diff --git a/ompi/mca/mtl/mxm/mtl_mxm_send.c b/ompi/mca/mtl/mxm/mtl_mxm_send.c
index b0635e9c22..cd9f32a52b 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/mtl/mxm/mtl_mxm_send.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/mtl/mxm/mtl_mxm_send.c
@@ -45,10 +45,6 @@ int ompi_mtl_mxm_send(struct mca_mtl_base_module_t* mtl,
     mxm_send_req.base.mq            = ompi_mtl_mxm_mq_lookup(comm);
     mxm_send_req.base.conn          = ompi_mtl_mxm_conn_lookup(comm, dest);
     mxm_send_req.base.flags         = MXM_REQ_FLAG_WAIT;
-    if (mode == MCA_PML_BASE_SEND_SYNCHRONOUS) {
-        mxm_send_req.base.flags |= MXM_REQ_FLAG_SEND_SYNC;
-    }
-
     mxm_send_req.base.data_type     = MXM_REQ_DATA_BUFFER;
     ret = ompi_mtl_datatype_pack(convertor, &mxm_send_req.base.data.buffer.ptr,
                                  &mxm_send_req.base.data.buffer.length,
@@ -60,7 +56,12 @@ int ompi_mtl_mxm_send(struct mca_mtl_base_module_t* mtl,
     mxm_send_req.base.data.buffer.mkey   = MXM_MKEY_NONE;
     mxm_send_req.base.context            = NULL;
     mxm_send_req.base.completed_cb       = NULL;
-    mxm_send_req.opcode                  = MXM_REQ_OP_SEND;
+
+    if (mode == MCA_PML_BASE_SEND_SYNCHRONOUS) {
+        mxm_send_req.opcode              = MXM_REQ_OP_SEND_SYNC;
+    } else {
+        mxm_send_req.opcode              = MXM_REQ_OP_SEND;
+    }
     mxm_send_req.op.send.tag             = tag;
     mxm_send_req.op.send.imm_data        = ompi_comm_rank(comm);
 
@@ -113,13 +114,15 @@ int ompi_mtl_mxm_isend(struct mca_mtl_base_module_t* mtl,
     mxm_send_req->base.data.buffer.mkey    = MXM_MKEY_NONE;
     mxm_send_req->base.context             = mtl_mxm_request;
     mxm_send_req->base.completed_cb        = ompi_mtl_mxm_send_completion_cb;
-    mxm_send_req->opcode                   = MXM_REQ_OP_SEND;
+
+    if (mode == MCA_PML_BASE_SEND_SYNCHRONOUS) {
+        mxm_send_req->opcode               = MXM_REQ_OP_SEND_SYNC;
+    } else {
+        mxm_send_req->opcode               = MXM_REQ_OP_SEND;
+    }
     mxm_send_req->op.send.tag              = tag;
     mxm_send_req->op.send.imm_data         = ompi_comm_rank(comm);
 
-    if (mode == MCA_PML_BASE_SEND_SYNCHRONOUS) {
-        mxm_send_req->base.flags |= MXM_REQ_FLAG_SEND_SYNC;
-    }
 
     /* post-send */
     err = mxm_req_send(mxm_send_req);