What is disclosed is a method of operating a wireless access node which exchanges overhead information with user devices in a series of repeating overhead time cycles each comprising a multi-user message and single-user messages. The method includes transmitting the multi-user messages for receipt and use by all of the user devices and transmitting the single-user messages for receipt and use by individual ones of the user devices. The method includes, in response to the single-user messages, receiving acknowledge messages comprising RF condition indicators for the single-user messages. The method includes, if any of the RF condition indicators are below a performance threshold, then suspending further transmission of the multi-user messages in the series of repeating overhead time cycles, and if none of the RF condition indicators are below the performance threshold, then continuing further transmission of the multi-user messages in the series of repeating overhead time cycles.