diff --git a/opal/mca/btl/ugni/btl_ugni_progress_thread.c b/opal/mca/btl/ugni/btl_ugni_progress_thread.c
index d53d532118..e2d35cc4cc 100644
--- a/opal/mca/btl/ugni/btl_ugni_progress_thread.c
+++ b/opal/mca/btl/ugni/btl_ugni_progress_thread.c
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ static int thread_wakeups = 0;
 
 static void *mca_btl_ugni_prog_thread_fn(void * data)
 {
-    int rc;
+    int rc,ret = OPAL_SUCCESS;
     uint32_t which;
     gni_return_t status;
     gni_cq_handle_t cq_vec[2];
@@ -66,45 +66,65 @@ static void *mca_btl_ugni_prog_thread_fn(void * data)
 
     /* Send a signal to the main thread saying we are done */
     rc = pthread_mutex_lock(&progress_mutex);
-    if (rc != 0) {
-        fprintf(stderr,"Hey pthread_mutex_lock failed\n");
+    if (0 != rc) {
+        BTL_ERROR(("btl/ugni pthread_mutex_lock returned %s ",strerror(rc)));
+        ret = OPAL_ERROR;
+        goto fn_exit;
     }
 
     progress_thread_done = 1;
 
     rc = pthread_mutex_unlock(&progress_mutex);
-    if (rc != 0) {
-        fprintf(stderr,"Hey pthread_mutex_unlock failed\n");
+    if (0 != rc) {
+        BTL_ERROR(("btl/ugni pthread_mutex_unlock returned %s ",strerror(rc)));
+        ret = OPAL_ERROR;
+        goto fn_exit;
     }
-    rc = pthread_cond_signal(&progress_cond);
 
-    return OPAL_SUCCESS;
+    rc = pthread_cond_signal(&progress_cond);
+    if (0 != rc) {
+        BTL_ERROR(("btl/ugni pthread_cond_signal returned %s ",strerror(rc)));
+        ret = OPAL_ERROR;
+    }
+
+   fn_exit:
+    return ret;
 }
 
 int mca_btl_ugni_spawn_progress_thread(struct mca_btl_base_module_t *btl)
 {
-    int rc;
+    int rc, ret=OPAL_SUCCESS;
     pthread_attr_t attr;
 
     pthread_attr_init(&attr);
-    pthread_attr_setdetachstate(&attr, PTHREAD_CREATE_DETACHED);
+    rc = pthread_attr_setdetachstate(&attr, PTHREAD_CREATE_DETACHED);
+    if (0 != rc) {
+        BTL_ERROR(("btl/ugni pthread_attr_setdetachstate returned %s ",strerror(rc)));
+        ret = OPAL_ERROR;
+        goto fn_exit;
+    }
 
     rc = pthread_create(&mca_btl_ugni_progress_thread_id, 
                         &attr, mca_btl_ugni_prog_thread_fn, (void *)btl);
-    if (rc != 0) {
-        fprintf(stderr,"Hey, pthread_create returned with error %d (%s) \n",errno,strerror(errno));
+    if (0 != rc) {
+        BTL_ERROR(("btl/ugni pthread_create returned %s ",strerror(rc)));
+        ret = OPAL_ERROR;
+        goto fn_exit;
     }
 
     rc = pthread_attr_destroy(&attr);
-    if (rc != 0) {
-        fprintf(stderr,"Hey, pthread_attr_destroy returned with error %d (%s) \n",errno,strerror(errno));
+    if (0 != rc) {
+        BTL_ERROR(("btl/ugni pthread_attr_destory returned %s ",strerror(rc)));
+        ret = OPAL_ERROR;
     }
 
-    return OPAL_SUCCESS;
+   fn_exit:
+    return ret;
 }
 
 int mca_btl_ugni_kill_progress_thread(void)
 {
+    int rc, ret=OPAL_SUCCESS;
     gni_return_t status;
     static mca_btl_ugni_base_frag_t cq_write_frag;
 
@@ -131,15 +151,32 @@ int mca_btl_ugni_kill_progress_thread(void)
      */
     if (GNI_RC_SUCCESS != status) {
         BTL_ERROR(("GNI_PostCqWrite returned error - %s",gni_err_str[status]));
+        ret = opal_common_rc_ugni_to_opal(status);
+        goto fn_exit;
     }
 
-    pthread_mutex_lock(&progress_mutex);
+    rc = pthread_mutex_lock(&progress_mutex);
+    if (0 != rc) {
+        BTL_ERROR(("btl/ugni pthread_mutex_lock returned %s ",strerror(rc)));
+        ret = OPAL_ERROR;
+        goto fn_exit;
+    }
 
     while (!progress_thread_done) {
         pthread_cond_wait(&progress_cond, &progress_mutex);
+        if (0 != rc) {
+            BTL_ERROR(("btl/ugni pthread_cond_wait returned %s ",strerror(rc)));
+            ret = OPAL_ERROR;
+            goto fn_exit;
+        }
     }
 
-    pthread_mutex_unlock(&progress_mutex);
+    rc = pthread_mutex_unlock(&progress_mutex);
+    if (0 != rc) {
+        BTL_ERROR(("btl/ugni pthread_mutex_unlock returned %s ",strerror(rc)));
+        ret = OPAL_ERROR;
+        goto fn_exit;
+    }
 
     /*
      * destroy the local_ep
@@ -149,10 +186,12 @@ int mca_btl_ugni_kill_progress_thread(void)
     status =  GNI_EpDestroy (mca_btl_ugni_component.modules[0].local_ep);
     OPAL_THREAD_UNLOCK(&mca_btl_ugni_component.modules[0].device->dev_lock);
     if (OPAL_UNLIKELY(GNI_RC_SUCCESS != status)) {
-        BTL_ERROR(("error destroy local ep endpoint - %s", gni_err_str[status]));
-        return opal_common_rc_ugni_to_opal(status);
+        BTL_ERROR(("GNI_EpDestroy returned error - %s", gni_err_str[status]));
+        ret = opal_common_rc_ugni_to_opal(status);
+        goto fn_exit;
     }
 
-    return OPAL_SUCCESS;
+   fn_exit:
+    return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/opal/mca/btl/ugni/btl_ugni_smsg.c b/opal/mca/btl/ugni/btl_ugni_smsg.c
index b8b6cf84fb..c4bf94f79e 100644
--- a/opal/mca/btl/ugni/btl_ugni_smsg.c
+++ b/opal/mca/btl/ugni/btl_ugni_smsg.c
@@ -27,17 +27,8 @@ static void mca_btl_ugni_smsg_mbox_construct (mca_btl_ugni_smsg_mbox_t *mbox) {
     mbox->attr.smsg_attr.msg_buffer     = base_reg->base;
     mbox->attr.smsg_attr.buff_size      = mca_btl_ugni_component.smsg_mbox_size;
     mbox->attr.smsg_attr.mem_hndl       = ugni_reg->memory_hdl;
-#if 0
-    fprintf(stderr,"ugni_reg->memory_hdl 0x%lx 0x%lx\n",
-                    ugni_reg->memory_hdl.qword1,ugni_reg->memory_hdl.qword2);
-#endif
-
     mbox->attr.proc_id = mca_btl_ugni_proc_name_to_id (OPAL_PROC_MY_NAME);
     mbox->attr.rmt_irq_mem_hndl = mca_btl_ugni_component.modules[0].device->smsg_irq_mhndl;
-#if 0
-    fprintf(stderr,"Invoked mca_btl_ugni_smsg_mbox_construct with mbox->attr.rmt_irq_mem_hndl = 0x%lx 0x%lx\n",
-                    mbox->attr.rmt_irq_mem_hndl.qword1,mbox->attr.rmt_irq_mem_hndl.qword2);
-#endif
 }
 
 OBJ_CLASS_INSTANCE(mca_btl_ugni_smsg_mbox_t, ompi_free_list_item_t,
@@ -91,8 +82,7 @@ int mca_btl_ugni_smsg_process (mca_btl_base_endpoint_t *ep)
         }
 
         if (OPAL_UNLIKELY(GNI_RC_SUCCESS != rc)) {
-            fprintf (stderr, "Unhandled Smsg error: %s\n", gni_err_str[rc]);
-            assert (0);
+            BTL_ERROR(("GNI_SmsgGetNextWTag returned error %s", gni_err_str[rc]));
             return OPAL_ERROR;
         }
 
diff --git a/opal/mca/btl/ugni/btl_ugni_smsg.h b/opal/mca/btl/ugni/btl_ugni_smsg.h
index 1c36638dc5..4298a5083b 100644
--- a/opal/mca/btl/ugni/btl_ugni_smsg.h
+++ b/opal/mca/btl/ugni/btl_ugni_smsg.h
@@ -125,15 +125,10 @@ static inline int opal_mca_btl_ugni_smsg_send (mca_btl_ugni_base_frag_t *frag,
                     cq_write_frag->post_desc.base.remote_mem_hndl = frag->endpoint->rmt_irq_mem_hndl;
                     cq_write_frag->post_desc.tries = 0;
                     cq_write_frag->cbfunc = mca_btl_ugni_cqwrite_complete;
-#if 0
-                fprintf(stderr,"doing a GNI_PostCqWrite to 0x%lx 0x%lx \n",cq_write_frag->post_desc.base.remote_mem_hndl.qword1,
-                                                                           cq_write_frag->post_desc.base.remote_mem_hndl.qword2);
-#endif
                     OPAL_THREAD_LOCK(&frag->endpoint->common->dev->dev_lock);
                     grc = GNI_PostCqWrite(frag->endpoint->rdma_ep_handle, &cq_write_frag->post_desc.base);
                     OPAL_THREAD_UNLOCK(&frag->endpoint->common->dev->dev_lock);
                     if (grc == GNI_RC_ERROR_RESOURCE) {   /* errors for PostCqWrite treated as non-fatal */
-                        fprintf(stderr,"GNI_PostCqWrite returned gni error %s\n",gni_err_str[grc]);
                         mca_btl_ugni_frag_return (cq_write_frag);
                     }
                 }