Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. To reduce peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) associated with transmissions in a wireless communications system, a user equipment (UE) may implement tone reservation techniques. The UE may receive downlink control information from a base station that indicates a set of allocated resources that the UE is to use for the tone reservation. The UE may identify a first set of tones of the set of allocated resources for transmitting a data signal and a second set of tones of the set of allocated resources for transmitting a peak-reduction signal that reduces the peak power of the data signal. The UE may transmit the data signal and the peak-reduction signal based on the received downlink control information.