diff --git a/ompi/mca/mtl/portals4/mtl_portals4_component.c b/ompi/mca/mtl/portals4/mtl_portals4_component.c
index 07436e268b..37c31da217 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/mtl/portals4/mtl_portals4_component.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/mtl/portals4/mtl_portals4_component.c
@@ -492,7 +492,7 @@ ompi_mtl_portals4_progress(void)
                 }
 #else
                 opal_output(ompi_mtl_base_output,
-                            "Flow control situation without recovery");
+                            "Flow control situation without recovery (PT_DISABLED)");
                 abort();
 #endif
                 break;
@@ -509,7 +509,8 @@ ompi_mtl_portals4_progress(void)
             break;
         } else if (PTL_EQ_DROPPED == ret) {
             opal_output(ompi_mtl_base_output,
-                        "Flow control situation without recovery");
+                        "Flow control situation without recovery (EQ_DROPPED): %d",
+                        which);
             abort();
         } else {
             opal_output(ompi_mtl_base_output,
diff --git a/ompi/mca/mtl/portals4/mtl_portals4_flowctl.c b/ompi/mca/mtl/portals4/mtl_portals4_flowctl.c
index 6262447c67..4b42b9f3d2 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/mtl/portals4/mtl_portals4_flowctl.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/mtl/portals4/mtl_portals4_flowctl.c
@@ -524,6 +524,9 @@ ompi_mtl_portals4_flowctl_start_recover(void)
         ompi_mtl_portals4.flowctl.flowctl_active = true;
     }
 
+    OPAL_OUTPUT_VERBOSE((50, ompi_mtl_base_output,
+                         "entering flowctl_start_recover"));
+
     ret = ompi_mtl_portals4_flowctl_setup_comm();
     if (OMPI_SUCCESS != ret) {
         opal_output_verbose(1, ompi_mtl_base_output,
diff --git a/ompi/mca/mtl/portals4/mtl_portals4_send.c b/ompi/mca/mtl/portals4/mtl_portals4_send.c
index 400e8a1c6e..1df91da1b1 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/mtl/portals4/mtl_portals4_send.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/mtl/portals4/mtl_portals4_send.c
@@ -45,6 +45,10 @@ ompi_mtl_portals4_callback(ptl_event_t *ev,
         ptl_request->pending;
 
     if (ev->ni_fail_type == PTL_NI_FLOW_CTRL) {
+        OPAL_OUTPUT_VERBOSE((50, ompi_mtl_base_output,
+                             "send %lu hit flow control",
+                             ptl_request->opcount));
+
         ompi_mtl_portals4_flowctl_start_recover();
         opal_list_remove_item(&ompi_mtl_portals4.flowctl.active_sends, 
                               &pending->super.super);
@@ -501,6 +505,7 @@ ompi_mtl_portals4_send(struct mca_mtl_base_module_t* mtl,
         opal_atomic_mb();
         ompi_mtl_portals4_progress();
     }
+    ret = ptl_request.retval;
 
  cleanup:
     if (NULL != ptl_request.super.buffer_ptr) {