diff --git a/ompi/mca/mtl/portals4/mtl_portals4_component.c b/ompi/mca/mtl/portals4/mtl_portals4_component.c
index c28623dd37..ae2b5c1072 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/mtl/portals4/mtl_portals4_component.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/mtl/portals4/mtl_portals4_component.c
@@ -386,13 +386,13 @@ ompi_mtl_portals4_component_init(bool enable_progress_threads,
     return &ompi_mtl_portals4.base;
 
  error:
-    if (PTL_OK != PtlHandleIsEqual(ompi_mtl_portals4.long_overflow_me_h, PTL_INVALID_HANDLE)) {
+    if (!PtlHandleIsEqual(ompi_mtl_portals4.long_overflow_me_h, PTL_INVALID_HANDLE)) {
         PtlMEUnlink(ompi_mtl_portals4.long_overflow_me_h);
     }
-    if (PTL_OK != PtlHandleIsEqual(ompi_mtl_portals4.zero_md_h, PTL_INVALID_HANDLE)) {
+    if (!PtlHandleIsEqual(ompi_mtl_portals4.zero_md_h, PTL_INVALID_HANDLE)) {
         PtlMDRelease(ompi_mtl_portals4.zero_md_h);
     }
-    if (PTL_OK != PtlHandleIsEqual(ompi_mtl_portals4.md_h, PTL_INVALID_HANDLE)) {
+    if (!PtlHandleIsEqual(ompi_mtl_portals4.md_h, PTL_INVALID_HANDLE)) {
         PtlMDRelease(ompi_mtl_portals4.md_h);
     }
     if (ompi_mtl_portals4.read_idx != (ptl_pt_index_t) ~0UL) {
@@ -401,10 +401,10 @@ ompi_mtl_portals4_component_init(bool enable_progress_threads,
     if (ompi_mtl_portals4.recv_idx != (ptl_pt_index_t) ~0UL) {
         PtlPTFree(ompi_mtl_portals4.ni_h, ompi_mtl_portals4.recv_idx);
     }
-    if (PTL_OK != PtlHandleIsEqual(ompi_mtl_portals4.send_eq_h, PTL_INVALID_HANDLE)) {
+    if (!PtlHandleIsEqual(ompi_mtl_portals4.send_eq_h, PTL_INVALID_HANDLE)) {
         PtlEQFree(ompi_mtl_portals4.send_eq_h);
     }
-    if (PTL_OK != PtlHandleIsEqual(ompi_mtl_portals4.recv_eq_h, PTL_INVALID_HANDLE)) {
+    if (!PtlHandleIsEqual(ompi_mtl_portals4.recv_eq_h, PTL_INVALID_HANDLE)) {
         PtlEQFree(ompi_mtl_portals4.recv_eq_h);
     }
     return NULL;
diff --git a/ompi/mca/mtl/portals4/mtl_portals4_flowctl.c b/ompi/mca/mtl/portals4/mtl_portals4_flowctl.c
index 30e0e65bf0..805614dde1 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/mtl/portals4/mtl_portals4_flowctl.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/mtl/portals4/mtl_portals4_flowctl.c
@@ -45,8 +45,6 @@ ompi_mtl_portals4_flowctl_init(void)
     ompi_mtl_portals4.flowctl.max_send_slots = (ompi_mtl_portals4.send_queue_size - 3) / 3;
     ompi_mtl_portals4.flowctl.send_slots = ompi_mtl_portals4.flowctl.max_send_slots;
 
-    opal_output(ompi_mtl_base_output, "num send slots: %d", ompi_mtl_portals4.flowctl.max_send_slots);
-
     ompi_mtl_portals4.flowctl.alert_req.type = portals4_req_flowctl;
     ompi_mtl_portals4.flowctl.alert_req.event_callback = flowctl_alert_callback;
 
diff --git a/ompi/mca/mtl/portals4/mtl_portals4_probe.c b/ompi/mca/mtl/portals4/mtl_portals4_probe.c
index 117007664f..443c0543d3 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/mtl/portals4/mtl_portals4_probe.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/mtl/portals4/mtl_portals4_probe.c
@@ -207,6 +207,8 @@ ompi_mtl_portals4_improbe(struct mca_mtl_base_module_t *mtl,
             *message = NULL;
             return OMPI_ERR_OUT_OF_RESOURCE;
         }
+    } else {
+        (*message) = MPI_MESSAGE_NULL;
     }
 
     return OMPI_SUCCESS;
diff --git a/ompi/mca/mtl/portals4/mtl_portals4_recv.c b/ompi/mca/mtl/portals4/mtl_portals4_recv.c
index 7e095d36e5..34b7cf0e03 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/mtl/portals4/mtl_portals4_recv.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/mtl/portals4/mtl_portals4_recv.c
@@ -456,5 +456,7 @@ ompi_mtl_portals4_imrecv(struct mca_mtl_base_module_t* mtl,
                          ptl_request->opcount,
                          (int)length, (unsigned long) ptl_request));
 
+    (*message) = MPI_MESSAGE_NULL;
+
     return ompi_mtl_portals4_recv_progress(&(ptl_message->ev), &ptl_request->super);
 }
diff --git a/ompi/mca/mtl/portals4/mtl_portals4_send.c b/ompi/mca/mtl/portals4/mtl_portals4_send.c
index f79785d5c5..7d69cd782a 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/mtl/portals4/mtl_portals4_send.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/mtl/portals4/mtl_portals4_send.c
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ ompi_mtl_portals4_callback(ptl_event_t *ev,
                              "send %lu hit flow control",
                              ptl_request->opcount));
 
-        if (PTL_OK != PtlHandleIsEqual(ptl_request->me_h, PTL_INVALID_HANDLE)) {
+        if (!PtlHandleIsEqual(ptl_request->me_h, PTL_INVALID_HANDLE)) {
             ret = PtlMEUnlink(ptl_request->me_h);
             if (PTL_OK != ret) {
                 opal_output_verbose(1, ompi_mtl_base_output,
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ ompi_mtl_portals4_callback(ptl_event_t *ev,
     if ((PTL_EVENT_ACK == ev->type) &&
         (PTL_PRIORITY_LIST == ev->ptl_list) &&
         (eager == ompi_mtl_portals4.protocol) &&
-        (!(PTL_OK != PtlHandleIsEqual(ptl_request->me_h, PTL_INVALID_HANDLE)))) {
+        (!PtlHandleIsEqual(ptl_request->me_h, PTL_INVALID_HANDLE))) {
         /* long expected messages with the eager protocol won't see a
            get event to complete the message.  Give them an extra
            count to cause the message to complete with just the SEND
@@ -480,18 +480,18 @@ ompi_mtl_portals4_send(struct mca_mtl_base_module_t* mtl,
 
     ret = ompi_mtl_portals4_send_start(mtl, comm, dest, tag,
                                        convertor, mode, &ptl_request.super);
-    if (OPAL_UNLIKELY(OMPI_SUCCESS != ret)) goto cleanup;
+    if (OPAL_UNLIKELY(OMPI_SUCCESS != ret)) {
+        if (NULL != ptl_request.super.buffer_ptr) {
+            free(ptl_request.super.buffer_ptr);
+        }
+        return ret;
+    }
 
     while (false == ptl_request.complete) {
         ompi_mtl_portals4_progress();
     }
     ret = ptl_request.retval;
 
- cleanup:
-    if (NULL != ptl_request.super.buffer_ptr) {
-        free(ptl_request.super.buffer_ptr);
-    }
-
     return ret;
 }