diff --git a/opal/mca/btl/usnic/btl_usnic.h b/opal/mca/btl/usnic/btl_usnic.h
index d25d6309bb..3251b67369 100644
--- a/opal/mca/btl/usnic/btl_usnic.h
+++ b/opal/mca/btl/usnic/btl_usnic.h
@@ -206,6 +206,10 @@ typedef struct opal_btl_usnic_component_t {
     /** retrans characteristics */
     int retrans_timeout;
 
+    /** minimum number of times through component progress before
+        checking to see if standalone ACKs need to be sent */
+    int ack_iteration_delay;
+
     /** transport header length for all usNIC devices on this server
         (it is guaranteed that all usNIC devices on a single server
         will have the same underlying transport, and therefore the
diff --git a/opal/mca/btl/usnic/btl_usnic_component.c b/opal/mca/btl/usnic/btl_usnic_component.c
index 25a64a25d2..629d292c30 100644
--- a/opal/mca/btl/usnic/btl_usnic_component.c
+++ b/opal/mca/btl/usnic/btl_usnic_component.c
@@ -384,8 +384,9 @@ static int check_usnic_config(opal_btl_usnic_module_t *module,
 
 static void usnic_clock_callback(int fd, short flags, void *timeout)
 {
-    /* 1ms == 1,000,000 ns */
-    opal_btl_usnic_ticks += 1000000;
+    /* Increase by so many ticks that we will definitely force sending
+       any ACKs that are pending */
+    opal_btl_usnic_ticks += 1000;
 
     /* run progress to make sure time change gets noticed */
     usnic_component_progress();
@@ -1132,7 +1133,7 @@ static mca_btl_base_module_t** usnic_component_init(int* num_btl_modules,
  */
 static int usnic_handle_completion(opal_btl_usnic_module_t* module,
     opal_btl_usnic_channel_t *channel, struct fi_cq_entry *completion);
-static int usnic_component_progress_2(void);
+static int usnic_component_progress_2(bool check_priority);
 static void usnic_handle_cq_error(opal_btl_usnic_module_t* module,
     opal_btl_usnic_channel_t *channel, int cq_ret);
 
@@ -1145,9 +1146,7 @@ static int usnic_component_progress(void)
     struct fi_cq_entry completion;
     opal_btl_usnic_channel_t *channel;
     static bool fastpath_ok = true;
-
-    /* update our simulated clock */
-    opal_btl_usnic_ticks += 5000;
+    bool check_priority = true;
 
     count = 0;
     if (fastpath_ok) {
@@ -1180,10 +1179,11 @@ static int usnic_component_progress(void)
                 usnic_handle_cq_error(module, channel, ret);
             }
         }
+        check_priority = false;
     }
 
     fastpath_ok = true;
-    return count + usnic_component_progress_2();
+    return count + usnic_component_progress_2(check_priority);
 }
 
 static int usnic_handle_completion(
@@ -1304,7 +1304,7 @@ usnic_handle_cq_error(opal_btl_usnic_module_t* module,
     }
 }
 
-static int usnic_component_progress_2(void)
+static int usnic_component_progress_2(bool check_priority)
 {
     int i, j, count = 0, num_events, ret;
     opal_btl_usnic_module_t* module;
@@ -1313,15 +1313,18 @@ static int usnic_component_progress_2(void)
     int rc;
     int c;
 
-    /* update our simulated clock */
-    opal_btl_usnic_ticks += 5000;
+    opal_btl_usnic_ticks += 1;
+
+    /* If we need to check priority, start with the priority channel.
+       Otherwise, just check the data channel. */
+    int c_start = check_priority ? USNIC_PRIORITY_CHANNEL : USNIC_DATA_CHANNEL;
 
     /* Poll for completions */
     for (i = 0; i < mca_btl_usnic_component.num_modules; i++) {
         module = mca_btl_usnic_component.usnic_active_modules[i];
 
         /* poll each channel */
-        for (c=0; c<USNIC_NUM_CHANNELS; ++c) {
+        for (c=c_start; c<USNIC_NUM_CHANNELS; ++c) {
             channel = &module->mod_channels[c];
 
             if (channel->chan_deferred_recv != NULL) {
diff --git a/opal/mca/btl/usnic/btl_usnic_mca.c b/opal/mca/btl/usnic/btl_usnic_mca.c
index 84f987cf22..515f32abaa 100644
--- a/opal/mca/btl/usnic/btl_usnic_mca.c
+++ b/opal/mca/btl/usnic/btl_usnic_mca.c
@@ -260,6 +260,10 @@ int opal_btl_usnic_component_register(void)
                   5000, &mca_btl_usnic_component.retrans_timeout,
                   REGINT_GE_ONE, OPAL_INFO_LVL_5));
 
+    CHECK(reg_int("ack_iteration_delay", "Minimum number of times through usNIC \"progress\" function before checking to see if standalone ACKs need to be sent",
+                  0, &mca_btl_usnic_component.ack_iteration_delay,
+                  REGINT_GE_ZERO, OPAL_INFO_LVL_5));
+
     CHECK(reg_int("priority_limit", "Max size of \"priority\" messages (0 = use pre-set defaults; depends on number and type of devices available)",
                   0, &max_tiny_msg_size,
                   REGINT_GE_ZERO, OPAL_INFO_LVL_5));
diff --git a/opal/mca/btl/usnic/btl_usnic_recv.h b/opal/mca/btl/usnic/btl_usnic_recv.h
index 256132f4b5..7a178c1630 100644
--- a/opal/mca/btl/usnic/btl_usnic_recv.h
+++ b/opal/mca/btl/usnic/btl_usnic_recv.h
@@ -112,9 +112,12 @@ opal_btl_usnic_update_window(
         opal_btl_usnic_add_to_endpoints_needing_ack(endpoint);
     }
 
-    /* give this process a chance to send something before ACKing */
+    /* A hueristic: set to send this ACK after we have checked our
+       incoming DATA_CHANNEL component.act_iteration_delay times
+       (i.e., so we can piggyback an ACK on an outgoing send) */
     if (0 == endpoint->endpoint_acktime) {
-        endpoint->endpoint_acktime = get_ticks() + 50000;
+        endpoint->endpoint_acktime =
+            get_ticks() + mca_btl_usnic_component.ack_iteration_delay;
     }
 
     /* Save this incoming segment in the received segmentss array on the