The present disclosure presents a method and apparatus for improving uplink (UL) performance at a user equipment (UE). For example, the method may include identifying a random access channel (RACH) preamble failure when the UE is communicating with a current serving cell of the UE, increasing transmission power of successive RACH preambles based at least on the identifying, comparing signals received on a downlink at the UE via a first path and a second path from the current serving cell of the UE, and determining that a RACH preamble failure problem exists at the UE based at least on the comparing of the signals received on the downlink and identifying of successive RACH preamble failures. As such, improved performance uplink (UL) performance at a UE may be achieved.