diff --git a/targets/RT/USER/lte-ue.c b/targets/RT/USER/lte-ue.c
index 7aa2213d949dcc40af02580bdbf2f4e26324c287..973f10373ada60b0c9d482a9f89e6c817e008197 100644
--- a/targets/RT/USER/lte-ue.c
+++ b/targets/RT/USER/lte-ue.c
@@ -1020,6 +1020,10 @@ void *UE_thread(void *arg)
 
   openair0_timestamp timestamp;
 
+#ifdef NAS_UE
+  MessageDef *message_p;
+#endif
+
 #ifdef RTAI
   RT_TASK *task = rt_task_init_schmod(nam2num("UE thread"), 0, 0, 0, SCHED_FIFO, 0xF);
 
@@ -1075,6 +1079,11 @@ void *UE_thread(void *arg)
 
   printf("starting UE thread\n");
 
+#ifdef NAS_UE
+  message_p = itti_alloc_new_message(TASK_NAS_UE, INITIALIZE_MESSAGE);
+  itti_send_msg_to_task (TASK_NAS_UE, INSTANCE_DEFAULT, message_p);
+#endif
+
   T0 = rt_get_time_ns();
   first_rx = 1;
   rxpos=0;