Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. In a wireless communications system, multiple transmission/reception points (TRPs) may perform a joint transmission to a user equipment (UE) such that the UE may rely on demodulation reference signals (DMRSs) from the TRPs for channel estimation and data demodulation to receive the joint transmission. When TRP transmissions are punctured, which may introduce reception errors at a receiving UE, one or more TRPs may transmit unique DMRSs such that each TRP transmits a DMRS that is unique to the transmitting TRP, transmit DMRSs that are unique to punctured resource elements (REs), or determine to refrain from transmitting on punctured REs. In some cases, TRPs may transmit preemption indications (PIs) to a UE, where the PIs may indicate punctured (e.g., or not utilized) REs to allow the UE to utilize a unique DMRS for channel estimation or to ignore the punctured REs.