diff --git a/ompi/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_fd.c b/ompi/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_fd.c
index 70a43dd7aa..1ee277c786 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_fd.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_fd.c
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 2008-2009 Cisco Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2009 Sandia National Laboratories. All rights reserved.
  *
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  * 
@@ -670,6 +671,33 @@ int ompi_btl_openib_fd_run_in_main(ompi_btl_openib_fd_main_callback_fn_t *callba
     return OMPI_SUCCESS;
 }
 
+
+int
+ompi_btl_openib_fd_main_thread_drain(void)
+{
+    int nfds, ret;
+    fd_set rfds;
+    struct timeval tv;
+  
+    while (1) {
+        FD_ZERO(&rfds);
+        FD_SET(pipe_to_main_thread[0], &rfds);
+        nfds = pipe_to_main_thread[0] + 1;
+
+        tv.tv_sec = 0;
+        tv.tv_usec = 0;
+
+        ret = select(nfds, &rfds, NULL, NULL, &tv);
+        if (ret > 0) {
+            main_thread_event_callback(pipe_to_main_thread[0], 0, NULL);
+            return 0;
+        } else {
+            return ret;
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+
 /*
  * Finalize
  * Called by main thread
diff --git a/ompi/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_fd.h b/ompi/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_fd.h
index 24c7851b30..b549063a18 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_fd.h
+++ b/ompi/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_fd.h
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 2008 Cisco Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2009 Sandia National Laboratories. All rights reserved.
  *
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  * 
@@ -62,6 +63,13 @@ int ompi_btl_openib_fd_run_in_service(ompi_btl_openib_fd_main_callback_fn_t call
 int ompi_btl_openib_fd_run_in_main(ompi_btl_openib_fd_main_callback_fn_t callback,
                                    void *context);
 
+/**
+ * Drain all pending messages from the main thread's pipe.
+ * Likely only useful during finalize, when the event library
+ * won't fire callbacks.
+ */
+int ompi_btl_openib_fd_main_thread_drain(void);
+
 /**
  * Finalize fd monitoring.
  * Called by the main thread.
diff --git a/ompi/mca/btl/openib/connect/btl_openib_connect_rdmacm.c b/ompi/mca/btl/openib/connect/btl_openib_connect_rdmacm.c
index 749ed2c163..15d4756561 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/btl/openib/connect/btl_openib_connect_rdmacm.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/btl/openib/connect/btl_openib_connect_rdmacm.c
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
  * Copyright (c) 2007-2009 Cisco Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2007-2008 Chelsio, Inc. All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2008      Mellanox Technologies. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2009      Sandia National Laboratories. All rights reserved.
  *
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  *
@@ -977,7 +978,7 @@ static void *call_disconnect_callback(void *v)
     OBJ_RELEASE(context);
 
     /* Tell the main thread that we're done */
-    ++disconnect_callbacks;
+    opal_atomic_add(&disconnect_callbacks, 1);
     OPAL_OUTPUT((-1, "SERVICE Service thread disconnect on ID %p done; count=%d",
                  (void*) tmp, disconnect_callbacks));
     return NULL;
@@ -1020,9 +1021,8 @@ static int rdmacm_endpoint_finalize(struct mca_btl_base_endpoint_t *endpoint)
         rdmacm_contents_t *contents = (rdmacm_contents_t *) item;
 
         if (endpoint == contents->endpoint) {
-            for (item2 = opal_list_remove_first(&(contents->ids));
-                 NULL != item2;
-                 item2 = opal_list_remove_first(&(contents->ids))) {
+            while (NULL != 
+                   (item2 = opal_list_remove_first(&(contents->ids)))) {
                 /* Fun race condition: we cannot call
                    rdma_disconnect() here in the main thread, because
                    if we do, there is a nonzero chance that the
@@ -1039,7 +1039,9 @@ static int rdmacm_endpoint_finalize(struct mca_btl_base_endpoint_t *endpoint)
                 ompi_btl_openib_fd_run_in_service(call_disconnect_callback,
                                                   item2);
             }
-            opal_list_remove_item(&client_list, item);
+	    /* remove_item returns the item before the item removed,
+	       meaning that the for list is still safe */
+            item = opal_list_remove_item(&client_list, item);
             contents->on_client_list = false;
             break;
         }
@@ -1051,6 +1053,7 @@ static int rdmacm_endpoint_finalize(struct mca_btl_base_endpoint_t *endpoint)
 
     /* Now wait for all the disconnect callbacks to occur */
     while (num_to_wait_for != disconnect_callbacks) {
+        ompi_btl_openib_fd_main_thread_drain();
         sched_yield();
     }