diff --git a/fairmq/shmem/Manager.h b/fairmq/shmem/Manager.h
index 85e4f0bb8..27eef548f 100644
--- a/fairmq/shmem/Manager.h
+++ b/fairmq/shmem/Manager.h
@@ -327,7 +327,6 @@ class Manager
 
                 fShmRegions->emplace(id, RegionInfo(path.c_str(), flags, userFlags, fShmVoidAlloc));
 
-                r.first->second->InitializeQueues();
                 r.first->second->StartReceivingAcks();
                 result.first = &(r.first->second->fRegion);
                 result.second = id;
diff --git a/fairmq/shmem/Message.h b/fairmq/shmem/Message.h
index 77abf9e08..d4af19f09 100644
--- a/fairmq/shmem/Message.h
+++ b/fairmq/shmem/Message.h
@@ -309,8 +309,6 @@ class Message final : public fair::mq::Message
                 }
 
                 if (fRegionPtr) {
-                    fRegionPtr->InitializeQueues();
-                    fRegionPtr->StartSendingAcks();
                     fRegionPtr->ReleaseBlock({fMeta.fHandle, fMeta.fSize, fMeta.fHint});
                 } else {
                     LOG(warn) << "region ack queue for id " << fMeta.fRegionId << " no longer exist. Not sending ack";
diff --git a/fairmq/shmem/Region.h b/fairmq/shmem/Region.h
index 9a4ab7198..419453c20 100644
--- a/fairmq/shmem/Region.h
+++ b/fairmq/shmem/Region.h
@@ -104,6 +104,10 @@ struct Region
             }
         }
 
+
+        InitializeQueues();
+        StartSendingAcks();
+
         LOG(trace) << "shmem: initialized region: " << fName << " (" << (fRemote ? "remote" : "local") << ")";
     }
 
@@ -116,21 +120,17 @@ struct Region
     {
         using namespace boost::interprocess;
 
-        if (fQueue == nullptr) {
-            if (fRemote) {
-                fQueue = std::make_unique<message_queue>(open_only, fQueueName.c_str());
-            } else {
-                fQueue = std::make_unique<message_queue>(create_only, fQueueName.c_str(), 1024, fAckBunchSize * sizeof(RegionBlock));
-            }
-            LOG(trace) << "shmem: initialized region queue: " << fQueueName << " (" << (fRemote ? "remote" : "local") << ")";
+        if (fRemote) {
+            fQueue = std::make_unique<message_queue>(open_only, fQueueName.c_str());
+        } else {
+            fQueue = std::make_unique<message_queue>(create_only, fQueueName.c_str(), 1024, fAckBunchSize * sizeof(RegionBlock));
         }
+        LOG(trace) << "shmem: initialized region queue: " << fQueueName << " (" << (fRemote ? "remote" : "local") << ")";
     }
 
     void StartSendingAcks()
     {
-        if (!fAcksSender.joinable()) {
-            fAcksSender = std::thread(&Region::SendAcks, this);
-        }
+        fAcksSender = std::thread(&Region::SendAcks, this);
     }
     void SendAcks()
     {