Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. A first base station may identify that the first base station is a secondary node for a user equipment (UE) operating in a dual connectivity deployment, where the UE is in a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state. The first base station may receive, from the UE, a request to resume communications with the first base station and a second base station that is a master node in the dual connectivity deployment. The first base station may verify the UE using an access stratum context associated with the UE, and resume communications with the UE based at least in part on the request and the access stratum context. The first base station may resume communications as a secondary node or as a master node. In some cases, the UE may resume communications without entering an RRC idle state.