A system and method enable wireless user equipment (UE) to undergo a serving radio network subsystem (SRNS) relocation to a radio network controller (RNC) that does not support a fast dormancy feature while maintaining synchronization with the packet-switched domain of the core network. The UE is made aware of whether the target RNC supports the fast dormancy feature by way of an indication provided to the UE in a reconfiguration message provided by the source RNC, that is, the RNC to which the UE was connected prior to the SRNS relocation. In this way, the UE can behave accordingly whether or not the target RNC supports the fast dormancy feature.