diff --git a/openair1/SCHED_NR/phy_procedures_nr_gNB.c b/openair1/SCHED_NR/phy_procedures_nr_gNB.c
index 8da471f4c1..091741deb9 100644
--- a/openair1/SCHED_NR/phy_procedures_nr_gNB.c
+++ b/openair1/SCHED_NR/phy_procedures_nr_gNB.c
@@ -821,10 +821,8 @@ int phy_procedures_gNB_uespec_RX(PHY_VARS_gNB *gNB, int frame_rx, int slot_rx, N
     AssertFatal(ulsch_harq != NULL, "harq_pid %d is not allocated\n", ulsch->harq_pid);
     if ((ulsch->active == true) && (ulsch->frame == frame_rx) && (ulsch->slot == slot_rx) && (ulsch->handled == 0)) {
       LOG_D(PHY, "PUSCH ID %d with RNTI %x detection started in frame %d slot %d\n", ULSCH_id, ulsch->rnti, frame_rx, slot_rx);
-  
-      int num_dmrs = 0;
-      for (int s = 0; s < NR_NUMBER_OF_SYMBOLS_PER_SLOT; s++)
-        num_dmrs += (ulsch_harq->ulsch_pdu.ul_dmrs_symb_pos >> s) & 1;
+      nfapi_nr_pusch_pdu_t *pdu = &ulsch_harq->ulsch_pdu;
+      int num_dmrs = count_bits64_with_mask(pdu->ul_dmrs_symb_pos, 0, NR_NUMBER_OF_SYMBOLS_PER_SLOT);
 
 #ifdef DEBUG_RXDATA
       NR_DL_FRAME_PARMS *frame_parms = &gNB->frame_parms;
@@ -832,7 +830,6 @@ int phy_procedures_gNB_uespec_RX(PHY_VARS_gNB *gNB, int frame_rx, int slot_rx, N
       int slot_offset = frame_parms->get_samples_slot_timestamp(slot_rx, frame_parms, 0);
       slot_offset -= ru->N_TA_offset;
       int32_t sample_offset = gNB->common_vars.debugBuff_sample_offset;
-      nfapi_nr_pusch_pdu_t *pdu = &ulsch_harq->ulsch_pdu;
       int16_t *buf = (int16_t *)&gNB->common_vars.debugBuff[offset];
       buf[0] = (int16_t)ulsch->rnti;
       buf[1] = (int16_t)pdu->rb_size;
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_UE/nr_ue_scheduler.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_UE/nr_ue_scheduler.c
index 2c37b21f5b..1a5b245566 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_UE/nr_ue_scheduler.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_UE/nr_ue_scheduler.c
@@ -797,12 +797,7 @@ int nr_config_pusch_pdu(NR_UE_MAC_INST_t *mac,
 
   int start_symbol = pusch_config_pdu->start_symbol_index;
   int number_of_symbols = pusch_config_pdu->nr_of_symbols;
-  int number_dmrs_symbols = 0;
-  for (int i = start_symbol; i < start_symbol + number_of_symbols; i++) {
-    if ((pusch_config_pdu->ul_dmrs_symb_pos >> i) & 0x01)
-      number_dmrs_symbols += 1;
-  }
-
+  int number_dmrs_symbols = count_bits64_with_mask(pusch_config_pdu->ul_dmrs_symb_pos, start_symbol, number_of_symbols);
   int nb_dmrs_re_per_rb =
       ((pusch_config_pdu->dmrs_config_type == pusch_dmrs_type1) ? 6 : 4) * pusch_config_pdu->num_dmrs_cdm_grps_no_data;
 
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_RA.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_RA.c
index 4a723263dc..78fb84029a 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_RA.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_RA.c
@@ -293,9 +293,7 @@ static void schedule_nr_MsgA_pusch(NR_UplinkConfigCommon_t *uplinkConfigCommon,
   pusch_pdu->mcs_index = msgA_PUSCH_Resource->msgA_MCS_r16;
   pusch_pdu->qam_mod_order = nr_get_Qm_dl(pusch_pdu->mcs_index, pusch_pdu->mcs_table);
 
-  int num_dmrs_symb = 0;
-  for (int i = 10; i < 10 + 3; i++)
-    num_dmrs_symb += (pusch_pdu->ul_dmrs_symb_pos >> i) & 1;
+  int num_dmrs_symb = count_bits64_with_mask(pusch_pdu->ul_dmrs_symb_pos, 10, 3);
   AssertFatal(pusch_pdu->mcs_index <= 28, "Exceeding MCS limit for MsgA PUSCH\n");
   int R = nr_get_code_rate_ul(pusch_pdu->mcs_index, pusch_pdu->mcs_table);
   pusch_pdu->target_code_rate = R;
@@ -825,9 +823,7 @@ static void nr_generate_Msg3_retransmission(module_id_t module_idP,
     uint16_t *vrb_map_UL = &nr_mac->common_channels[CC_id].vrb_map_UL[beam_ul.idx][buffer_index * MAX_BWP_SIZE];
 
     NR_pusch_dmrs_t dmrs_info = get_ul_dmrs_params(scc, ul_bwp, &tda_info, 1);
-    int num_dmrs_symb = 0;
-    for(int i = tda_info.startSymbolIndex; i < tda_info.startSymbolIndex + tda_info.nrOfSymbols; i++)
-      num_dmrs_symb += (dmrs_info.ul_dmrs_symb_pos >> i) & 1;
+    int num_dmrs_symb = count_bits64_with_mask(dmrs_info.ul_dmrs_symb_pos, tda_info.startSymbolIndex, tda_info.nrOfSymbols);
     int TBS = 0, mcsindex = 0, R = 0, Qm = 0;
     while(TBS < 7) {  // TBS for msg3 is 7 bytes (except for RRCResumeRequest1 currently not implemented)
       mcsindex++;
@@ -1162,9 +1158,7 @@ static void nr_add_msg3(module_id_t module_idP, int CC_id, frame_t frameP, slot_
 
   NR_tda_info_t tda_info = get_ul_tda_info(ul_bwp, 0, NR_SearchSpace__searchSpaceType_PR_common, TYPE_TC_RNTI_, ra->Msg3_tda_id);
   NR_pusch_dmrs_t dmrs_info = get_ul_dmrs_params(scc, ul_bwp, &tda_info, 1);
-  int num_dmrs_symb = 0;
-  for(int i = tda_info.startSymbolIndex; i < tda_info.startSymbolIndex + tda_info.nrOfSymbols; i++)
-    num_dmrs_symb += (dmrs_info.ul_dmrs_symb_pos >> i) & 1;
+  int num_dmrs_symb = count_bits64_with_mask(dmrs_info.ul_dmrs_symb_pos, tda_info.startSymbolIndex, tda_info.nrOfSymbols);
   int TBS = 0, mcsindex = 0, R = 0, Qm = 0;
   while(TBS < 7) {  // TBS for msg3 is 7 bytes (except for RRCResumeRequest1 currently not implemented)
     mcsindex++;
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c
index b894587854..341440607a 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_gNB/gNB_scheduler_primitives.c
@@ -762,10 +762,7 @@ NR_pusch_dmrs_t get_ul_dmrs_params(const NR_ServingCellConfigCommon_t *scc,
                                        tda_info->startSymbolIndex,
                                        scc->dmrs_TypeA_Position);
 
-  uint8_t num_dmrs_symb = 0;
-  for(int i = tda_info->startSymbolIndex; i < tda_info->startSymbolIndex + tda_info->nrOfSymbols; i++)
-    num_dmrs_symb += (dmrs.ul_dmrs_symb_pos >> i) & 1;
-  dmrs.num_dmrs_symb = num_dmrs_symb;
+  dmrs.num_dmrs_symb = count_bits64_with_mask(dmrs.ul_dmrs_symb_pos, tda_info->startSymbolIndex, tda_info->nrOfSymbols);
   dmrs.N_PRB_DMRS = dmrs.num_dmrs_cdm_grps_no_data * (dmrs.dmrs_config_type == 0 ? 6 : 4);
   return dmrs;
 }