Methods, systems, and devices are described for discontinuous transmission and/or discontinuous reception in time division duplex (TDD) systems that may have data transmission formats dynamically reconfigured. An initial uplink-downlink (UL-DL) configuration for TDD communication between an eNB and user equipment (UE) may be established. This initial UL-DL configuration may be reconfigured to a different UL-DL configuration for one or more UEs in communication with the eNB. When a UE switches to discontinuous reception (DRX) mode, it may monitor control information from the eNB during DRX on periods, a frequency of the DRX on periods based on a reference UL-DL configuration irrespective of any reconfiguration of UL-DL configuration for a particular UE. In some aspects, a UE that is operating in a UL-DL reconfiguration mode may, upon entering DRX mode, autonomously discontinue operating in the UL-DL re-configuration mode.