diff --git a/ompi/mca/bml/bml.h b/ompi/mca/bml/bml.h
index 734e832ab6..109730fd87 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/bml/bml.h
+++ b/ompi/mca/bml/bml.h
@@ -232,7 +232,6 @@ static inline void mca_bml_base_free(mca_bml_base_btl_t* bml_btl, mca_btl_base_d
     /* The previous function is supposed to release the des object
      * so we should not touch it anymore.
      */
-    /*des->des_context = NULL;*/
 }
 
 static inline int mca_bml_base_send(mca_bml_base_btl_t* bml_btl, mca_btl_base_descriptor_t* des, mca_btl_base_tag_t tag) { 
@@ -299,65 +298,55 @@ static inline void mca_bml_base_prepare_dst(mca_bml_base_btl_t* bml_btl,
     }
 }
 
+static inline mca_btl_base_descriptor_t*
+mca_bml_base_btl_des_alloc( mca_bml_base_btl_t* bml_btl,
+			    size_t alloc_size,
+			    size_t seg_size )
+{
+    mca_btl_base_descriptor_t* des;
 
-
-
+    if( NULL != (des = bml_btl->btl_cache) ) { 
 #if OMPI_HAVE_THREAD_SUPPORT
-#define MCA_BML_BASE_BTL_DES_ALLOC(bml_btl, des, alloc_size, seg_size)                   \
-do  {                                                                                    \
-     if(NULL != (des = bml_btl->btl_cache)) {                                            \
-        /* atomically acquire the cached descriptor */                                   \
-        if(opal_atomic_cmpset_ptr(&bml_btl->btl_cache, des, NULL) == 0) {                \
-            bml_btl->btl_cache = NULL;                                                   \
-        } else {                                                                         \
-            des = bml_btl->btl_alloc(bml_btl->btl, alloc_size);                          \
-        }                                                                                \
-    } else {                                                                             \
-            des = bml_btl->btl_alloc(bml_btl->btl, alloc_size);                          \
-    }                                                                                    \
-    des->des_src->seg_len = seg_size;                                                    \
-    des->des_context = (void*) bml_btl;                                                  \
-} while(0)                                                                               
+        /* atomically acquire the cached descriptor */
+        if(opal_atomic_cmpset_ptr(&bml_btl->btl_cache, des, NULL) == 0) {
+            des = bml_btl->btl_alloc(bml_btl->btl, alloc_size);
+        }
 #else
-#define MCA_BML_BASE_BTL_DES_ALLOC(bml_btl, descriptor, alloc_size, seg_size)            \
-do {                                                                                     \
-    if(NULL != (descriptor = bml_btl->btl_cache)) {                                      \
-        bml_btl->btl_cache = NULL;                                                       \
-    } else {                                                                             \
-        descriptor = bml_btl->btl_alloc(bml_btl->btl, alloc_size);                       \
-    }                                                                                    \
-    descriptor->des_src->seg_len = seg_size;                                             \
-    descriptor->des_context = (void*) bml_btl;                                           \
-} while(0)
+        bml_btl->btl_cache = NULL;
 #endif
+    } else {
+        des = bml_btl->btl_alloc(bml_btl->btl, alloc_size);
+    }
+    des->des_src->seg_len = seg_size;
+    des->des_context = (void*) bml_btl;
+    return des;
+}
+#define MCA_BML_BASE_BTL_DES_ALLOC(bml_btl, des, alloc_size, seg_size)    \
+    des = mca_bml_base_btl_des_alloc( bml_btl, alloc_size, seg_size )
 
 
 /**
  * Return a descriptor
  */
 
+static inline void mca_bml_base_btl_des_return( mca_bml_base_btl_t* bml_btl,
+						mca_btl_base_descriptor_t* des)
+{
 #if OMPI_HAVE_THREAD_SUPPORT
-#define MCA_BML_BASE_BTL_DES_RETURN( bml_btl, descriptor )                               \
-do {                                                                                     \
-    if(NULL == bml_btl->btl_cache) {                                                     \
-        if(opal_atomic_cmpset_ptr(&bml_btl->btl_cache,NULL,descriptor) == 0) {           \
-             bml_btl->btl_free(bml_btl->btl,descriptor);                                 \
-        }                                                                                \
-    } else {                                                                             \
-        bml_btl->btl_free(bml_btl->btl,descriptor);                                      \
-    }                                                                                    \
-} while(0)
+    if( opal_atomic_cmpset_ptr(&bml_btl->btl_cache,NULL,des) == 0 ) {
 #else
-#define MCA_BML_BASE_BTL_DES_RETURN(bml_btl, descriptor)                                 \
-do {                                                                                     \
-    if(NULL == bml_btl->btl_cache) {                                                     \
-        bml_btl->btl_cache = descriptor;                                                 \
-    } else {                                                                             \
-        bml_btl->btl_free(bml_btl->btl,descriptor);                                      \
-    }                                                                                    \
-} while(0)
+    if( NULL == bml_btl->btl_cache ) {
+        bml_btl->btl_cache = des;
+    } else {
 #endif
-
+        bml_btl->btl_free( bml_btl->btl, des );
+    }
+}
+#define MCA_BML_BASE_BTL_DES_RETURN( bml_btl, descriptor ) \
+do { \
+    mca_bml_base_btl_des_return( bml_btl, descriptor ); \
+    descriptor = NULL; \
+} while(0)
 
 /*
  *  BML component interface functions and datatype.