The apparatus of wireless communication may be a UE configured to activate a MAC-CE transmitted over an SL relay after waiting a time period by receiving an activation request for a command in association with a third UE in a first MAC-CE relayed from a second UE, transmitting, to the second UE, a second MAC-CE including an activation response to the third UE in response to the activation request, and activating the command after transmitting the activation response. The UE may wait a time period after transmitting the activation response before activating the command. The UE may receive an HARQ ACK from the third UE in response to the transmitted activation response or an HARQ ACK from the second UE in response to the transmitted activation response, and wait a time period after receiving the HARQ ACK before activating the command.