An apparatus of a user equipment, UE (102,802, 1002, 1202), the apparatus comprising: processing circuitry, wherein to configure the UE (102, 802, 1002, 1202) for communication within a dual connectivity, DC, architecture with a Master Node, MN (804, 1006, 1206), and a Secondary Node, SN (806, 1004, 1204), the processing circuitry is configured to: decode connection reconfiguration information received from the MN (804, 1006, 1206), wherein the connection reconfiguration information includes signaling radio bearer type 3, SRB3, configuration information configuring a SRB3 for direct communication between the UE (102, 802, 1002, 1202) and the SN (806, 1004, 1204); encode a radio resource control, RRC, reconfiguration completion message; and cause transmission of the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the SN (806, 1004, 1204) via the SRB3; the apparatus characterized in that the processing circuitry is further configured to: decode a second connection reconfiguration information received from the MN (804, 1006, 1206), wherein the second connection reconfiguration information includes signalling to release the SRB3 wherein the second connection reconfiguration information received from the MN (804, 1006, 1206) includes a radio bearer configuration information element, wherein the radio bearer configuration information element includes a signaling radio bearer release flag for the SRB3; and release a packet data convergence protocol, PDCP, entity of the SRB3, wherein releasing includes clearing any buffered uplink PDCP SDUs. processing circuitry, wherein to configure the UE (102, 802, 1002, 1202) for communication within a dual connectivity, DC, architecture with a Master Node, MN (804, 1006, 1206), and a Secondary Node, SN (806, 1004, 1204), the processing circuitry is configured to: decode connection reconfiguration information received from the MN (804, 1006, 1206), wherein the connection reconfiguration information includes signaling radio bearer type 3, SRB3, configuration information configuring a SRB3 for direct communication between the UE (102, 802, 1002, 1202) and the SN (806, 1004, 1204); encode a radio resource control, RRC, reconfiguration completion message; and cause transmission of the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the SN (806, 1004, 1204) via the SRB3; decode connection reconfiguration information received from the MN (804, 1006, 1206), wherein the connection reconfiguration information includes signaling radio bearer type 3, SRB3, configuration information configuring a SRB3 for direct communication between the UE (102, 802, 1002, 1202) and the SN (806, 1004, 1204); encode a radio resource control, RRC, reconfiguration completion message; and cause transmission of the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the SN (806, 1004, 1204) via the SRB3; the apparatus characterized in that the processing circuitry is further configured to: decode a second connection reconfiguration information received from the MN (804, 1006, 1206), wherein the second connection reconfiguration information includes signalling to release the SRB3 wherein the second connection reconfiguration information received from the MN (804, 1006, 1206) includes a radio bearer configuration information element, wherein the radio bearer configuration information element includes a signaling radio bearer release flag for the SRB3; and release a packet data convergence protocol, PDCP, entity of the SRB3, wherein releasing includes clearing any buffered uplink PDCP SDUs. decode a second connection reconfiguration information received from the MN (804, 1006, 1206), wherein the second connection reconfiguration information includes signalling to release the SRB3 wherein the second connection reconfiguration information received from the MN (804, 1006, 1206) includes a radio bearer configuration information element, wherein the radio bearer configuration information element includes a signaling radio bearer release flag for the SRB3; and release a packet data convergence protocol, PDCP, entity of the SRB3, wherein releasing includes clearing any buffered uplink PDCP SDUs.