Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for using a message to update a user equipment (UE) radio capability. For example a method of wireless communication by a user equipment (UE) may include generating a tracking area update (TAU) message with an indication of a UE radio capability update, transmitting the TAU message, and detaching and reattaching the UE from a network if a UE capability inquiry is not received from the network or a capability mismatch between the UE and the network is detected.