diff --git a/openair1/SIMULATION/NR_PHY/dlsim.c b/openair1/SIMULATION/NR_PHY/dlsim.c
index 40ad816d2c..454a23770e 100644
--- a/openair1/SIMULATION/NR_PHY/dlsim.c
+++ b/openair1/SIMULATION/NR_PHY/dlsim.c
@@ -198,16 +198,12 @@ void nr_dlsim_preprocessor(gNB_MAC_INST *nr_mac, post_process_pdsch_t *pp_pdsch)
   NR_UE_DL_BWP_t *current_BWP = &UE_info->current_DL_BWP;
   NR_ServingCellConfigCommon_t *scc = nr_mac->common_channels[0].ServingCellConfigCommon;
 
-  uint8_t nr_of_candidates = 0;
+  int nr_of_candidates = 0;
   if (g_mcsIndex < 4) {
-    find_aggregation_candidates(&sched_ctrl->aggregation_level,
-                                &nr_of_candidates,
-                                sched_ctrl->search_space,8);
+    find_aggregation_candidates(&sched_ctrl->aggregation_level, &nr_of_candidates, sched_ctrl->search_space, 8);
   }
   if (nr_of_candidates == 0) {
-    find_aggregation_candidates(&sched_ctrl->aggregation_level,
-                                &nr_of_candidates,
-                                sched_ctrl->search_space,4);
+    find_aggregation_candidates(&sched_ctrl->aggregation_level, &nr_of_candidates, sched_ctrl->search_space, 4);
   }
   uint32_t Y = get_Y(sched_ctrl->search_space, pp_pdsch->slot, UE_info->rnti);
   int CCEIndex = find_pdcch_candidate(nr_mac,
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_COMMON/nr_mac_common.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_COMMON/nr_mac_common.c
index 5f38693218..f111f571ba 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_COMMON/nr_mac_common.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_COMMON/nr_mac_common.c
@@ -1463,14 +1463,11 @@ int get_format0(uint8_t index, uint8_t unpaired, frequency_range_t frequency_ran
   return format;
 }
 
-void find_aggregation_candidates(uint8_t *aggregation_level,
-                                 uint8_t *nr_of_candidates,
-                                 const NR_SearchSpace_t *ss,
-                                 int L)
+void find_aggregation_candidates(int *aggregation_level, int *nr_of_candidates, const NR_SearchSpace_t *ss, int L)
 {
-  AssertFatal(L>=1 && L<=16,"L %d not ok\n", L);
+  AssertFatal(L >= 1 && L <= 16,"L %d not ok\n", L);
   *nr_of_candidates = 0;
-  switch(L) {
+  switch (L) {
     case 1:
       if (ss->nrofCandidates->aggregationLevel1 != NR_SearchSpace__nrofCandidates__aggregationLevel1_n0) {
         *aggregation_level = 1;
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_COMMON/nr_mac_common.h b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_COMMON/nr_mac_common.h
index 728ea74238..51bd9aa948 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_COMMON/nr_mac_common.h
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_COMMON/nr_mac_common.h
@@ -171,10 +171,7 @@ uint16_t get_rb_bwp_dci(nr_dci_format_t format,
                         uint16_t initial_ul_bwp_size,
                         uint16_t initial_dl_bwp_size);
 
-void find_aggregation_candidates(uint8_t *aggregation_level,
-                                 uint8_t *nr_of_candidates,
-                                 const NR_SearchSpace_t *ss,
-                                 int maxL);
+void find_aggregation_candidates(int *aggregation_level, int *nr_of_candidates, const NR_SearchSpace_t *ss, int L);
 
 bool get_nr_prach_sched_from_info(nr_prach_info_t info,
                                   int config_index,
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_UE/nr_ue_dci_configuration.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_UE/nr_ue_dci_configuration.c
index dc82e5d308..0e8651a84d 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_UE/nr_ue_dci_configuration.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_UE/nr_ue_dci_configuration.c
@@ -44,11 +44,8 @@ static void fill_dci_search_candidates(const NR_SearchSpace_t *ss, fapi_nr_dl_co
 
   int i = 0;
   for (int maxL = 16; maxL > 0; maxL >>= 1) {
-    uint8_t aggregation, max_number_of_candidates;
-    find_aggregation_candidates(&aggregation,
-                                &max_number_of_candidates,
-                                ss,
-                                maxL);
+    int aggregation, max_number_of_candidates;
+    find_aggregation_candidates(&aggregation, &max_number_of_candidates, ss, maxL);
     if (max_number_of_candidates == 0)
       continue;
     LOG_T(NR_MAC_DCI, "L %d, max number of candidates %d, aggregation %d\n", maxL, max_number_of_candidates, aggregation);
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_RA.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_RA.c
index 5f80703c21..a5d35e68be 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_RA.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_RA.c
@@ -918,7 +918,7 @@ static void nr_generate_Msg3_retransmission(module_id_t module_idP,
       nr_mac->pdcch_pdu_idx[CC_id][coresetid] = pdcch_pdu_rel15;
     }
 
-    uint8_t aggregation_level;
+    int aggregation_level;
     int CCEIndex = get_cce_index(nr_mac,
                                  CC_id, slot, 0,
                                  &aggregation_level,
@@ -1517,7 +1517,7 @@ static void nr_generate_Msg2(module_id_t module_idP,
     return;
   }
 
-  uint8_t aggregation_level;
+  int aggregation_level;
   int CCEIndex = get_cce_index(nr_mac, CC_id, slotP, 0, &aggregation_level, beam.idx, ss, coreset, &sched_ctrl->sched_pdcch, 0);
 
   if (CCEIndex < 0) {
@@ -1716,7 +1716,7 @@ static void nr_generate_Msg4_MsgB(module_id_t module_idP,
       return;
 
     // get CCEindex, needed also for PUCCH and then later for PDCCH
-    uint8_t aggregation_level;
+    int aggregation_level;
     int CCEIndex = get_cce_index(nr_mac,
                                  CC_id, slotP, 0,
                                  &aggregation_level,
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_bch.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_bch.c
index d4f1d48601..01f349877a 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_bch.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_bch.c
@@ -562,8 +562,7 @@ void schedule_nr_sib1(module_id_t module_idP,
                                                          NULL,
                                                          type0_PDCCH_CSS_config);
 
-
-      uint8_t nr_of_candidates, aggregation_level;
+      int nr_of_candidates, aggregation_level;
       for (int c = 0; c < 3; c++) {
         find_aggregation_candidates(&aggregation_level,
                                     &nr_of_candidates,
@@ -690,8 +689,8 @@ static void other_sib_sched_control(module_id_t module_idP,
 
   NR_pdsch_dmrs_t dmrs_parms = get_dl_dmrs_params(scc, NULL, &tda_info, 1);
 
-  uint8_t aggregation_level = 0;
-  uint8_t nr_of_candidates = 0;
+  int aggregation_level = 0;
+  int nr_of_candidates = 0;
   for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
     find_aggregation_candidates(&aggregation_level, &nr_of_candidates, ss, 16 >> i);
     if (nr_of_candidates > 0)
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c
index 4a7213ab34..86fe6f06eb 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c
@@ -592,7 +592,7 @@ int get_cce_index(const gNB_MAC_INST *nrmac,
                   const int CC_id,
                   const int slot,
                   const rnti_t rnti,
-                  uint8_t *aggregation_level,
+                  int *aggregation_level,
                   int beam_idx,
                   const NR_SearchSpace_t *ss,
                   const NR_ControlResourceSet_t *coreset,
@@ -600,11 +600,9 @@ int get_cce_index(const gNB_MAC_INST *nrmac,
                   float pdcch_cl_adjust)
 {
   const uint32_t Y = get_Y(ss, slot, rnti);
-  uint8_t nr_of_candidates;
-
   int agg_level_search_order[NUM_PDCCH_AGG_LEVELS];
   determine_aggregation_level_search_order(agg_level_search_order, pdcch_cl_adjust);
-
+  int nr_of_candidates;
   for (int i = 0; i < NUM_PDCCH_AGG_LEVELS; i++) {
     find_aggregation_candidates(aggregation_level, &nr_of_candidates, ss, 1 << agg_level_search_order[i]);
     if (nr_of_candidates > 0)
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/mac_proto.h b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/mac_proto.h
index a8d4c76b31..279f8d01b9 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/mac_proto.h
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/mac_proto.h
@@ -420,7 +420,7 @@ int get_cce_index(const gNB_MAC_INST *nrmac,
                   const int CC_id,
                   const int slot,
                   const rnti_t rnti,
-                  uint8_t *aggregation_level,
+                  int *aggregation_level,
                   int beam_idx,
                   const NR_SearchSpace_t *ss,
                   const NR_ControlResourceSet_t *coreset,
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/nr_mac_gNB.h b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/nr_mac_gNB.h
index 5914c74a45..2971d76607 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/nr_mac_gNB.h
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/nr_mac_gNB.h
@@ -620,7 +620,7 @@ typedef struct {
   /// CCE index and Aggr. Level are shared for PUSCH/PDSCH allocation decisions
   /// corresponding to the sched_pusch/sched_pdsch structures below
   int cce_index;
-  uint8_t aggregation_level;
+  int aggregation_level;
   uint32_t dl_cce_fail, ul_cce_fail;
 
   /// Array of PUCCH scheduling information