Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to assisting communications with low data payloads with relay nodes. An example method generally includes forming a first cluster with a first wireless node and one or more second wireless nodes, wherein each of the second wireless nodes has a low data rate demand relative to a system bandwidth. The method also includes determining to serve as a relay node for the first cluster, generating a first set of packets for uplink transmission to a base station, receiving a second set of packets from the one or more second wireless nodes, combining the first set of packets and the second set of packets into an uplink payload based on the determination, and transmitting, to the base station, the uplink payload based on the determination.