diff --git a/opal/mca/btl/tcp/btl_tcp.c b/opal/mca/btl/tcp/btl_tcp.c
index ac6289cf1f..40f99c6742 100644
--- a/opal/mca/btl/tcp/btl_tcp.c
+++ b/opal/mca/btl/tcp/btl_tcp.c
@@ -135,11 +135,6 @@ int mca_btl_tcp_add_procs( struct mca_btl_base_module_t* btl,
         }
 
         peers[i] = tcp_endpoint;
-
-        /* we increase the count of MPI users of the event library
-           once per peer, so that we are used until we aren't
-           connected to a peer */
-        opal_progress_event_users_increment();
     }
 
     return OPAL_SUCCESS;
@@ -158,7 +153,6 @@ int mca_btl_tcp_del_procs(struct mca_btl_base_module_t* btl,
         mca_btl_tcp_endpoint_t* tcp_endpoint = endpoints[i];
         opal_list_remove_item(&tcp_btl->tcp_endpoints, (opal_list_item_t*)tcp_endpoint);
         OBJ_RELEASE(tcp_endpoint);
-        opal_progress_event_users_decrement();
     }
     OPAL_THREAD_UNLOCK(&tcp_btl->tcp_endpoints_mutex);
     return OPAL_SUCCESS;
@@ -492,7 +486,6 @@ int mca_btl_tcp_finalize(struct mca_btl_base_module_t* btl)
          item = opal_list_remove_first(&tcp_btl->tcp_endpoints)) {
         mca_btl_tcp_endpoint_t *endpoint = (mca_btl_tcp_endpoint_t*)item;
         OBJ_RELEASE(endpoint);
-        opal_progress_event_users_decrement();
     }
     free(tcp_btl);
     return OPAL_SUCCESS;
diff --git a/opal/mca/btl/tcp/btl_tcp_endpoint.c b/opal/mca/btl/tcp/btl_tcp_endpoint.c
index 9cd97e34b2..0001ff49f3 100644
--- a/opal/mca/btl/tcp/btl_tcp_endpoint.c
+++ b/opal/mca/btl/tcp/btl_tcp_endpoint.c
@@ -464,6 +464,10 @@ static void *mca_btl_tcp_endpoint_complete_accept(int fd, int flags, void *conte
         mca_btl_tcp_endpoint_event_init(btl_endpoint);
         MCA_BTL_TCP_ENDPOINT_DUMP(10, btl_endpoint, true, "event_add(recv) [endpoint_accept]");
         opal_event_add(&btl_endpoint->endpoint_recv_event, 0);
+        if( mca_btl_tcp_event_base == opal_sync_event_base ) {
+            /* If no progress thread then raise the awarness of the default progress engine */
+            opal_progress_event_users_increment();
+        }
         mca_btl_tcp_endpoint_connected(btl_endpoint);
 
         MCA_BTL_TCP_ENDPOINT_DUMP(10, btl_endpoint, true, "accepted");
@@ -513,6 +517,10 @@ void mca_btl_tcp_endpoint_close(mca_btl_base_endpoint_t* btl_endpoint)
     btl_endpoint->endpoint_retries++;
     MCA_BTL_TCP_ENDPOINT_DUMP(1, btl_endpoint, false, "event_del(recv) [close]");
     opal_event_del(&btl_endpoint->endpoint_recv_event);
+    if( mca_btl_tcp_event_base == opal_sync_event_base ) {
+        /* If no progress thread then lower the awarness of the default progress engine */
+        opal_progress_event_users_decrement();
+    }
     MCA_BTL_TCP_ENDPOINT_DUMP(1, btl_endpoint, false, "event_del(send) [close]");
     opal_event_del(&btl_endpoint->endpoint_send_event);
 
@@ -732,6 +740,10 @@ static int mca_btl_tcp_endpoint_start_connect(mca_btl_base_endpoint_t* btl_endpo
             btl_endpoint->endpoint_state = MCA_BTL_TCP_CONNECT_ACK;
             MCA_BTL_TCP_ENDPOINT_DUMP(10, btl_endpoint, true, "event_add(recv) [start_connect]");
             opal_event_add(&btl_endpoint->endpoint_recv_event, 0);
+            if( mca_btl_tcp_event_base == opal_sync_event_base ) {
+                /* If no progress thread then raise the awarness of the default progress engine */
+                opal_progress_event_users_increment();
+            }
             return OPAL_SUCCESS;
         }
         /* We connected to the peer, but he close the socket before we got a chance to send our guid */
@@ -801,6 +813,10 @@ static void mca_btl_tcp_endpoint_complete_connect(mca_btl_base_endpoint_t* btl_e
     if(mca_btl_tcp_endpoint_send_connect_ack(btl_endpoint) == OPAL_SUCCESS) {
         btl_endpoint->endpoint_state = MCA_BTL_TCP_CONNECT_ACK;
         opal_event_add(&btl_endpoint->endpoint_recv_event, 0);
+        if( mca_btl_tcp_event_base == opal_sync_event_base ) {
+            /* If no progress thread then raise the awarness of the default progress engine */
+            opal_progress_event_users_increment();
+        }
         MCA_BTL_TCP_ENDPOINT_DUMP(10, btl_endpoint, false, "event_add(recv) [complete_connect]");
         return;
     }