diff --git a/src/nccl_ofi_rdma.c b/src/nccl_ofi_rdma.c
index e305c77ea..7227916e6 100644
--- a/src/nccl_ofi_rdma.c
+++ b/src/nccl_ofi_rdma.c
@@ -4614,6 +4614,9 @@ static int send(nccl_net_ofi_send_comm_t *send_comm, void *data, int size, int t
 	nccl_net_ofi_rdma_send_comm_t *s_comm = (nccl_net_ofi_rdma_send_comm_t *)send_comm;
 	nccl_net_ofi_rdma_mr_handle_t *mr_handle = (nccl_net_ofi_rdma_mr_handle_t *)mhandle;
 	nccl_net_ofi_rdma_req_t *req = NULL;
+	uint16_t msg_seq_num = s_comm->next_msg_seq_num;
+	bool polled_cq = false;
+	bool have_ctrl = false;
 
 	assert(s_comm != NULL);
 
@@ -4644,15 +4647,12 @@ static int send(nccl_net_ofi_send_comm_t *send_comm, void *data, int size, int t
 	 * TODO: Use NCCL provided tags when using grouped receives aka
 	 * props->maxRecvs > 1.
 	 */
-
-	bool have_ctrl = false;
-	uint16_t msg_seq_num = s_comm->next_msg_seq_num;
-
 	void *elem;
 	nccl_ofi_msgbuff_elemtype_t type;
 	nccl_ofi_msgbuff_status_t msg_stat;
 	nccl_ofi_msgbuff_result_t mb_res;
 
+retry:
 	/* Retrive entry from message buffer for msg_seq_num index */
 	mb_res = nccl_ofi_msgbuff_retrieve(s_comm->msgbuff, msg_seq_num, &elem,
 					   &type, &msg_stat);
@@ -4689,6 +4689,17 @@ static int send(nccl_net_ofi_send_comm_t *send_comm, void *data, int size, int t
 		goto error;
 	}
 
+	/* look for control messages and then retry the message search
+	   to avoid unnecessary polling / queueing. */
+	if (OFI_UNLIKELY(!polled_cq && !have_ctrl)) {
+		ret = ofi_process_cq_rail(ep, &ep->control_rail);
+		if (ret != 0) {
+			goto error;
+		}
+		polled_cq = true;
+		goto retry;
+	}
+
 	/* Determine if this should be sent eagerly. */
 	bool eager = false;
 	if ((!have_ctrl && size <= eager_max_size) ||