diff --git a/ompi/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib.h b/ompi/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib.h
index d8af5ec476..3e8b91f058 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib.h
+++ b/ompi/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib.h
@@ -478,6 +478,7 @@ static inline int mca_btl_openib_post_srr(mca_btl_openib_module_t* openib_btl,
                         &bad_wr)) {
                 BTL_ERROR(("error posting receive descriptors to shared "
                             "receive queue: %s", strerror(errno)));
+                OPAL_THREAD_UNLOCK(&openib_btl->ib_lock);
                 return OMPI_ERROR;
             }
         }
diff --git a/ompi/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_endpoint.h b/ompi/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_endpoint.h
index 2678960f4e..78bb52bc74 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_endpoint.h
+++ b/ompi/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_endpoint.h
@@ -192,6 +192,7 @@ static inline int btl_openib_endpoint_post_rr(mca_btl_base_endpoint_t *endpoint,
                        &bad_wr)) {
                BTL_ERROR(("error posting receive errno says %s\n",
                            strerror(errno)));
+               OPAL_THREAD_UNLOCK(&openib_btl->ib_lock);
                return OMPI_ERROR;
            }
         }