diff --git a/src/mca/ptl/sm/src/ptl_sm.c b/src/mca/ptl/sm/src/ptl_sm.c
index 67cad7097c..3a96799842 100644
--- a/src/mca/ptl/sm/src/ptl_sm.c
+++ b/src/mca/ptl/sm/src/ptl_sm.c
@@ -419,7 +419,7 @@ int mca_ptl_sm_add_procs_same_base_addr(
          */
         my_fifos=( ompi_fifo_t *)
             mca_ptl_sm_component.sm_mpool->mpool_alloc
-            (n_to_allocate*sizeof(ompi_fifo_t *), CACHE_LINE_SIZE);
+            (n_to_allocate*sizeof(ompi_fifo_t), CACHE_LINE_SIZE);
         if ( NULL == my_fifos ) {
             return_code=OMPI_ERR_OUT_OF_RESOURCE;
             goto CLEANUP;
@@ -826,24 +826,21 @@ int mca_ptl_sm_send(
     send_fifo=&(mca_ptl_sm_component.fifo
             [my_local_smp_rank][peer_local_smp_rank]);
 
-    /* lock for thread safety - using atomic lock, not mutex, since
-     * we need shared memory access to these lock, and in some pthread
-     * implementation, such mutex's don't work correctly */
-    if( ompi_using_threads() ) {
-        ompi_atomic_lock(&(send_fifo->head_lock));
-    }
-
-    if(OMPI_CB_FREE == send_fifo->head){
+    /* thread lock */
+    if(ompi_using_threads()) 
+        ompi_atomic_lock(&send_fifo->head_lock);
+    if(OMPI_CB_FREE == send_fifo->head) {
         /* no queues have been allocated - allocate now */
         return_status=ompi_fifo_init_same_base_addr(
-                mca_ptl_sm_component.size_of_cb_queue,
-                mca_ptl_sm_component.cb_lazy_free_freq,
-                /* at this stage we are not doing anything with memory
-                 * locality */
-                0,0,0,
-                send_fifo, mca_ptl_sm_component.sm_mpool);
+            mca_ptl_sm_component.size_of_cb_queue,
+            mca_ptl_sm_component.cb_lazy_free_freq,
+            /* at this stage we are not doing anything with memory
+            * locality */
+            0,0,0,
+            send_fifo, mca_ptl_sm_component.sm_mpool);
         if( return_status != OMPI_SUCCESS ) {
-            ompi_atomic_unlock(&(send_fifo->head_lock));
+            if(ompi_using_threads())
+                ompi_atomic_unlock(&(send_fifo->head_lock));
             return return_status;
         }
     }
@@ -855,11 +852,8 @@ int mca_ptl_sm_send(
         MCA_PTL_SM_SIGNAL_PEER(ptl_peer);
         return_status=OMPI_SUCCESS;
     }
-
-    /* release thread lock */
-    if( ompi_using_threads() ) {
-        ompi_atomic_unlock(&(send_fifo->head_lock));
-    }
+    if(ompi_using_threads())
+        ompi_atomic_unlock(&send_fifo->head_lock);
 
     /* if this is the entire message - signal request is complete */
     if(sendreq->req_bytes_packed == size) {
@@ -963,17 +957,17 @@ int mca_ptl_sm_send_continue(
     peer_local_smp_rank=ptl_peer->peer_smp_rank;
     send_fifo=&(mca_ptl_sm_component.fifo
             [my_local_smp_rank][peer_local_smp_rank]);
+
     /* since the first fragment has already been posted,
      * the queue has already been initialized, so no need to check */
 
-    /* post descriptor */
     /* lock for thread safety - using atomic lock, not mutex, since
      * we need shared memory access to these lock, and in some pthread
      * implementation, such mutex's don't work correctly */
-    if( ompi_using_threads() ) {
-        ompi_atomic_lock(&(send_fifo->head_lock));
-    }
+    if(ompi_using_threads())
+        ompi_atomic_lock(&send_fifo->head_lock);
 
+    /* post descriptor */
     return_status=ompi_fifo_write_to_head_same_base_addr(send_frag,
             send_fifo, mca_ptl_sm_component.sm_mpool);
     if( 0 <= return_status ) {
@@ -981,10 +975,8 @@ int mca_ptl_sm_send_continue(
         return_status=OMPI_SUCCESS;
     } 
 
-    /* release threa lock */
-    if( ompi_using_threads() ) {
-        ompi_atomic_unlock(&(send_fifo->head_lock));
-    }
-    /* return */
+    /* release thread lock */
+    if(ompi_using_threads())
+        ompi_atomic_unlock(&send_fifo->head_lock);
     return return_status;
 }
diff --git a/src/mca/ptl/sm/src/ptl_sm_send.c b/src/mca/ptl/sm/src/ptl_sm_send.c
index c50f809ef9..d5a4e165f2 100644
--- a/src/mca/ptl/sm/src/ptl_sm_send.c
+++ b/src/mca/ptl/sm/src/ptl_sm_send.c
@@ -133,8 +133,13 @@ void mca_ptl_sm_matched(
 
     send_fifo=&(mca_ptl_sm_component.fifo
             [my_local_smp_rank][peer_local_smp_rank]);
+
+    /* lock as multiple processes can attempt to init the head */
+    if(ompi_using_threads())
+        ompi_atomic_lock(&send_fifo->head_lock);
+
     /* check to see if fifo is allocated */
-    if(OMPI_CB_FREE == send_fifo->head){
+    if(OMPI_CB_FREE == send_fifo->head) {
         /* no queues have been allocated - allocate now */
         return_status=ompi_fifo_init_same_base_addr(
                 mca_ptl_sm_component.size_of_cb_queue,
@@ -144,7 +149,8 @@ void mca_ptl_sm_matched(
                 0,0,0,
                 send_fifo, mca_ptl_sm_component.sm_mpool);
         if( return_status != OMPI_SUCCESS ) {
-            ompi_atomic_unlock(&(send_fifo->head_lock));
+            if(ompi_using_threads())
+                ompi_atomic_unlock(&send_fifo->head_lock);
             return;
         }
     }
@@ -159,6 +165,9 @@ void mca_ptl_sm_matched(
     return_status=ompi_fifo_write_to_head_same_base_addr(sm_frag_desc,
             send_fifo, mca_ptl_sm_component.sm_mpool);
 
+    if(ompi_using_threads())
+        ompi_atomic_unlock(&send_fifo->head_lock);
+
     /* if can't ack, put on list for later delivery */
     if( 0 > return_status ) {
         OMPI_THREAD_LOCK(&(mca_ptl_sm_component.sm_pending_ack_lock));