diff --git a/executables/nr-softmodem.h b/executables/nr-softmodem.h
index 926b4b1f0f18ab38044728223dc593a717785990..4190a6074bde182afcacec428a31dc4a84f57471 100644
--- a/executables/nr-softmodem.h
+++ b/executables/nr-softmodem.h
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
     {"D" ,                    CONFIG_HLP_DLBM_PHYTEST,0,                u64ptr:&dlsch_slot_bitmap,          defintval:0,                   TYPE_UINT64, 0},        \
     {"U" ,                    CONFIG_HLP_ULBM_PHYTEST,0,                u64ptr:&ulsch_slot_bitmap,          defintval:0,                   TYPE_UINT64, 0},        \
     {"usrp-tx-thread-config", CONFIG_HLP_USRP_THREAD, 0,                iptr:&usrp_tx_thread,               defstrval:0,                   TYPE_INT,    0},        \
-    {"uecap_file",            CONFIG_HLP_UECAP_FILE,  0,                strptr:(char **)&uecap_file,        defstrval:"./",                TYPE_STRING, 0},        \
+    {"uecap_file",            CONFIG_HLP_UECAP_FILE,  0,                strptr:(char **)&uecap_file,        defstrval:"./uecap.xml",       TYPE_STRING, 0},        \
     {"s" ,                    CONFIG_HLP_SNR,         0,                dblptr:&snr_dB,                     defdblval:25,                  TYPE_DOUBLE, 0},        \
   }
 
diff --git a/executables/nr-uesoftmodem.h b/executables/nr-uesoftmodem.h
index b1810a1f4fc71c41c9001643025bb5ddb3cf9b75..95914678e5ba84418d7d65ab1c04510e9b664fc6 100644
--- a/executables/nr-uesoftmodem.h
+++ b/executables/nr-uesoftmodem.h
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
     {"offset-divisor",           CONFIG_HLP_OFFSET_DIV,  0,               uptr:(uint32_t *)&nrUE_params.ofdm_offset_divisor,    defuintval:UINT_MAX,           TYPE_UINT32,  0}, \
     {"nr-dlsch-demod-shift",     CONFIG_HLP_DLSHIFT,     0,               iptr:(int32_t *)&nr_dlsch_demod_shift,    defintval:0,     TYPE_INT,    0}, \
     {"V" ,                       CONFIG_HLP_VCD,         PARAMFLAG_BOOL,  iptr:&vcdflag,                      defintval:0,     TYPE_INT,    0}, \
-    {"uecap_file",               CONFIG_HLP_UECAP_FILE,  0,               strptr:(char **)&uecap_file,        defstrval:"./",  TYPE_STRING, 0}, \
+    {"uecap_file",               CONFIG_HLP_UECAP_FILE,  0,               strptr:(char **)&uecap_file,        defstrval:"./uecap.xml", TYPE_STRING, 0}, \
     {"rrc_config_path",          CONFIG_HLP_RRC_CFG_PATH,0,               strptr:(char **)&rrc_config_path,   defstrval:"./",  TYPE_STRING, 0}, \
     {"ue-idx-standalone",        NULL,                   0,               u16ptr:&ue_idx_standalone,          defuintval:0xFFFF,    TYPE_UINT16,   0} \
 }
diff --git a/openair2/RRC/NR/rrc_gNB_nsa.c b/openair2/RRC/NR/rrc_gNB_nsa.c
index 414d6d809d55035983c8c6b18ac373fe71d60e37..15caff0b4d8d4bfd084f144723ceb8844da495a0 100644
--- a/openair2/RRC/NR/rrc_gNB_nsa.c
+++ b/openair2/RRC/NR/rrc_gNB_nsa.c
@@ -148,17 +148,14 @@ void rrc_add_nsa_user(gNB_RRC_INST *rrc,struct rrc_gNB_ue_context_s *ue_context_
   // In case of phy-test and do-ra mode, read UE capabilities directly from file
   if (get_softmodem_params()->phy_test == 1 || get_softmodem_params()->do_ra == 1) {
     NR_UE_NR_Capability_t* UE_Capability_nr = NULL;
-    char UE_NR_Capability_xer_fname[1024];
     char UE_NR_Capability_xer[65536];
     FILE *f = NULL;
-    if (uecap_file) {
-      sprintf(UE_NR_Capability_xer_fname,"%s",uecap_file);
-      f = fopen(UE_NR_Capability_xer_fname, "r");
-    }
+    if (uecap_file)
+      f = fopen(uecap_file, "r");
     if(f){
       size_t size = fread(UE_NR_Capability_xer, 1, sizeof UE_NR_Capability_xer, f);
       if (size == 0 || size == sizeof UE_NR_Capability_xer)
-        LOG_E(NR_RRC,"UE Capabilities XER file %s is too large (%ld)\n", UE_NR_Capability_xer_fname,size);
+        LOG_E(NR_RRC,"UE Capabilities XER file %s is too large (%ld)\n", uecap_file, size);
       else {
         UE_Capability_nr = CALLOC(1,sizeof(NR_UE_NR_Capability_t));
         asn_dec_rval_t dec_rval = xer_decode(0, &asn_DEF_NR_UE_NR_Capability, (void *)&UE_Capability_nr, UE_NR_Capability_xer, size);
diff --git a/openair2/RRC/NR_UE/rrc_UE.c b/openair2/RRC/NR_UE/rrc_UE.c
index 21ccd4226b621d1c25276a44905b3796548da27c..bc209afd02ecd3c1d85a26aec2493240898baa9e 100644
--- a/openair2/RRC/NR_UE/rrc_UE.c
+++ b/openair2/RRC/NR_UE/rrc_UE.c
@@ -2639,7 +2639,6 @@ nr_rrc_ue_process_ueCapabilityEnquiry(
   asn_dec_rval_t dec_rval;
   NR_UL_DCCH_Message_t ul_dcch_msg;
   NR_UE_CapabilityRAT_Container_t ue_CapabilityRAT_Container;
-  char UE_NR_Capability_xer_fname[1024];
   char UE_NR_Capability_xer[65536];
   size_t size;
   uint8_t buffer[200];
@@ -2662,15 +2661,12 @@ nr_rrc_ue_process_ueCapabilityEnquiry(
   char *file_path = NR_UE_rrc_inst[ctxt_pP->module_id].uecap_file;
 
   FILE *f = NULL;
-  if (file_path) {
-    sprintf(UE_NR_Capability_xer_fname,"%s",file_path);
-    f = fopen(UE_NR_Capability_xer_fname, "r");
-  }
-
+  if (file_path)
+    f = fopen(file_path, "r");
   if(f){
     size = fread(UE_NR_Capability_xer, 1, sizeof UE_NR_Capability_xer, f);
     if (size == 0 || size == sizeof UE_NR_Capability_xer) {
-      LOG_E(NR_RRC,"UE Capabilities XER file %s is too large (%ld)\n", UE_NR_Capability_xer_fname,size);
+      LOG_E(NR_RRC,"UE Capabilities XER file %s is too large (%ld)\n", file_path,size);
       free(UE_Capability_nr);
       return;
     }