Systems, methods, and apparatus for handling communications relating to suspending a user equipment in a radio access network (RAN) are disclosed. An example method includes receiving, by a user equipment that is operating in a connected state, a radio resource control (RRC) release message. The user equipment determines, based on an indication in the RRC release message, whether to suspend the user equipment to an inactive state or an idle state, the indication comprising a presence or absence a suspend configuration field in the RRC release message. Responsive to determining that the indication is to suspend to an inactive state, the user equipment transitions to the inactive state.