diff --git a/src/mca/ptl/portals/configure.stub b/src/mca/ptl/portals/configure.stub
index 3aafa1a946..00d629dd8f 100644
--- a/src/mca/ptl/portals/configure.stub
+++ b/src/mca/ptl/portals/configure.stub
@@ -155,6 +155,10 @@ AC_DEFUN([MCA_CONFIGURE_STUB],[
                       [PTL_PORTALS_FRAG_TABLE_ID], [1],
                       [Portals table id to use for fragment receive queue])
 
+    MCA_PTL_PORTALS_CONFIG_VAL([retrans-table-id],
+                      [PTL_PORTALS_RETRANS_TABLE_ID], [2],
+                      [Portals table id to use for retransmit request queue])
+
     MCA_PTL_PORTALS_CONFIG_VAL([debug-level],
                       [PTL_PORTALS_DEFAULT_DEBUG_LEVEL], [99],
                       [Default debugging level for portals ptl])
@@ -168,15 +172,15 @@ AC_DEFUN([MCA_CONFIGURE_STUB],[
                       [Default first frag size for portals ptl])
 
     MCA_PTL_PORTALS_CONFIG_VAL([first-frag-num-entries],
-                      [PTL_PORTALS_DEFAULT_FIRST_FRAG_NUM_ENTRIES], [5],
+                      [PTL_PORTALS_DEFAULT_FIRST_FRAG_NUM_ENTRIES], [3],
                       [Default number of memory descriptors for first fragments])
 
     MCA_PTL_PORTALS_CONFIG_VAL([first-frag-entry-size],
-                      [PTL_PORTALS_DEFAULT_FIRST_FRAG_ENTRY_SIZE], [10485760],
+                      [PTL_PORTALS_DEFAULT_FIRST_FRAG_ENTRY_SIZE], [2098152],
                       [Default size of memory associeted with first fag md])
 
-    MCA_PTL_PORTALS_CONFIG_VAL([first-frag-queue-size],
-                      [PTL_PORTALS_DEFAULT_FIRST_FRAG_QUEUE_SIZE], [512],
+    MCA_PTL_PORTALS_CONFIG_VAL([event-queue-size],
+                      [PTL_PORTALS_DEFAULT_EVENT_QUEUE_SIZE], [512],
                       [Default size of event queue for first frag mds])
 
     MCA_PTL_PORTALS_CONFIG_VAL([rndv-frag-min-size],
@@ -184,7 +188,7 @@ AC_DEFUN([MCA_CONFIGURE_STUB],[
                       [Default minimum size of rndv fragments])
 
     MCA_PTL_PORTALS_CONFIG_VAL([rndv-frag-max-size],
-                      [PTL_PORTALS_DEFAULT_RNDV_FRAG_MAX_SIZE], [32768],
+                      [PTL_PORTALS_DEFAULT_RNDV_FRAG_MAX_SIZE], [16384],
                       [Default maximum size of rndv fragments])
 
     MCA_PTL_PORTALS_CONFIG_VAL([free-list-init-num],
diff --git a/src/mca/ptl/portals/src/ptl_portals.c b/src/mca/ptl/portals/src/ptl_portals.c
index 32ec0293de..f77fdc181a 100644
--- a/src/mca/ptl/portals/src/ptl_portals.c
+++ b/src/mca/ptl/portals/src/ptl_portals.c
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ mca_ptl_portals_module_t mca_ptl_portals_module = {
         0,   /* max size of first frag */
         0,   /* min size of frag */
         0,   /* max size of frag */
-        60,   /* exclusivity */
+        60,   /* exclusivity - higher than sm, lower than self */
         0,   /* latency */
         0,   /* bandwidth */
         MCA_PTL_PUT,   /* ptl flags */
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ mca_ptl_portals_module_enable(struct mca_ptl_portals_module_t *ptl,
         /* create an event queue, then the match entries for the match
            entries */
         ret = PtlEQAlloc(ptl->ni_handle,
-                         ptl->first_frag_queue_size,
+                         ptl->event_queue_size,
                          PTL_EQ_HANDLER_NONE,
                          &(ptl->frag_eq_handle));
         if (ret != PTL_OK) {
diff --git a/src/mca/ptl/portals/src/ptl_portals.h b/src/mca/ptl/portals/src/ptl_portals.h
index 00111eb620..e37e358098 100644
--- a/src/mca/ptl/portals/src/ptl_portals.h
+++ b/src/mca/ptl/portals/src/ptl_portals.h
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ struct mca_ptl_portals_module_t {
     /* size of each md for first frags */
     int first_frag_entry_size;
     /* size for event queue */
-    int first_frag_queue_size;
+    int event_queue_size;
 
     /* frag receive event queue */
     ptl_handle_eq_t frag_eq_handle;
diff --git a/src/mca/ptl/portals/src/ptl_portals_component.c b/src/mca/ptl/portals/src/ptl_portals_component.c
index 3bcf6c5a23..5c1ce2f2da 100644
--- a/src/mca/ptl/portals/src/ptl_portals_component.c
+++ b/src/mca/ptl/portals/src/ptl_portals_component.c
@@ -157,9 +157,9 @@ mca_ptl_portals_component_open(void)
     mca_ptl_portals_module.first_frag_entry_size = 
         param_register_int("first_frag_entry_size",
                            PTL_PORTALS_DEFAULT_FIRST_FRAG_ENTRY_SIZE);
-    mca_ptl_portals_module.first_frag_queue_size = 
-        param_register_int("first_frag_queue_size",
-                           PTL_PORTALS_DEFAULT_FIRST_FRAG_QUEUE_SIZE);
+    mca_ptl_portals_module.event_queue_size = 
+        param_register_int("event_queue_size",
+                           PTL_PORTALS_DEFAULT_EVENT_QUEUE_SIZE);
 
     /* finish with objects */
     asprintf(&(portals_output_stream.lds_prefix),