A method of operation by a wireless communication device operating in a wireless communication network, the method comprising: receiving a first indicator or a second indicator singularly, or receiving both indicators jointly, wherein a radio network node in the wireless communication network uses the first and second indicators to indicate what the operational state of a serving cell in the network shall be for the wireless communication device, where the operational state can be any one of an activated state, a deactivated state, and a dormant state; determining the indicated operational state as: for joint reception of the first and second indicators, interpreting the first and second indicators jointly as a combination of values, according to which interpretation a first combination indicates the deactivated state, a second combination indicates the activated state, and a third combination indicates the dormant state; for singular reception of the first indicator, interpreting a first value of the first indicator as indicating the deactivated state, interpreting a second value of the first indicator as indicating no change in the operational state, if a current operational state is the dormant state or the activated state, and interpreting the second value of the first indicator as indicating the activated state, if the current operational state is the deactivated state; and for singular reception of the second indicator, interpreting a first value of the second indicator as indicating the activated state, if a current operational state is the dormant state, interpreting the first value of the second indicator as indicating no change in the operational state, if the current operational state is not the dormant state, and interpreting a second value of the second indicator as indicating the dormant state. receiving a first indicator or a second indicator singularly, or receiving both indicators jointly, wherein a radio network node in the wireless communication network uses the first and second indicators to indicate what the operational state of a serving cell in the network shall be for the wireless communication device, where the operational state can be any one of an activated state, a deactivated state, and a dormant state; determining the indicated operational state as: for joint reception of the first and second indicators, interpreting the first and second indicators jointly as a combination of values, according to which interpretation a first combination indicates the deactivated state, a second combination indicates the activated state, and a third combination indicates the dormant state; for singular reception of the first indicator, interpreting a first value of the first indicator as indicating the deactivated state, interpreting a second value of the first indicator as indicating no change in the operational state, if a current operational state is the dormant state or the activated state, and interpreting the second value of the first indicator as indicating the activated state, if the current operational state is the deactivated state; and for singular reception of the second indicator, interpreting a first value of the second indicator as indicating the activated state, if a current operational state is the dormant state, interpreting the first value of the second indicator as indicating no change in the operational state, if the current operational state is not the dormant state, and interpreting a second value of the second indicator as indicating the dormant state. for joint reception of the first and second indicators, interpreting the first and second indicators jointly as a combination of values, according to which interpretation a first combination indicates the deactivated state, a second combination indicates the activated state, and a third combination indicates the dormant state; for singular reception of the first indicator, interpreting a first value of the first indicator as indicating the deactivated state, interpreting a second value of the first indicator as indicating no change in the operational state, if a current operational state is the dormant state or the activated state, and interpreting the second value of the first indicator as indicating the activated state, if the current operational state is the deactivated state; and for singular reception of the second indicator, interpreting a first value of the second indicator as indicating the activated state, if a current operational state is the dormant state, interpreting the first value of the second indicator as indicating no change in the operational state, if the current operational state is not the dormant state, and interpreting a second value of the second indicator as indicating the dormant state.