diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/nr_pdcp/cucp_cuup_handler.c b/openair2/LAYER2/nr_pdcp/cucp_cuup_handler.c
index 5dcc631776..99c427cc17 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/nr_pdcp/cucp_cuup_handler.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/nr_pdcp/cucp_cuup_handler.c
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ void e1_bearer_context_setup(const e1ap_bearer_setup_req_t *req)
   /* mirror the CU-CP UE ID for CU-UP */
   uint32_t cu_up_ue_id = req->gNB_cu_cp_ue_id;
   f1_ue_data_t ued = {.secondary_ue = req->gNB_cu_cp_ue_id};
-  if (need_ue_id_mgmt) {
+  if (need_ue_id_mgmt && !cu_exists_f1_ue_data(cu_up_ue_id)) {
     bool success = cu_add_f1_ue_data(cu_up_ue_id, &ued);
     DevAssert(success);
     LOG_I(E1AP, "adding UE with CU-CP UE ID %d and CU-UP UE ID %d\n", req->gNB_cu_cp_ue_id, cu_up_ue_id);
@@ -163,8 +163,10 @@ void e1_bearer_context_setup(const e1ap_bearer_setup_req_t *req)
   };
   resp.numPDUSessions = req->numPDUSessions;
   for (int i = 0; i < resp.numPDUSessions; ++i) {
-    pdu_session_setup_t *resp_pdu = resp.pduSession + i;
     const pdu_session_to_setup_t *req_pdu = req->pduSession + i;
+    LOG_I(E1AP, "UE %d: add PDU session ID %ld (%d bearers)\n", cu_up_ue_id, req_pdu->sessionId, req_pdu->numDRB2Setup);
+
+    pdu_session_setup_t *resp_pdu = resp.pduSession + i;
     resp_pdu->id = req_pdu->sessionId;
 
     AssertFatal(req_pdu->numDRB2Setup == 1, "can only handle one DRB per PDU session\n");
diff --git a/openair2/RRC/NR/nr_rrc_defs.h b/openair2/RRC/NR/nr_rrc_defs.h
index 7c02ad4f9f..c30f8856bc 100644
--- a/openair2/RRC/NR/nr_rrc_defs.h
+++ b/openair2/RRC/NR/nr_rrc_defs.h
@@ -255,6 +255,10 @@ typedef struct gNB_RRC_UE_s {
   /* Nas Pdu */
   ngap_pdu_t nas_pdu;
 
+  /* hack, see rrc_gNB_process_NGAP_PDUSESSION_SETUP_REQ() for more info */
+  int max_delays_pdu_session;
+  bool ongoing_pdusession_setup_request;
+
 } gNB_RRC_UE_t;
 
 typedef struct rrc_gNB_ue_context_s {
diff --git a/openair2/RRC/NR/rrc_gNB.c b/openair2/RRC/NR/rrc_gNB.c
index 01db036e22..b5d682fb44 100644
--- a/openair2/RRC/NR/rrc_gNB.c
+++ b/openair2/RRC/NR/rrc_gNB.c
@@ -1666,6 +1666,10 @@ static void handle_rrcReconfigurationComplete(gNB_RRC_INST *rrc, gNB_RRC_UE_t *U
       LOG_E(RRC, "UE %d: Received unexpected transaction type %d for xid %d\n", UE->rrc_ue_id, UE->xids[xid], xid);
       break;
   }
+
+  if (UE->xids[xid] == RRC_PDUSESSION_ESTABLISH)
+    UE->ongoing_pdusession_setup_request = false;
+
   UE->xids[xid] = RRC_ACTION_NONE;
   for (int i = 0; i < NR_RRC_TRANSACTION_IDENTIFIER_NUMBER; ++i) {
     if (UE->xids[i] != RRC_ACTION_NONE) {
@@ -2554,9 +2558,10 @@ void *rrc_gnb_task(void *args_p) {
         break;
 
       case TIMER_HAS_EXPIRED:
-        /* only this one handled for now */
-        DevAssert(TIMER_HAS_EXPIRED(msg_p).timer_id == stats_timer_id);
-        write_rrc_stats(RC.nrrrc[0]);
+        if (TIMER_HAS_EXPIRED(msg_p).timer_id == stats_timer_id)
+          write_rrc_stats(RC.nrrrc[0]);
+        else
+          itti_send_msg_to_task(TASK_RRC_GNB, 0, TIMER_HAS_EXPIRED(msg_p).arg); /* see rrc_gNB_process_NGAP_PDUSESSION_SETUP_REQ() */
         break;
 
       case F1AP_INITIAL_UL_RRC_MESSAGE:
diff --git a/openair2/RRC/NR/rrc_gNB_NGAP.c b/openair2/RRC/NR/rrc_gNB_NGAP.c
index fa6d6e03bc..e8f5fea61e 100644
--- a/openair2/RRC/NR/rrc_gNB_NGAP.c
+++ b/openair2/RRC/NR/rrc_gNB_NGAP.c
@@ -815,6 +815,29 @@ void rrc_gNB_send_NGAP_PDUSESSION_SETUP_RESP(gNB_RRC_INST *rrc, gNB_RRC_UE_t *UE
   return;
 }
 
+/* \brief checks if any transaction is ongoing for any xid of this UE */
+static bool transaction_ongoing(const gNB_RRC_UE_t *UE)
+{
+  for (int xid = 0; xid < NR_RRC_TRANSACTION_IDENTIFIER_NUMBER; ++xid) {
+    if (UE->xids[xid] != RRC_ACTION_NONE)
+      return true;
+  }
+  return false;
+}
+
+/* \brief delays the ongoing transaction (in msg_p) by setting a timer to wait
+ * 10ms; upon expiry, delivers to RRC, which sends the message to itself */
+static void delay_transaction(MessageDef *msg_p, int wait_us)
+{
+  MessageDef *new = itti_alloc_new_message(TASK_RRC_GNB, 0, NGAP_PDUSESSION_SETUP_REQ);
+  ngap_pdusession_setup_req_t *n = &NGAP_PDUSESSION_SETUP_REQ(new);
+  *n = NGAP_PDUSESSION_SETUP_REQ(msg_p);
+
+  int instance = msg_p->ittiMsgHeader.originInstance;
+  long timer_id;
+  timer_setup(0, wait_us, TASK_RRC_GNB, instance, TIMER_ONE_SHOT, new, &timer_id);
+}
+
 /**
  * @brief Fill PDU Session Resource Setup Response with a list of PDU Session Resources Failed to Setup
  *        and send ITTI message to TASK_NGAP
@@ -871,17 +894,52 @@ void rrc_gNB_process_NGAP_PDUSESSION_SETUP_REQ(MessageDef *msg_p, instance_t ins
     return;
   }
 
+  // Reject PDU session if at least one exists already with that ID.
+  // At least one because marking one as existing, and setting up another, that
+  // might be more work than is worth it. See 8.2.1.4 in 38.413
+  for (int i = 0; i < msg->nb_pdusessions_tosetup; ++i) {
+    const pdusession_t *p = &msg->pdusession_setup_params[i];
+    rrc_pdu_session_param_t *exist = find_pduSession(UE, p->pdusession_id, false /* don't create */);
+    if (exist) {
+      LOG_E(NR_RRC, "UE %d: already has existing PDU session %d rejecting PDU Session Resource Setup Request\n", UE->rrc_ue_id, p->pdusession_id);
+      ngap_cause_t cause = {.type = NGAP_CAUSE_RADIO_NETWORK, .value = NGAP_CAUSE_RADIO_NETWORK_MULTIPLE_PDU_SESSION_ID_INSTANCES};
+      send_ngap_pdu_session_setup_resp_fail(instance, msg, cause);
+      rrc_forward_ue_nas_message(rrc, UE);
+      return;
+    }
+  }
+
   UE->amf_ue_ngap_id = msg->amf_ue_ngap_id;
 
+  /* This is a hack. We observed that with some UEs, PDU session requests might
+   * come in quick succession, faster than the RRC reconfiguration for the PDU
+   * session requests can be carried out (UE is doing reconfig, and second PDU
+   * session request arrives). We don't have currently the means to "queue up"
+   * these transactions, which would probably involve some rework of the RRC.
+   * To still allow these requests to come in and succeed, we below check and delay transactions
+   * for 10ms. However, to not accidentally end up in infinite loops, the
+   * maximum number is capped on a per-UE basis as indicated in variable
+   * max_delays_pdu_session. */
+  if (!UE->ongoing_pdusession_setup_request)
+    UE->max_delays_pdu_session = 100;
+
+  if (UE->max_delays_pdu_session > 0 && (transaction_ongoing(UE) || UE->ongoing_pdusession_setup_request)) {
+    int wait_us = 10000;
+    LOG_I(RRC, "UE %d: delay PDU session setup by %d us, pending %d retries\n", UE->rrc_ue_id, wait_us, UE->max_delays_pdu_session);
+    delay_transaction(msg_p, wait_us);
+    UE->max_delays_pdu_session--;
+    return;
+  }
+
   if (!trigger_bearer_setup(rrc, UE, msg->nb_pdusessions_tosetup, msg->pdusession_setup_params, msg->ueAggMaxBitRateDownlink)) {
     // Reject PDU Session Resource setup if there's no CU-UP associated
     LOG_W(NR_RRC, "UE %d: reject PDU Session Setup in PDU Session Resource Setup Response\n", UE->rrc_ue_id);
     ngap_cause_t cause = {.type = NGAP_CAUSE_RADIO_NETWORK, .value = NGAP_CAUSE_RADIO_NETWORK_RESOURCES_NOT_AVAILABLE_FOR_THE_SLICE};
     send_ngap_pdu_session_setup_resp_fail(instance, msg, cause);
     rrc_forward_ue_nas_message(rrc, UE);
+  } else {
+    UE->ongoing_pdusession_setup_request = true;
   }
-
-  return;
 }
 
 static void fill_qos2(NGAP_QosFlowAddOrModifyRequestList_t *qos, pdusession_t *session)
diff --git a/openair2/RRC/NR/rrc_gNB_UE_context.c b/openair2/RRC/NR/rrc_gNB_UE_context.c
index 9b02eaa1f4..b39abd9a30 100644
--- a/openair2/RRC/NR/rrc_gNB_UE_context.c
+++ b/openair2/RRC/NR/rrc_gNB_UE_context.c
@@ -206,6 +206,8 @@ rrc_gNB_ue_context_t *rrc_gNB_create_ue_context(sctp_assoc_t assoc_id,
               ue->rrc_ue_id);
   bool success = cu_add_f1_ue_data(ue->rrc_ue_id, &ue_data);
   DevAssert(success);
+  ue->max_delays_pdu_session = 20; /* see rrc_gNB_process_NGAP_PDUSESSION_SETUP_REQ() */
+  ue->ongoing_pdusession_setup_request = false;
 
   RB_INSERT(rrc_nr_ue_tree_s, &rrc_instance_pP->rrc_ue_head, ue_context_p);
   LOG_UE_EVENT(ue,