                    uint32_t *tbs,
                    uint16_t *nb_rb)
@@ -477,7 +478,7 @@ bool nr_find_nb_rb(uint16_t Qm,
     return true;
 
   /* is the minimum enough? */
-  *nb_rb = 5;
+  *nb_rb = nb_rb_min;
   *tbs = nr_compute_tbs(Qm, R, *nb_rb, nb_symb_sch, nb_dmrs_prb, 0, 0, nrOfLayers) >> 3;
   if (bytes <= *tbs)
     return true;
@@ -485,7 +486,7 @@ bool nr_find_nb_rb(uint16_t Qm,
   /* perform binary search to allocate all bytes within a TBS up to nb_rb_max
    * RBs */
   int hi = nb_rb_max;
-  int lo = 1;
+  int lo = nb_rb_min;
   for (int p = (hi + lo) / 2; lo + 1 < hi; p = (hi + lo) / 2) {
     const uint32_t TBS = nr_compute_tbs(Qm, R, p, nb_symb_sch, nb_dmrs_prb, 0, 0, nrOfLayers) >> 3;
     if (bytes == TBS) {
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_ulsch.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_ulsch.c
index 3ebaee7762..34d4496eee 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_ulsch.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_ulsch.c
@@ -1014,6 +1014,7 @@ bool allocate_ul_retransmission(module_id_t module_id,
                                  temp_ps.nrOfSymbols,
                                  temp_ps.N_PRB_DMRS * temp_ps.num_dmrs_symb,
                                  retInfo->tb_size,
+                                 1, /* minimum of 1RB: need to find exact TBS, don't preclude any number */
                                  rbSize,
                                  &new_tbs,
                                  &new_rbSize);
@@ -1266,8 +1267,9 @@ void pf_ul(module_id_t module_id,
   }
 
 
+  const int min_rbSize = 5;
   /* Loop UE_sched to find max coeff and allocate transmission */
-  while (UE_sched.head >= 0 && max_num_ue> 0 && n_rb_sched > 0) {
+  while (UE_sched.head >= 0 && max_num_ue> 0 && n_rb_sched >= min_rbSize) {
     /* Find max coeff */
     int *max = &UE_sched.head; /* Find max coeff: assume head is max */
     int *p = &UE_sched.next[*max];
@@ -1313,8 +1315,7 @@ void pf_ul(module_id_t module_id,
 
     /* reduce max_num_ue once we are sure UE can be allocated, i.e., has CCE */
     max_num_ue--;
-    if (max_num_ue < 0)
-      return;
+    AssertFatal(max_num_ue >= 0, "Illegal max_num_ue %d\n", max_num_ue);
 
     NR_CellGroupConfig_t *cg = UE_info->CellGroup[UE_id];
     NR_BWP_UplinkDedicated_t *ubwpd= cg ? cg->spCellConfig->spCellConfigDedicated->uplinkConfig->initialUplinkBWP:NULL;
@@ -1360,6 +1361,7 @@ void pf_ul(module_id_t module_id,
                   ps->nrOfSymbols,
                   ps->N_PRB_DMRS * ps->num_dmrs_symb,
                   B,
+                  min_rbSize,
                   max_rbSize,
                   &TBS,
                   &rbSize);
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/mac_proto.h b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/mac_proto.h
index f8496dd07d..55136b0015 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/mac_proto.h
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/mac_proto.h
@@ -473,6 +473,7 @@ bool nr_find_nb_rb(uint16_t Qm,
                    uint16_t nb_symb_sch,
                    uint16_t nb_dmrs_prb,
                    uint32_t bytes,
+                   uint16_t nb_rb_min,
                    uint16_t nb_rb_max,
                    uint32_t *tbs,
                    uint16_t *nb_rb);