diff --git a/src/lte/model/lte-enb-rrc.cc b/src/lte/model/lte-enb-rrc.cc
index b353793d9..3d3edfc90 100644
--- a/src/lte/model/lte-enb-rrc.cc
+++ b/src/lte/model/lte-enb-rrc.cc
@@ -2635,14 +2635,23 @@ void
 LteEnbRrc::DoRecvIdealUeContextRemoveRequest (uint16_t rnti)
 {
   NS_LOG_FUNCTION (this << rnti);
-  // TODO: remove after merge of ho_failure branch
-  // check if the RNTI to be removed is not stale
-  if (HasUeManager (rnti))
+  Ptr<UeManager> ueManager = GetUeManager (rnti);
+
+  if (ueManager->GetState () == UeManager::HANDOVER_JOINING)
     {
-      GetUeManager (rnti)->RecvIdealUeContextRemoveRequest (rnti);
-      // delete the UE context at the eNB
-      RemoveUe (rnti);
+      /**
+       * During the HO, when the RACH failure due to the maximum number of
+       * re-attempts is reached the UE request the target eNB to deletes its
+       * context. Upon which, the target eNB sends handover preparation
+       * failure to the source eNB.
+       */
+      EpcX2Sap::HandoverPreparationFailureParams msg = ueManager->BuildHoPrepFailMsg ();
+      m_x2SapProvider->SendHandoverPreparationFailure (msg);
     }
+
+  GetUeManager (rnti)->RecvIdealUeContextRemoveRequest (rnti);
+  //delete the UE context at the eNB
+  RemoveUe (rnti);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/src/lte/model/lte-ue-rrc.cc b/src/lte/model/lte-ue-rrc.cc
index 53561f5fd..943ddb1ed 100644
--- a/src/lte/model/lte-ue-rrc.cc
+++ b/src/lte/model/lte-ue-rrc.cc
@@ -731,6 +731,16 @@ LteUeRrc::DoNotifyRandomAccessFailed ()
            *       send an RRC Connection Re-establishment and switch to
            *       CONNECTED_REESTABLISHING state.
            */
+        if (!m_leaveConnectedMode)
+          {
+            m_leaveConnectedMode = true;
+            SwitchToState (CONNECTED_PHY_PROBLEM);
+            m_rrcSapUser->SendIdealUeContextRemoveRequest (m_rnti);
+            //we should have called NotifyConnectionFailed
+            //but that method would immediately ask you UE to
+            //connect rather than doing cell selection again.
+            m_asSapUser->NotifyConnectionReleased ();
+          }
         }
         break;