Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. A user equipment (UE) may receive a first signal from a base station indicating a set of available control channel monitoring sets to be used for control information. The UE may receive, over a default control channel monitoring set of the available control channel monitoring sets configured for the UE, a second signal from the base station activating at least one additional control channel monitoring set from the set of available control channel monitoring sets, the default control channel monitoring set comprising a subset of the set of available control channel monitoring sets. The UE may receive control information over the default control channel monitoring set and the at least one additional control channel monitoring set at least partially in response to receiving the second signal.