Methods, systems, and devices are described for switching a mode of operations in device to device (D2D) communications. A UE within the coverage area of a base station may communicate directly with other UEs using a centralized transmission resource schedule. Prior to experiencing radio link failure (RLF), the UE may determine that switching parameters have been met and transition to an intermediate mode based on a distributed transmission schedule using a pool of resources established by the base station. In one example, the switching parameters may be received from the base station in a connection response message. In another example, the UE may send a switching request to the base station prior to initiating the transition to the intermediate mode. In some cases, after the transition to the intermediate mode, the UE may experience a radio link failure and transition to a distributed mode using a predetermined pool of resources.