diff --git a/executables/nr-ue.c b/executables/nr-ue.c
index cc72eed263067d4ad28a3c15b15b77a35c7888a3..7bb508cfba027ece0a1faecda3f813064725324b 100644
--- a/executables/nr-ue.c
+++ b/executables/nr-ue.c
@@ -519,7 +519,7 @@ void processSlotTX(void *arg)
   bool sl_tx_action = false;
 
   if (UE->if_inst)
-    UE->if_inst->slot_indication(UE->Mod_id);
+    UE->if_inst->slot_indication(UE->Mod_id, true);
 
   if (proc->tx_slot_type == NR_UPLINK_SLOT || proc->tx_slot_type == NR_MIXED_SLOT) {
     if (UE->sl_mode == 2 && proc->tx_slot_type == NR_SIDELINK_SLOT) {
@@ -650,6 +650,9 @@ static int UE_dl_preprocessing(PHY_VARS_NR_UE *UE,
     }
   }
 
+  if (UE->if_inst)
+    UE->if_inst->slot_indication(UE->Mod_id, false);
+
   bool dl_slot = false;
   if (proc->rx_slot_type == NR_DOWNLINK_SLOT || proc->rx_slot_type == NR_MIXED_SLOT) {
     dl_slot = true;
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_UE/mac_proto.h b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_UE/mac_proto.h
index 530ff952403629231e29b180eff552b37c5beecb..a2b2e0f777bd67334a33009ea999c7f0bb903d33 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_UE/mac_proto.h
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_UE/mac_proto.h
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@ NR_UE_DL_BWP_t *get_dl_bwp_structure(NR_UE_MAC_INST_t *mac, int bwp_id, bool set
 NR_UE_UL_BWP_t *get_ul_bwp_structure(NR_UE_MAC_INST_t *mac, int bwp_id, bool setup);
 
 void send_srb0_rrc(int ue_id, const uint8_t *sdu, sdu_size_t sdu_len, void *data);
-void update_mac_timers(NR_UE_MAC_INST_t *mac);
+void update_mac_ul_timers(NR_UE_MAC_INST_t *mac);
+void update_mac_dl_timers(NR_UE_MAC_INST_t *mac);
 NR_LC_SCHEDULING_INFO *get_scheduling_info_from_lcid(NR_UE_MAC_INST_t *mac, NR_LogicalChannelIdentity_t lcid);
 
 /**\brief apply default configuration values in nr_mac instance
diff --git a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_UE/nr_ue_scheduler.c b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_UE/nr_ue_scheduler.c
index af7e063481aad0116b3fa806e0d483a809f4d9df..3eb4c4d375194d05688799b55e5bd25fc67e5632 100644
--- a/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_UE/nr_ue_scheduler.c
+++ b/openair2/LAYER2/NR_MAC_UE/nr_ue_scheduler.c
@@ -182,16 +182,23 @@ void handle_time_alignment_timer_expired(NR_UE_MAC_INST_t *mac)
   // TODO not sure what to do here
 }
 
-void update_mac_timers(NR_UE_MAC_INST_t *mac)
+void update_mac_dl_timers(NR_UE_MAC_INST_t *mac)
+{
+  bool ra_window_expired = nr_timer_tick(&mac->ra.response_window_timer);
+  if (ra_window_expired) // consider the Random Access Response reception not successful
+    nr_rar_not_successful(mac);
+  bool alignment_timer_expired = nr_timer_tick(&mac->time_alignment_timer);
+  if (alignment_timer_expired)
+    handle_time_alignment_timer_expired(mac);
+}
+
+void update_mac_ul_timers(NR_UE_MAC_INST_t *mac)
 {
   if (mac->data_inactivity_timer) {
     bool inactivity_timer_expired = nr_timer_tick(mac->data_inactivity_timer);
     if (inactivity_timer_expired)
       nr_mac_rrc_inactivity_timer_ind(mac->ue_id);
   }
-  bool alignment_timer_expired = nr_timer_tick(&mac->time_alignment_timer);
-  if (alignment_timer_expired)
-    handle_time_alignment_timer_expired(mac);
   bool contention_resolution_expired = nr_timer_tick(&mac->ra.contention_resolution_timer);
   if (contention_resolution_expired)
     nr_ra_contention_resolution_failed(mac);
@@ -238,9 +245,6 @@ void update_mac_timers(NR_UE_MAC_INST_t *mac)
       phr_info->phr_reporting |= (1 << phr_cause_periodic_timer);
     }
   }
-  bool ra_window_expired = nr_timer_tick(&mac->ra.response_window_timer);
-  if (ra_window_expired) // consider the Random Access Response reception not successful
-    nr_rar_not_successful(mac);
   bool ra_backoff_expired = nr_timer_tick(&mac->ra.RA_backoff_timer);
   if (ra_backoff_expired) {
     // perform the Random Access Resource selection procedure after the backoff time
diff --git a/openair2/NR_UE_PHY_INTERFACE/NR_IF_Module.c b/openair2/NR_UE_PHY_INTERFACE/NR_IF_Module.c
index d3e7a5a9aa06772a5456fea3231d27fa0b288666..06eb9f865077523142589bf85c5df74905388ff7 100644
--- a/openair2/NR_UE_PHY_INTERFACE/NR_IF_Module.c
+++ b/openair2/NR_UE_PHY_INTERFACE/NR_IF_Module.c
@@ -1329,12 +1329,15 @@ int nr_ue_dl_indication(nr_downlink_indication_t *dl_info)
   return ret2;
 }
 
-void nr_ue_slot_indication(uint8_t mod_id)
+void nr_ue_slot_indication(uint8_t mod_id, bool is_tx)
 {
   NR_UE_MAC_INST_t *mac = get_mac_inst(mod_id);
   int ret = pthread_mutex_lock(&mac->if_mutex);
   AssertFatal(!ret, "mutex failed %d\n", ret);
-  update_mac_timers(mac);
+  if (is_tx)
+    update_mac_ul_timers(mac);
+  else
+    update_mac_dl_timers(mac);
   ret = pthread_mutex_unlock(&mac->if_mutex);
   AssertFatal(!ret, "mutex failed %d\n", ret);
 }
diff --git a/openair2/NR_UE_PHY_INTERFACE/NR_IF_Module.h b/openair2/NR_UE_PHY_INTERFACE/NR_IF_Module.h
index e6a4bfa80b136bfb03e0ac7ad9b14f4b519b71ff..2bbd97db843d2c9cb40824a6ebdd96b5cc008ac2 100644
--- a/openair2/NR_UE_PHY_INTERFACE/NR_IF_Module.h
+++ b/openair2/NR_UE_PHY_INTERFACE/NR_IF_Module.h
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ typedef int (nr_ue_dl_indication_f)(nr_downlink_indication_t *dl_info);
  */
 typedef int (nr_ue_ul_indication_f)(nr_uplink_indication_t *ul_info);
 
-typedef void (nr_ue_slot_indication_f)(uint8_t mod_id);
+typedef void (nr_ue_slot_indication_f)(uint8_t mod_id, bool is_tx);
 
 /*
  * Generic type of an application-defined callback to return various