According to an aspect, a wireless terminal performs a method for a random access procedure in a wireless network. The method includes maintaining a preamble transmission attempt counter that tracks the number of random access preamble transmissions that are triggered and/or initiated in the random access procedure, including random access preamble transmissions that are aborted prior to completion of the transmission. The method also includes terminating the random access procedure in response to determining that the preamble transmission attempt counter indicates that a predetermined threshold number of transmission attempts have been made. Reports pertaining to failed preamble transmissions may be sent to the network, which then adjusts a configuration of the wireless terminal. The wireless terminal may also track time during an interval in which a preamble may be used in the random access procedure and terminate the random access procedure in response to determining that the interval has expired.