A method for wireless communication at a base station, comprising: identifying control information for transmission on a downlink control channel; and identifying a candidate set of decoding candidates to which the control information is able to be mapped, each decoding candidate comprising one or more control channel elements, CCEs, characterized by comprising: selecting, from the candidate set of decoding candidates, an actual set of decoding candidates to which the control information is to actually be mapped, the selecting comprising evaluating decoding candidates by: identifying a decoding candidate of the candidate set to be evaluated; identifying a number of CCEs in the decoding candidate being evaluated; determining an evaluation number of CCEs by adding the number of CCEs in the decoding candidate being evaluated to a number of CCEs already included within the actual set; comparing the evaluation number of CCEs to a threshold; and determining whether to add the decoding candidate being evaluated to the actual set of decoding candidates based at least in part on the comparing; mapping the control information into the actual set of decoding candidates; and transmitting the control information within a search space comprising the actual set of decoding candidates. identifying control information for transmission on a downlink control channel; and identifying a candidate set of decoding candidates to which the control information is able to be mapped, each decoding candidate comprising one or more control channel elements, CCEs, characterized by comprising: selecting, from the candidate set of decoding candidates, an actual set of decoding candidates to which the control information is to actually be mapped, the selecting comprising evaluating decoding candidates by: identifying a decoding candidate of the candidate set to be evaluated; identifying a number of CCEs in the decoding candidate being evaluated; determining an evaluation number of CCEs by adding the number of CCEs in the decoding candidate being evaluated to a number of CCEs already included within the actual set; comparing the evaluation number of CCEs to a threshold; and determining whether to add the decoding candidate being evaluated to the actual set of decoding candidates based at least in part on the comparing; mapping the control information into the actual set of decoding candidates; and transmitting the control information within a search space comprising the actual set of decoding candidates. selecting, from the candidate set of decoding candidates, an actual set of decoding candidates to which the control information is to actually be mapped, the selecting comprising evaluating decoding candidates by: identifying a decoding candidate of the candidate set to be evaluated; identifying a number of CCEs in the decoding candidate being evaluated; determining an evaluation number of CCEs by adding the number of CCEs in the decoding candidate being evaluated to a number of CCEs already included within the actual set; comparing the evaluation number of CCEs to a threshold; and determining whether to add the decoding candidate being evaluated to the actual set of decoding candidates based at least in part on the comparing; identifying a decoding candidate of the candidate set to be evaluated; identifying a number of CCEs in the decoding candidate being evaluated; determining an evaluation number of CCEs by adding the number of CCEs in the decoding candidate being evaluated to a number of CCEs already included within the actual set; comparing the evaluation number of CCEs to a threshold; and determining whether to add the decoding candidate being evaluated to the actual set of decoding candidates based at least in part on the comparing; mapping the control information into the actual set of decoding candidates; and transmitting the control information within a search space comprising the actual set of decoding candidates.