diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/config.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/config.c
index af75e6afff..1e5a6bed29 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/config.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/config.c
@@ -374,6 +374,12 @@ int rrc_mac_config_req_gNB(module_id_t Mod_idP,
     if (add_ue == 1) {
       UE_id = add_new_nr_ue(Mod_idP,rnti);
       UE_list->secondaryCellGroup[UE_id] = secondaryCellGroup;
+      uint8_t num_preamble = secondaryCellGroup->spCellConfig->reconfigurationWithSync->rach_ConfigDedicated->choice.uplink->cfra->resources.choice.ssb->ssb_ResourceList.list.count;
+      UE_list->preambles[UE_id].num_preambles = num_preamble;
+      UE_list->preambles[UE_id].preamble_list = (uint8_t *) malloc(num_preamble*sizeof(uint8_t));
+      for (int i=0; i<num_preamble; i++) {
+        UE_list->preambles[UE_id].preamble_list[i] = secondaryCellGroup->spCellConfig->reconfigurationWithSync->rach_ConfigDedicated->choice.uplink->cfra->resources.choice.ssb->ssb_ResourceList.list.array[i]->ra_PreambleIndex;
+      }
       LOG_I(PHY,"Added new UE_id %d/%x with initial secondaryCellGroup\n",UE_id,rnti);
     }
     else { // secondaryCellGroup has been updated
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_RA.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_RA.c
index 956ca090e8..74bd5ae6a8 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_RA.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_RA.c
@@ -244,20 +244,35 @@ void nr_initiate_ra_proc(module_id_t module_idP,
 
   uint8_t ul_carrier_id = 0; // 0 for NUL 1 for SUL
   NR_SearchSpace_t *ss;
-
+  int UE_id = 0;
   // ra_rnti from 5.1.3 in 38.321
   uint16_t ra_rnti=1+symbol+(slotP*14)+(freq_index*14*80)+(ul_carrier_id*14*80*8);
 
-
-
   uint16_t msg2_frame, msg2_slot,monitoring_slot_period,monitoring_offset;
   gNB_MAC_INST *nr_mac = RC.nrmac[module_idP];
   NR_UE_list_t *UE_list = &nr_mac->UE_list;
-  NR_CellGroupConfig_t *secondaryCellGroup = UE_list->secondaryCellGroup[0];
+  NR_CellGroupConfig_t *secondaryCellGroup = UE_list->secondaryCellGroup[UE_id];
   NR_COMMON_channels_t *cc = &nr_mac->common_channels[CC_id];
   NR_ServingCellConfigCommon_t *scc = cc->ServingCellConfigCommon;
   NR_RA_t *ra = &cc->ra[0];
 
+  // if the preamble received correspond to one of the listed
+  // the UE sent a RACH either for starting RA procedure or RA procedure failed and UE retries
+  int pr_found=0;
+  for (int i=0;i<UE_list->preambles[UE_id].num_preambles;i++) {
+    if (preamble_index == UE_list->preambles[UE_id].preamble_list[i]) {
+      pr_found=1;
+      break;
+    }
+  }
+  if (pr_found)
+    UE_list->fiveG_connected[UE_id] = false;
+  else {
+    LOG_E(MAC, "[gNB %d][RAPROC] FAILURE: preamble %d does not correspond to any of the ones in rach_ConfigDedicated for UE_id %d\n",
+          module_idP, preamble_index, UE_id);
+    return; // if the PRACH preamble does not correspond to any of the ones sent through RRC abort RA proc
+  }
+
   // This should be handled differently when we use the initialBWP for RA
   ra->bwp_id=1;
   NR_BWP_Downlink_t *bwp=secondaryCellGroup->spCellConfig->spCellConfigDedicated->downlinkBWP_ToAddModList->list.array[ra->bwp_id-1];
@@ -307,7 +322,7 @@ void nr_initiate_ra_proc(module_id_t module_idP,
 
     ra->RA_rnti = ra_rnti;
     ra->preamble_index = preamble_index;
-
+    UE_list->tc_rnti[UE_id] = ra->rnti;
 
     LOG_I(MAC,"[gNB %d][RAPROC] CC_id %d Frame %d Activating Msg2 generation in frame %d, slot %d using RA rnti %x\n",
       module_idP,
@@ -405,6 +420,7 @@ void nr_schedule_reception_msg3(module_id_t module_idP, int CC_id, frame_t frame
       ul_req->pdus_list[ul_req->n_pdus].pdu_size = sizeof(nfapi_nr_pusch_pdu_t);
       ul_req->pdus_list[ul_req->n_pdus].pusch_pdu = ra->pusch_pdu;
       ul_req->n_pdus+=1;
+      ra->state = RA_IDLE;
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_ulsch.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_ulsch.c
index 1a1fda5ec9..03161ea940 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_ulsch.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_ulsch.c
@@ -307,5 +307,20 @@ void nr_rx_sdu(const module_id_t gnb_mod_idP,
       nr_process_mac_pdu(gnb_mod_idP, CC_idP, frameP, sduP, sdu_lenP);
     }
   }
+  else {
+    // random access pusch with TC-RNTI
+    if (sduP != NULL) { // if the CRC passed
+      for (int i = 0; i < MAX_MOBILES_PER_GNB; i++) {
+        if (UE_list->active[i] == TRUE) {
+          if (UE_list->tc_rnti[i] == current_rnti) {
+            // for now the only thing we are doing is set the UE as 5G connected
+            UE_list->fiveG_connected[i] = true;
+            LOG_I(MAC, "[gNB %d][RAPROC] PUSCH with TC_RNTI %x received correctly and UE_id %d is now 5G connected\n",
+                  gnb_mod_idP, current_rnti, i);
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
 }
 
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/nr_mac_gNB.h b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/nr_mac_gNB.h
index 2e5912a9a1..a7a81d729e 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/nr_mac_gNB.h
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/nr_mac_gNB.h
@@ -197,6 +197,11 @@ typedef struct {
   int16_t ta_update;
 } NR_UE_sched_ctrl_t;
 
+typedef struct NR_preamble_ue {
+  uint8_t num_preambles;
+  uint8_t *preamble_list;
+} NR_preamble_ue;
+
 /*! \brief UE list used by gNB to order UEs/CC for scheduling*/
 typedef struct {
   DLSCH_PDU DLSCH_pdu[4][MAX_MOBILES_PER_GNB];
@@ -209,7 +214,10 @@ typedef struct {
   int avail;
   int num_UEs;
   boolean_t active[MAX_MOBILES_PER_GNB];
+  boolean_t fiveG_connected[MAX_MOBILES_PER_GNB];
   rnti_t rnti[MAX_MOBILES_PER_GNB];
+  rnti_t tc_rnti[MAX_MOBILES_PER_GNB];
+  NR_preamble_ue preambles[MAX_MOBILES_PER_GNB];
   NR_CellGroupConfig_t *secondaryCellGroup[MAX_MOBILES_PER_GNB];
 } NR_UE_list_t;