Reference signal update timing for uplink signals

Various aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communication. In some aspects, a base station may transmit a message, to a user equipment (UE), instructing the UE to activate or update a reference signal (RS) corresponding to an uplink communication transmitted by the UE. The base station may communicate with the UE, after a time period, using a beam configuration of the base station that corresponds to a beam configuration of the UE for transmitting the RS, the time period being based at least in part on a determination of whether the UE identified the beam configuration of the base station. Numerous other aspects are provided.