Physical-Layer Cell Identifier (PCID) collisions may occur in a wireless network when two neighboring evolved Node Bs (eNBs) having different Global Cell Identifiers (GCID) select identical PCIDs. Evolved Node Bs may uniquely identify themselves by transmitting on a broadcast channel, such as a Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH), a pattern of bits corresponding to the eNB's GCID. Individual User Equipments (UEs) may recognize the PCID collision by decoding the PBCH payload to identify different GCID-modulated payloads from two eNBs involved in the PCID collision. Alternatively, UEs may detect PCID collisions in the wireless network by monitoring Primary Synchronization Signals (PSS) and Secondary Synchronization Signals (SSS) on the PBCH for identical signals separated by a relatively large time offset. After detecting a PCID collision, the UEs may attempt by best effort to report the PCID collision, may report to a fallback eNB, or the UEs may use special resources on an uplink channel.