diff --git a/ompi/mca/btl/tcp/btl_tcp.c b/ompi/mca/btl/tcp/btl_tcp.c
index 251cc33e7e..74b56f7c9e 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/btl/tcp/btl_tcp.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/btl/tcp/btl_tcp.c
@@ -175,19 +175,19 @@ mca_btl_base_descriptor_t* mca_btl_tcp_alloc(
     size_t size,
     uint32_t flags)
 {
-    mca_btl_tcp_frag_t* frag;
+    mca_btl_tcp_frag_t* frag = NULL;
     int rc;
     
     if(size <= btl->btl_eager_limit) { 
         MCA_BTL_TCP_FRAG_ALLOC_EAGER(frag, rc); 
-        frag->segments[0].seg_len = size;
     } else if (size <= btl->btl_max_send_size) { 
         MCA_BTL_TCP_FRAG_ALLOC_MAX(frag, rc); 
-        frag->segments[0].seg_len = size;
-    } else { 
+    }
+    if( OPAL_UNLIKELY(NULL == frag) ) {
         return NULL;
     }
     
+    frag->segments[0].seg_len = size;
     frag->segments[0].seg_addr.pval = frag+1;
 
     frag->base.des_src = frag->segments;
diff --git a/ompi/mca/btl/tcp/btl_tcp_frag.h b/ompi/mca/btl/tcp/btl_tcp_frag.h
index f16a835b60..ded6b459e5 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/btl/tcp/btl_tcp_frag.h
+++ b/ompi/mca/btl/tcp/btl_tcp_frag.h
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
  * Copyright (c) 2004-2005 The Trustees of Indiana University and Indiana
  *                         University Research and Technology
  *                         Corporation.  All rights reserved.
- * Copyright (c) 2004-2006 The University of Tennessee and The University
+ * Copyright (c) 2004-2008 The University of Tennessee and The University
  *                         of Tennessee Research Foundation.  All rights
  *                         reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2004-2005 High Performance Computing Center Stuttgart, 
@@ -82,24 +82,22 @@ OBJ_CLASS_DECLARATION(mca_btl_tcp_frag_user_t);
 
 #define MCA_BTL_TCP_FRAG_ALLOC_EAGER(frag, rc)                             \
 {                                                                          \
-                                                                           \
     ompi_free_list_item_t *item;                                           \
-    OMPI_FREE_LIST_WAIT(&mca_btl_tcp_component.tcp_frag_eager, item, rc);  \
+    OMPI_FREE_LIST_GET(&mca_btl_tcp_component.tcp_frag_eager, item, rc);   \
     frag = (mca_btl_tcp_frag_t*) item;                                     \
 }
 
 #define MCA_BTL_TCP_FRAG_ALLOC_MAX(frag, rc)                               \
 {                                                                          \
-                                                                           \
     ompi_free_list_item_t *item;                                           \
-    OMPI_FREE_LIST_WAIT(&mca_btl_tcp_component.tcp_frag_max, item, rc);    \
+    OMPI_FREE_LIST_GET(&mca_btl_tcp_component.tcp_frag_max, item, rc);     \
     frag = (mca_btl_tcp_frag_t*) item;                                     \
 }
 
 #define MCA_BTL_TCP_FRAG_ALLOC_USER(frag, rc)                              \
 {                                                                          \
     ompi_free_list_item_t *item;                                           \
-    OMPI_FREE_LIST_WAIT(&mca_btl_tcp_component.tcp_frag_user, item, rc);   \
+    OMPI_FREE_LIST_GET(&mca_btl_tcp_component.tcp_frag_user, item, rc);    \
     frag = (mca_btl_tcp_frag_t*) item;                                     \
 }