Methods, systems, and devices are described for synchronizing a user equipment (UE) in a device-to-device communications network. The UE may scan for a synchronization signal transmitted from another UE in the network. A synchronization frame including a plurality of slots to use may be identified based at least in part on a result of the scanning. The identified synchronization frame may be analyzed to select a slot to use from the plurality of slots of the synchronization frame. A synchronization signal may be transmitted using the identified synchronization frame and the selected slot.