diff --git a/ompi/mca/btl/mvapi/btl_mvapi.c b/ompi/mca/btl/mvapi/btl_mvapi.c
index bf0faac00a..e861e136f9 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/btl/mvapi/btl_mvapi.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/btl/mvapi/btl_mvapi.c
@@ -558,7 +558,8 @@ int mca_btl_mvapi_put( mca_btl_base_module_t* btl,
     mca_btl_mvapi_module_t* mvapi_btl = (mca_btl_mvapi_module_t*) btl; 
     mca_btl_mvapi_frag_t* frag = (mca_btl_mvapi_frag_t*) descriptor; 
 
-    assert(endpoint->endpoint_state == MCA_BTL_IB_CONNECTED);
+    assert(endpoint->endpoint_state == MCA_BTL_IB_CONNECTED || 
+            endpoint->endpoint_state == MCA_BTL_IB_WAITING_ACK);
     frag->sr_desc.opcode = VAPI_RDMA_WRITE; 
     /* atomically test and acquire a token */
     if(OPAL_THREAD_ADD32(&endpoint->wr_sq_tokens_lp,-1) < 0) { 
@@ -609,7 +610,8 @@ int mca_btl_mvapi_get( mca_btl_base_module_t* btl,
     mca_btl_mvapi_module_t* mvapi_btl = (mca_btl_mvapi_module_t*) btl; 
     mca_btl_mvapi_frag_t* frag = (mca_btl_mvapi_frag_t*) descriptor; 
     
-    assert(endpoint->endpoint_state == MCA_BTL_IB_CONNECTED);
+    assert(endpoint->endpoint_state == MCA_BTL_IB_CONNECTED ||
+           endpoint->endpoint_state == MCA_BTL_IB_WAITING_ACK);
     frag->sr_desc.opcode = VAPI_RDMA_READ; 
     
     /* atomically test and acquire a token */