Methods, apparatuses and computer readable media are described that configure wireless circuitry in a wireless communication device. The wireless communication device establishes a connection via one or more component carriers to a wireless network using wireless circuitry that includes multiple radio frequency receive signal chain. The wireless communication device monitors traffic activity and measures downlink radio frequency receive signal conditions for each component carrier. The wireless communication device reconfigures the wireless circuitry to use a number of RF receive signal chains that matches a maximum supportable modulation and coding scheme (MCS) value for each component carrier to MCS values assigned by the wireless network to the respective component carrier. The wireless communication device reduces the number of RF receive signal chains for a component carrier only when reliable decoding of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) and/or the physical hybrid automatic repeat request indicator channel (PHICH) can be reliably decoded.