diff --git a/opal/mca/btl/ofi/btl_ofi_atomics.c b/opal/mca/btl/ofi/btl_ofi_atomics.c
index 34fa9cc4776..f9b2447130b 100644
--- a/opal/mca/btl/ofi/btl_ofi_atomics.c
+++ b/opal/mca/btl/ofi/btl_ofi_atomics.c
@@ -73,8 +73,10 @@ int mca_btl_ofi_afop (struct mca_btl_base_module_t *btl, struct mca_btl_base_end
                          fi_datatype, fi_op, &comp->comp_ctx);
 
     if (rc == -FI_EAGAIN) {
+        opal_free_list_return(comp->base.my_list, (opal_free_list_item_t*) comp);
         return OPAL_ERR_OUT_OF_RESOURCE;
     } else if (rc < 0) {
+        opal_free_list_return(comp->base.my_list, (opal_free_list_item_t*) comp);
         BTL_ERROR(("fi_fetch_atomic failed with rc=%d (%s)", rc, fi_strerror(-rc)));
         MCA_BTL_OFI_ABORT();
     }
@@ -125,8 +127,10 @@ int mca_btl_ofi_aop (struct mca_btl_base_module_t *btl, mca_btl_base_endpoint_t
                    fi_datatype, fi_op, &comp->comp_ctx);
 
     if (rc == -FI_EAGAIN) {
+        opal_free_list_return(comp->base.my_list, (opal_free_list_item_t*) comp);
         return OPAL_ERR_OUT_OF_RESOURCE;
     } else if (rc < 0) {
+        opal_free_list_return(comp->base.my_list, (opal_free_list_item_t*) comp);
         BTL_ERROR(("fi_atomic failed with rc=%d (%s)", rc, fi_strerror(-rc)));
         MCA_BTL_OFI_ABORT();
     }
@@ -181,8 +185,10 @@ int mca_btl_ofi_acswap (struct mca_btl_base_module_t *btl, struct mca_btl_base_e
                            &comp->comp_ctx);
 
     if (rc == -FI_EAGAIN) {
+        opal_free_list_return(comp->base.my_list, (opal_free_list_item_t*) comp);
         return OPAL_ERR_OUT_OF_RESOURCE;
     } else if (rc < 0) {
+        opal_free_list_return(comp->base.my_list, (opal_free_list_item_t*) comp);
         BTL_ERROR(("fi_compare_atomic failed with rc=%d (%s)", rc, fi_strerror(-rc)));
         MCA_BTL_OFI_ABORT();
     }
diff --git a/opal/mca/btl/ofi/btl_ofi_rdma.c b/opal/mca/btl/ofi/btl_ofi_rdma.c
index 0ecbd887bc1..f2728e36dc0 100644
--- a/opal/mca/btl/ofi/btl_ofi_rdma.c
+++ b/opal/mca/btl/ofi/btl_ofi_rdma.c
@@ -88,10 +88,12 @@ int mca_btl_ofi_get (mca_btl_base_module_t *btl, mca_btl_base_endpoint_t *endpoi
                 &comp->comp_ctx);       /* completion context */
 
     if (-FI_EAGAIN == rc) {
+        opal_free_list_return(comp->base.my_list, (opal_free_list_item_t*) comp);
         return OPAL_ERR_OUT_OF_RESOURCE;
     }
 
     if (0 != rc) {
+        opal_free_list_return(comp->base.my_list, (opal_free_list_item_t*) comp);
         BTL_ERROR(("fi_read failed with %d:%s", rc, fi_strerror(-rc)));
         MCA_BTL_OFI_ABORT();
     }
@@ -133,10 +135,12 @@ int mca_btl_ofi_put (mca_btl_base_module_t *btl, mca_btl_base_endpoint_t *endpoi
                   &comp->comp_ctx);       /* completion context */
 
     if (-FI_EAGAIN == rc) {
+        opal_free_list_return(comp->base.my_list, (opal_free_list_item_t*) comp);
         return OPAL_ERR_OUT_OF_RESOURCE;
     }
 
     if (0 != rc) {
+        opal_free_list_return(comp->base.my_list, (opal_free_list_item_t*) comp);
         BTL_ERROR(("fi_write failed with %d:%s", rc, fi_strerror(-rc)));
         MCA_BTL_OFI_ABORT();
     }