A method for connection management by a user equipment includes transmitting a re-establishment request for a first connection of a first protocol layer in response to determining that a connection re-establishment condition is met, receiving a re-establishment response indicating if a re-establishment of the first connection of the first protocol layer is allowed, and completing the re-establishment of the first connection of the first protocol layer when the re-establishment of the first connection of the first protocol layer is allowed, wherein a context of a second protocol layer of the user equipment is unchanged.