The present disclosure provides reduced cell-specific reference signal (CRS) transmissions for evolved machine type communication (eMTC). In one aspect, a network entity may determine at least one narrow band for transmission of a CRS. The network entity may further identify one or more resource blocks proximate the at least one narrow band and transmit the CRS on the narrow band and the one or more proximate resource blocks to a UE. In another aspect, a UE may apply a receive window to filter one or more noise samples outside at least one narrow band allocation, the receive window corresponding to one or more resource blocks located outside the defined number of resource blocks of the at least one narrow band allocation. The UE may further receive the CRS within the at least one narrow band allocation from a network entity in response to applying the receive window.