Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. The described techniques provide for detecting when a control link between a user equipment (UE) and a base station is lost and recovering the control link. In one example, a UE may detect that a control link with a base station is lost based on a timer or counter expiring or based on failing to receive signaling from the base station. In another example, a UE may be configured to transmit uplink transmissions to a base station to maintain a control link with the base station, and the base station may detect that a control link with the UE is lost if the base station fails to receive one or more uplink transmissions from the UE. If the control link is lost, the base station and the UE may communicate to re-establish the control link.