Disclosed are methods for aiding a mobile device in the acquisition of positioning reference signals (PRSs) transmitted in a cellular network in support of OTDOA positioning. In one implementation, a mobile device receives an offset parameter from a location server indicative of a difference in timing between transmission of a first PRS positioning occasion for a reference cell and transmission of a second PRS positioning occasion for a neighboring cell that supports multiple PRS configurations, where the second PRS positioning occasion is for a PRS configuration with a longest periodicity. The mobile device may determine an expected timing of PRS positioning occasions for other PRS configurations for the neighboring cell based on the offset parameter and may measure a Reference Signal Time Difference for the neighboring cell using the expected timing.