An apparatus of a user equipment, UE , the apparatus comprising: processing circuitry , wherein to configure the UE for communication within a dual connectivity, DC, architecture with a Master Node, MN , and a Secondary Node, SN , the processing circuitry is configured to: decode connection reconfiguration information received from the MN , wherein the connection reconfiguration information includes signaling radio bearer type 3, SRB3, configuration information configuring a SRB3 for direct communication between the UE and the SN ; encode a radio resource control, RRC, reconfiguration completion message ; and cause transmission of the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the SN 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 , wherein the second connection reconfiguration information includes signalling to release the SRB3 wherein the second connection reconfiguration information received from the MN 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 for communication within a dual connectivity, DC, architecture with a Master Node, MN , and a Secondary Node, SN , the processing circuitry is configured to: decode connection reconfiguration information received from the MN , wherein the connection reconfiguration information includes signaling radio bearer type 3, SRB3, configuration information configuring a SRB3 for direct communication between the UE and the SN ; encode a radio resource control, RRC, reconfiguration completion message ; and cause transmission of the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the SN via the SRB3; decode connection reconfiguration information received from the MN , wherein the connection reconfiguration information includes signaling radio bearer type 3, SRB3, configuration information configuring a SRB3 for direct communication between the UE and the SN ; encode a radio resource control, RRC, reconfiguration completion message ; and cause transmission of the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the SN 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 , wherein the second connection reconfiguration information includes signalling to release the SRB3 wherein the second connection reconfiguration information received from the MN 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 , wherein the second connection reconfiguration information includes signalling to release the SRB3 wherein the second connection reconfiguration information received from the MN 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. <EOS>