A method of operating a wireless terminal, the method comprising: receiving downlink signaling over a downlink signaling channel from a base station, wherein the downlink signaling includes a discontinuous transmission, DTX, indicator for a first downlink multiple-input-multiple-output, MIMO, layer and a retransmission data indicator for a second downlink MIMO layer; generating soft bits for the second MIMO layer for a transmission time interval, TTI, corresponding to the downlink signaling; decoding the soft bits for the second MIMO layer for the TTI; after decoding the soft bits for the second MIMO layer for the TTI, transmitting an acknowledgement, ACK, message for the second MIMO layer responsive to success decoding the soft bits for the second MIMO layer for the TTI or transmitting a negative acknowledgement, NACK, message for the second MIMO layer responsive to failure decoding the soft bits for the second MIMO layer for the TTI; and transmitting a default response for the first MIMO layer for the TTI, wherein the downlink signaling channel comprises a High Speed Shared Control Channel, HS-SCCH, and wherein the discontinuous transmission, DTX, indicator for a first downlink MIMO layer comprises a unique transport block size code in a transport block size field of the downlink signaling for the second MIMO layer, and wherein the unique transport block size code comprises "111111". receiving downlink signaling over a downlink signaling channel from a base station, wherein the downlink signaling includes a discontinuous transmission, DTX, indicator for a first downlink multiple-input-multiple-output, MIMO, layer and a retransmission data indicator for a second downlink MIMO layer; generating soft bits for the second MIMO layer for a transmission time interval, TTI, corresponding to the downlink signaling; decoding the soft bits for the second MIMO layer for the TTI; after decoding the soft bits for the second MIMO layer for the TTI, transmitting an acknowledgement, ACK, message for the second MIMO layer responsive to success decoding the soft bits for the second MIMO layer for the TTI or transmitting a negative acknowledgement, NACK, message for the second MIMO layer responsive to failure decoding the soft bits for the second MIMO layer for the TTI; and transmitting a default response for the first MIMO layer for the TTI, wherein the downlink signaling channel comprises a High Speed Shared Control Channel, HS-SCCH, and wherein the discontinuous transmission, DTX, indicator for a first downlink MIMO layer comprises a unique transport block size code in a transport block size field of the downlink signaling for the second MIMO layer, and wherein the unique transport block size code comprises "111111". transmitting a default response for the first MIMO layer for the TTI, wherein the downlink signaling channel comprises a High Speed Shared Control Channel, HS-SCCH, and wherein the discontinuous transmission, DTX, indicator for a first downlink MIMO layer comprises a unique transport block size code in a transport block size field of the downlink signaling for the second MIMO layer, and wherein the unique transport block size code comprises "111111".