diff --git a/ompi/mpi/c/init_thread.c b/ompi/mpi/c/init_thread.c
index 2cdad8ff3af..95ca9df25e2 100644
--- a/ompi/mpi/c/init_thread.c
+++ b/ompi/mpi/c/init_thread.c
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ int MPI_Init_thread(int *argc, char ***argv, int required,
                     int *provided)
 {
     int err, safe_required = MPI_THREAD_SERIALIZED;
+    char *env;
 
     ompi_hook_base_mpi_init_thread_top(argc, argv, required, provided);
 
@@ -56,7 +57,13 @@ int MPI_Init_thread(int *argc, char ***argv, int required,
      */
     if( (MPI_THREAD_SINGLE == required) || (MPI_THREAD_SERIALIZED == required) ||
         (MPI_THREAD_FUNNELED == required) || (MPI_THREAD_MULTIPLE == required) ) {
-        safe_required = required;
+
+        if (NULL != (env = getenv("OMPI_MPI_THREAD_LEVEL")))  {
+            safe_required = atoi(env);
+        }
+        else {
+            safe_required = required;
+        }
     }
 
     *provided = safe_required;
diff --git a/ompi/request/request.h b/ompi/request/request.h
index 5be3f7b46ae..0e6fb80cbf7 100644
--- a/ompi/request/request.h
+++ b/ompi/request/request.h
@@ -448,39 +448,44 @@ static inline bool ompi_request_tag_is_collective(int tag) {
 
 static inline void ompi_request_wait_completion(ompi_request_t *req)
 {
-    if (opal_using_threads () && !REQUEST_COMPLETE(req)) {
-        void *_tmp_ptr;
-        ompi_wait_sync_t sync;
+    if (opal_using_threads ()) {
+        if(!REQUEST_COMPLETE(req)) {
+            void *_tmp_ptr;
+            ompi_wait_sync_t sync;
+
+
 #if OPAL_ENABLE_FT_MPI
-redo:
-        if(OPAL_UNLIKELY( ompi_request_is_failed(req) )) {
-            return;
-        }
+    redo:
+            if(OPAL_UNLIKELY( ompi_request_is_failed(req) )) {
+                return;
+            }
 #endif /* OPAL_ENABLE_FT_MPI */
-        _tmp_ptr = REQUEST_PENDING;
+            _tmp_ptr = REQUEST_PENDING;
 
-        WAIT_SYNC_INIT(&sync, 1);
+            WAIT_SYNC_INIT(&sync, 1);
 
-        if (OPAL_ATOMIC_COMPARE_EXCHANGE_STRONG_PTR(&req->req_complete, &_tmp_ptr, &sync)) {
-            SYNC_WAIT(&sync);
-        } else {
-            /* completed before we had a chance to swap in the sync object */
-            WAIT_SYNC_SIGNALLED(&sync);
-        }
+            if (OPAL_ATOMIC_COMPARE_EXCHANGE_STRONG_PTR(&req->req_complete, &_tmp_ptr, &sync)) {
+                SYNC_WAIT(&sync);
+            } else {
+                /* completed before we had a chance to swap in the sync object */
+                WAIT_SYNC_SIGNALLED(&sync);
+            }
 
 #if OPAL_ENABLE_FT_MPI
-        if (OPAL_UNLIKELY(OMPI_SUCCESS != sync.status)) {
-            OPAL_OUTPUT_VERBOSE((50, ompi_ftmpi_output_handle, "Status %d reported for sync %p rearming req %p", sync.status, (void*)&sync, (void*)req));
-            _tmp_ptr = &sync;
-            if (OPAL_ATOMIC_COMPARE_EXCHANGE_STRONG_PTR(&req->req_complete, &_tmp_ptr, REQUEST_PENDING)) {
-                opal_output_verbose(10, ompi_ftmpi_output_handle, "Status %d reported for sync %p rearmed req %p", sync.status, (void*)&sync, (void*)req);
-                WAIT_SYNC_RELEASE(&sync);
-                goto redo;
+            if (OPAL_UNLIKELY(OMPI_SUCCESS != sync.status)) {
+                OPAL_OUTPUT_VERBOSE((50, ompi_ftmpi_output_handle, "Status %d reported for sync %p rearming req %p", sync.status, (void*)&sync, (void*)req));
+                _tmp_ptr = &sync;
+                if (OPAL_ATOMIC_COMPARE_EXCHANGE_STRONG_PTR(&req->req_complete, &_tmp_ptr, REQUEST_PENDING)) {
+                    opal_output_verbose(10, ompi_ftmpi_output_handle, "Status %d reported for sync %p rearmed req %p", sync.status, (void*)&sync, (void*)req);
+                    WAIT_SYNC_RELEASE(&sync);
+                    goto redo;
+                }
             }
-        }
 #endif /* OPAL_ENABLE_FT_MPI */
-        assert(REQUEST_COMPLETE(req));
-        WAIT_SYNC_RELEASE(&sync);
+            assert(REQUEST_COMPLETE(req));
+            WAIT_SYNC_RELEASE(&sync);
+     }
+     opal_atomic_rmb();
     } else {
         while(!REQUEST_COMPLETE(req)) {
             opal_progress();