diff --git a/orte/mca/rmcast/base/rmcast_base_threads.c b/orte/mca/rmcast/base/rmcast_base_threads.c
index 7485138290..c7c7c0fff1 100644
--- a/orte/mca/rmcast/base/rmcast_base_threads.c
+++ b/orte/mca/rmcast/base/rmcast_base_threads.c
@@ -205,6 +205,13 @@ int orte_rmcast_base_process_msg(opal_buffer_t *msg)
         recv = ptr;
         break;
     }
+
+    if (NULL == recv) {
+        /* recv not found - dump msg */
+        ORTE_RELEASE_THREAD(&orte_rmcast_base.main_ctl);
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
     if (!(ORTE_RMCAST_PERSISTENT & recv->flags)) {
         OPAL_OUTPUT_VERBOSE((2, orte_rmcast_base.rmcast_output,
                              "%s rmcast:base:process_recv removing non-persistent recv",
@@ -213,11 +220,6 @@ int orte_rmcast_base_process_msg(opal_buffer_t *msg)
     }
     ORTE_RELEASE_THREAD(&orte_rmcast_base.main_ctl);
 
-    if (NULL == recv) {
-        /* recv not found - dump msg */
-        goto cleanup;
-    }
-
     OPAL_OUTPUT_VERBOSE((2, orte_rmcast_base.rmcast_output,
                          "%s rmcast:base:process_recv delivering message to channel %d tag %d",
                          ORTE_NAME_PRINT(ORTE_PROC_MY_NAME), recv->channel, (int)tag));