diff --git a/ompi/mca/pml/ob1/pml_ob1_recvreq.c b/ompi/mca/pml/ob1/pml_ob1_recvreq.c
index 640a1b4130..4e0dfe0bfa 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/pml/ob1/pml_ob1_recvreq.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/pml/ob1/pml_ob1_recvreq.c
@@ -229,9 +229,13 @@ static void mca_pml_ob1_recv_request_ack(
             }
 
         /* start rdma at the current fragment offset - no need to send an ack in this case */
-        } else { 
+        } else if (mca_bml_base_btl_array_get_size(&bml_endpoint->btl_rdma)) { 
             recvreq->req_rdma_offset = recvreq->req_bytes_received;
             return;
+
+        /* don't do rdma */
+        } else {
+            recvreq->req_rdma_offset = recvreq->req_recv.req_bytes_packed;
         }
 
     /* zero byte message */
diff --git a/ompi/mca/pml/ob1/pml_ob1_sendreq.c b/ompi/mca/pml/ob1/pml_ob1_sendreq.c
index b467eac90d..3adac518e1 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/pml/ob1/pml_ob1_sendreq.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/pml/ob1/pml_ob1_sendreq.c
@@ -320,7 +320,9 @@ int mca_pml_ob1_send_request_start_copy(
         /* if the data is already registed or leave_pinned is set - then we
          * will attempt to do an rdma of the entire message.
         */
-        do_rdma = (reg_btl != NULL || mca_pml_ob1.leave_pinned) && 
+        do_rdma = (reg_btl != NULL || 
+                   (mca_pml_ob1.leave_pinned && 
+                    mca_bml_base_btl_array_get_size(&sendreq->bml_endpoint->btl_rdma))) && 
                    ompi_convertor_need_buffers(&sendreq->req_send.req_convertor) == false;
         if(do_rdma == false || (reg_btl != NULL && (reg_btl->btl_flags & MCA_BTL_FLAGS_GET) == 0)) {
             int32_t free_after;