A method for performing a handoff of a mobile terminal to a target base station, wherein the mobile terminal is to be configured, under control of the target base station, for communication with the target base station via a target radio cell comprising a downlink carrier and an uplink carrier, the method comprising the steps of: receiving (7 - Fig. 11) by the mobile terminal a handoff command message for the handoff to the target base station including a handoff execution condition as trigger for executing handoff to the target base station, the handoff command message being generated by the target base station; and determining by the mobile terminal, based on the received handoff execution condition included in the handoff command message, whether or not the mobile terminal is to trigger execution of the handoff to the target base station; wherein, in case the mobile terminal determines that it is to trigger execution of the handoff to the target base station, the mobile terminal executes the handoff to the target base station (a) by performing a random access channel, RACH, procedure (9, 10 - Fig. 11) with the target base station to thereby time align the uplink carrier of the target radio cell, and (b) by transmitting to the target base station a handoff complete message (11 - Fig. 11) thereby indicating completion of the handoff to the target base station including completion of configuration of the mobile terminal for communication with the target base station via the target radio cell; and wherein the handoff execution condition, included in the received handoff command message, corresponds to a counter value for out-of-sync events, where an out of sync event is an event where a channel quality of a source radio cell falls below a pre-configured out-of-sync threshold, Qout; and the determining step further includes determining whether or not the number of out-of-sync events exceeds the received counter value for a predefined period of time, wherein, in case the number of out-of-sync events exceeds the received counter value (N310-alike), for the predefined period of time, the mobile terminal is to trigger execution of the handoff to the target base station. receiving (7 - Fig. 11) by the mobile terminal a handoff command message for the handoff to the target base station including a handoff execution condition as trigger for executing handoff to the target base station, the handoff command message being generated by the target base station; and determining by the mobile terminal, based on the received handoff execution condition included in the handoff command message, whether or not the mobile terminal is to trigger execution of the handoff to the target base station; wherein, in case the mobile terminal determines that it is to trigger execution of the handoff to the target base station, the mobile terminal executes the handoff to the target base station (a) by performing a random access channel, RACH, procedure (9, 10 - Fig. 11) with the target base station to thereby time align the uplink carrier of the target radio cell, and (b) by transmitting to the target base station a handoff complete message (11 - Fig. 11) thereby indicating completion of the handoff to the target base station including completion of configuration of the mobile terminal for communication with the target base station via the target radio cell; and wherein the handoff execution condition, included in the received handoff command message, corresponds to a counter value for out-of-sync events, where an out of sync event is an event where a channel quality of a source radio cell falls below a pre-configured out-of-sync threshold, Qout; and the determining step further includes determining whether or not the number of out-of-sync events exceeds the received counter value for a predefined period of time, wherein, in case the number of out-of-sync events exceeds the received counter value (N310-alike), for the predefined period of time, the mobile terminal is to trigger execution of the handoff to the target base station.