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. <EOS>