A user equipment (UE), or other network component can operate to configure channel occupancy time (COT) sharing in random access procedures involving the unlicensed spectrum. At least some of the messages for the procedures can share a COT by configuring one or more gaps or listen-before-talk (LBT) procedures based on the gap or whether the COT sharing is UE or gNB initiated. Some configurations can depend on a location in the random access procedure that COT sharing is acquired.