Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communication are described. Multiple transmission time intervals (TTIs) may be used for communications between a base station and user equipment (UE), where each TTI may have a data pattern scheduled by a base station. Each TTI may include respective symbol periods designated as reference or data symbol periods. In some examples, the UE may be configured to transmit a sounding reference signal (SRS) in a last symbol period of a TTI, and a base station may dynamically determine a data pattern for the TTI such that a temporally last symbol period is immediately preceded by a reference symbol period (e.g., based on the presence of the SRS). In such cases, the UE may configure a transient time within the preceding reference symbol period to avoid signal degradation of the SRS (or data transmitted within the same TTI).