diff --git a/src/mca/ptl/portals/src/ptl_portals.c b/src/mca/ptl/portals/src/ptl_portals.c
index f77fdc181a..ae6cfccb4c 100644
--- a/src/mca/ptl/portals/src/ptl_portals.c
+++ b/src/mca/ptl/portals/src/ptl_portals.c
@@ -140,14 +140,16 @@ mca_ptl_portals_module_enable(struct mca_ptl_portals_module_t *ptl,
         /* BWB - not really sure how - would have to track a lot more data... */
     } else {
         /* only do all the hard stuff if we haven't created the queue */
-        if (ptl->frag_eq_handle != PTL_EQ_NONE) return OMPI_SUCCESS;
+        if (ptl->frag_eq_handles[MCA_PTL_PORTALS_EQ_FRAGS] != PTL_EQ_NONE) {
+            return OMPI_SUCCESS;
+        }
 
         /* create an event queue, then the match entries for the match
            entries */
         ret = PtlEQAlloc(ptl->ni_handle,
                          ptl->event_queue_size,
                          PTL_EQ_HANDLER_NONE,
-                         &(ptl->frag_eq_handle));
+                         &(ptl->frag_eq_handles[MCA_PTL_PORTALS_EQ_FRAGS]));
         if (ret != PTL_OK) {
             ompi_output(mca_ptl_portals_component.portals_output,
                         "Failed to allocate event queue: %d", ret);
diff --git a/src/mca/ptl/portals/src/ptl_portals.h b/src/mca/ptl/portals/src/ptl_portals.h
index e37e358098..a4f81af6ca 100644
--- a/src/mca/ptl/portals/src/ptl_portals.h
+++ b/src/mca/ptl/portals/src/ptl_portals.h
@@ -81,6 +81,9 @@ struct mca_ptl_portals_component_t {
 typedef struct mca_ptl_portals_component_t mca_ptl_portals_component_t;
 
 
+#define MCA_PTL_PORTALS_EQ_FRAGS 0
+#define MCA_PTL_PORTALS_EQ_SIZE  1
+
 struct mca_ptl_portals_module_t {
     /* base PTL module interface */
     mca_ptl_base_module_t super;
@@ -93,7 +96,7 @@ struct mca_ptl_portals_module_t {
     int event_queue_size;
 
     /* frag receive event queue */
-    ptl_handle_eq_t frag_eq_handle;
+    ptl_handle_eq_t frag_eq_handles[MCA_PTL_PORTALS_EQ_SIZE];
 
     /* our portals network interface */
     ptl_handle_ni_t ni_handle;
@@ -108,7 +111,6 @@ typedef struct mca_ptl_portals_module_t mca_ptl_portals_module_t;
 struct mca_ptl_portals_recv_frag_t;
 struct mca_ptl_portals_send_frag_t;
 
-
 /*
  * Component functions (ptl_portals_component.c)
  */
diff --git a/src/mca/ptl/portals/src/ptl_portals_component.c b/src/mca/ptl/portals/src/ptl_portals_component.c
index 5c1ce2f2da..73460933ec 100644
--- a/src/mca/ptl/portals/src/ptl_portals_component.c
+++ b/src/mca/ptl/portals/src/ptl_portals_component.c
@@ -105,6 +105,8 @@ param_register_int(const char* param_name,
 int
 mca_ptl_portals_component_open(void)
 {
+    int i;
+
     /* initialize state */
     mca_ptl_portals_component.portals_num_modules = 0;
     mca_ptl_portals_component.portals_modules = NULL;
@@ -169,7 +171,10 @@ mca_ptl_portals_component_open(void)
         ompi_output_open(&portals_output_stream);
 
     /* fill in remaining defaults for module data */
-    mca_ptl_portals_module.frag_eq_handle = PTL_EQ_NONE;
+    for (i = 0 ; i < MCA_PTL_PORTALS_EQ_SIZE ; ++i) {
+        mca_ptl_portals_module.frag_eq_handles[i] = PTL_EQ_NONE;
+    }
+
     mca_ptl_portals_module.ni_handle = PTL_INVALID_HANDLE;
     mca_ptl_portals_module.dropped = 0;
 
@@ -303,7 +308,8 @@ mca_ptl_portals_component_progress(mca_ptl_tstamp_t tstamp)
         int which;
         int ret;
 
-        if (module->frag_eq_handle == PTL_EQ_NONE) continue;
+        if (module->frag_eq_handles[MCA_PTL_PORTALS_EQ_SIZE - 1] == 
+            PTL_EQ_NONE) continue; /* they are all initialized at once */
 
 #if OMPI_ENABLE_DEBUG
         /* BWB - this is going to kill performance */
@@ -318,8 +324,8 @@ mca_ptl_portals_component_progress(mca_ptl_tstamp_t tstamp)
         }
 #endif
 
-        ret = PtlEQPoll(&(module->frag_eq_handle),
-                        1, /* number of eq handles */
+        ret = PtlEQPoll(module->frag_eq_handles,
+                        MCA_PTL_PORTALS_EQ_SIZE, /* number of eq handles */
                         (int) tstamp,
                         &ev,
                         &which);
@@ -337,7 +343,7 @@ mca_ptl_portals_component_progress(mca_ptl_tstamp_t tstamp)
         }
 
         /* only one place we can have an event */
-        assert(which == 0);
+        assert(which == MCA_PTL_PORTALS_EQ_FRAGS);
 
 #if PTL_PORTALS_HAVE_EVENT_UNLINK
         /* not everyone has UNLINK.  Use it only to print the event,
diff --git a/src/mca/ptl/portals/src/ptl_portals_recv.c b/src/mca/ptl/portals/src/ptl_portals_recv.c
index 6dbc4087d2..9666198b6f 100644
--- a/src/mca/ptl/portals/src/ptl_portals_recv.c
+++ b/src/mca/ptl/portals/src/ptl_portals_recv.c
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ ptl_portals_post_recv_md(struct mca_ptl_portals_module_t *ptl, void *data_ptr)
     md.max_size = ptl->super.ptl_first_frag_size;
     md.options = PTL_MD_OP_PUT | PTL_MD_MAX_SIZE;
     md.user_ptr = NULL;
-    md.eq_handle = ptl->frag_eq_handle;
+    md.eq_handle = ptl->frag_eq_handles[MCA_PTL_PORTALS_EQ_FRAGS];
 
     ret = PtlMDAttach(me_handle,
                       md,
diff --git a/src/mca/ptl/portals/src/ptl_portals_send.h b/src/mca/ptl/portals/src/ptl_portals_send.h
index 03ec489a4f..18b31be858 100644
--- a/src/mca/ptl/portals/src/ptl_portals_send.h
+++ b/src/mca/ptl/portals/src/ptl_portals_send.h
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ mca_ptl_portals_send_frag(struct mca_ptl_portals_module_t *ptl,
     md.max_size = 0;
     md.options = PTL_MD_IOVEC; /* BWB - can we optimize? */
     md.user_ptr = sendfrag;
-    md.eq_handle = ptl->frag_eq_handle;
+    md.eq_handle = ptl->frag_eq_handles[MCA_PTL_PORTALS_EQ_FRAGS];
 
     /* make a free-floater */
     ret = PtlMDBind(ptl->ni_handle,