A controller (100) for a wireless communication system determines whether a multiframe control message is imminent, and activates (404, 406) a buffer (112) for storing received frames of a first transmission (202, 204, 206) of the multiframe control message, when the multiframe control message is imminent. The controller receives a retransmission (302, 304, 306) of the multiframe control message, when a received frame of the multiframe control message has an erasure, and reconstructs (500) the multiframe control message from corresponding received frames of both the first transmission and the retransmission.