diff --git a/ompi/runtime/ompi_mpi_init.c b/ompi/runtime/ompi_mpi_init.c
index 5dd1e13f9e..00e450c923 100644
--- a/ompi/runtime/ompi_mpi_init.c
+++ b/ompi/runtime/ompi_mpi_init.c
@@ -401,8 +401,12 @@ int ompi_mpi_init(int argc, char **argv, int requested, int *provided,
         } else if (expected >= OMPI_MPI_STATE_INIT_STARTED) {
             // In some cases (e.g., oshmem_shmem_init()), we may call
             // ompi_mpi_init() multiple times.  In such cases, just
-            // silently return successfully.
+            // silently return successfully once the initializing
+            // thread has completed.
             if (reinit_ok) {
+                while (ompi_mpi_state < OMPI_MPI_STATE_INIT_COMPLETED) {
+                    usleep(1);
+                }
                 return MPI_SUCCESS;
             }
 
diff --git a/oshmem/runtime/oshmem_shmem_init.c b/oshmem/runtime/oshmem_shmem_init.c
index a150fec439..afd09df1c5 100644
--- a/oshmem/runtime/oshmem_shmem_init.c
+++ b/oshmem/runtime/oshmem_shmem_init.c
@@ -148,13 +148,6 @@ int oshmem_shmem_init(int argc, char **argv, int requested, int *provided)
 
     if (!oshmem_shmem_initialized) {
         ret = ompi_mpi_init(argc, argv, requested, provided, true);
-
-        // It's posible that another thread is initializing MPI and
-        // has not completed yet.  Keep checking until it is
-        // completed.
-        while (ompi_mpi_state < OMPI_MPI_STATE_INIT_COMPLETED) {
-            usleep(1);
-        }
         OMPI_TIMING_NEXT("ompi_mpi_init");
 
         if (OSHMEM_SUCCESS != ret) {