Adaptive transition between an inactive state and an idle state may be provided. An end node device may be configured with an end node device upper threshold. Next, it may be determined that that client devices are inactive preferred. Then the client devices determined to be inactive preferred may be assigned to a Radio Resource Control (RRC) inactive state and to the end node device. One or more of the client devices previously assigned to the RRC inactive state may be assigned to an RRC idle state and to an intermediate device until a number of the client devices assigned to the end node device is less than or equal to the end node device upper threshold.