Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. A user equipment (UE) and a base station may communicate medium access control (MAC) protocol data units (PDUs). The UE and base station may use a set of decoding conditions, or a decoding configuration, to identify a set of code block groups (CBGs) within a packet that include MAC-control elements (CEs). For example, the decoding configuration may indicate a fixed set of CBGs which contain the MAC-CEs within a MAC PDU. In another example, the configuration may specify a limit on the number and/or size of the MAC-CEs within each MAC PDU packet. In any case, the decoding configuration may provide rules known by both transmitting and receiving devices for identifying and decoding CBGs that include MAC-CEs such that MAC-CE information may be applied by the receiving wireless device.