diff --git a/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_connection.c b/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_connection.c
index 38ba266275..cc58ce4b0c 100644
--- a/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_connection.c
+++ b/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_connection.c
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ static int tcp_peer_create_socket(mca_oob_tcp_peer_t* peer)
 {
     int flags;
 
-    if (peer->sd > 0) {
+    if (peer->sd >= 0) {
         return ORTE_SUCCESS;
     }
 
@@ -309,8 +309,8 @@ void mca_oob_tcp_peer_try_connect(int fd, short args, void *cbdata)
          * we and the peer are trying to connect at the same time. If I
          * am the higher vpid, then retry the connection - otherwise,
          * step aside for now */
-        if (ORTE_PROC_MY_NAME->vpid > peer->name.vpid) {
-            connected = false;
+        int cmpval = orte_util_compare_name_fields(ORTE_NS_CMP_ALL, ORTE_PROC_MY_NAME, &peer->name);
+        if (OPAL_VALUE1_GREATER == cmpval) {
             peer->state = MCA_OOB_TCP_CONNECTING;
             ORTE_ACTIVATE_TCP_CONN_STATE(peer, mca_oob_tcp_peer_try_connect);
         } else {
@@ -395,6 +395,7 @@ static int tcp_peer_send_connect_ack(mca_oob_tcp_peer_t* peer)
 static void tcp_peer_event_init(mca_oob_tcp_peer_t* peer)
 {
     if (peer->sd >= 0) {
+        assert(!peer->send_ev_active && !peer->recv_ev_active);
         opal_event_set(mca_oob_tcp_module.ev_base,
                        &peer->recv_event,
                        peer->sd,
@@ -544,7 +545,7 @@ static int tcp_peer_send_blocking(int sd, void* data, size_t size)
  *  connected socket and verify the expected response. If so, move the
  *  socket to a connected state.
  */
-static void retry(mca_oob_tcp_peer_t* peer, int sd)
+static bool retry(mca_oob_tcp_peer_t* peer, int sd, bool fatal)
 {
     int cmpval;
 
@@ -552,30 +553,49 @@ static void retry(mca_oob_tcp_peer_t* peer, int sd)
                         "%s SIMUL CONNECTION WITH %s",
                         ORTE_NAME_PRINT(ORTE_PROC_MY_NAME),
                         ORTE_NAME_PRINT(&peer->name));
-    if (peer->recv_ev_active) {
-        opal_event_del(&peer->recv_event);
-        peer->recv_ev_active = false;
-    }
-    if (peer->send_ev_active) {
-        opal_event_del(&peer->send_event);
-        peer->send_ev_active = false;
-    }
-    if (0 < peer->sd) {
-        CLOSE_THE_SOCKET(peer->sd);
-        peer->sd = -1;
-    }
-    CLOSE_THE_SOCKET(sd);
-    if (NULL != peer->active_addr) {
-        peer->active_addr->retries = 0;
-    }
     cmpval = orte_util_compare_name_fields(ORTE_NS_CMP_ALL, &peer->name, ORTE_PROC_MY_NAME);
-    if (OPAL_VALUE1_GREATER == cmpval) {
-        /* force the other end to retry the connection */
-        peer->state = MCA_OOB_TCP_UNCONNECTED;
+    if (fatal) {
+        if (peer->send_ev_active) {
+            opal_event_del(&peer->send_event);
+            peer->send_ev_active = false;
+        }
+        if (peer->recv_ev_active) {
+            opal_event_del(&peer->recv_event);
+            peer->recv_ev_active = false;
+        }
+        if (0 < peer->sd) {
+            CLOSE_THE_SOCKET(peer->sd);
+            peer->sd = -1;
+        }
+        CLOSE_THE_SOCKET(peer->sd);
+        if (OPAL_VALUE1_GREATER == cmpval) {
+            /* force the other end to retry the connection */
+            peer->state = MCA_OOB_TCP_UNCONNECTED;
+        } else {
+            /* retry the connection */
+            peer->state = MCA_OOB_TCP_CONNECTING;
+            ORTE_ACTIVATE_TCP_CONN_STATE(peer, mca_oob_tcp_peer_try_connect);
+        }
+        return true;
     } else {
-        /* retry the connection */
-        peer->state = MCA_OOB_TCP_CONNECTING;
-        ORTE_ACTIVATE_TCP_CONN_STATE(peer, mca_oob_tcp_peer_try_connect);
+        if (OPAL_VALUE1_GREATER == cmpval) {
+            /* The other end will retry the connection */
+            if (peer->send_ev_active) {
+                opal_event_del(&peer->send_event);
+                peer->send_ev_active = false;
+            }
+            if (peer->recv_ev_active) {
+                opal_event_del(&peer->recv_event);
+                peer->recv_ev_active = false;
+            }
+            CLOSE_THE_SOCKET(peer->sd);
+            peer->state = MCA_OOB_TCP_UNCONNECTED;
+            return false;
+        } else {
+            /* The connection will be retried */
+            CLOSE_THE_SOCKET(sd);
+            return true;
+        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -626,8 +646,9 @@ int mca_oob_tcp_peer_recv_connect_ack(mca_oob_tcp_peer_t* pr,
         if (NULL != peer &&
             (MCA_OOB_TCP_CONNECTED == peer->state ||
              MCA_OOB_TCP_CONNECTING == peer->state ||
-             MCA_OOB_TCP_CONNECT_ACK == peer->state)) {
-            retry(peer, sd);
+             MCA_OOB_TCP_CONNECT_ACK == peer->state ||
+             MCA_OOB_TCP_CLOSED == peer->state)) {
+            retry(peer, sd, false);
         }
         return ORTE_ERR_UNREACH;
     }
@@ -693,8 +714,9 @@ int mca_oob_tcp_peer_recv_connect_ack(mca_oob_tcp_peer_t* pr,
             if (MCA_OOB_TCP_CONNECTED == peer->state ||
                 MCA_OOB_TCP_CONNECTING == peer->state ||
                 MCA_OOB_TCP_CONNECT_ACK == peer->state) {
-                retry(peer, sd);
-                return ORTE_ERR_UNREACH;
+                if (retry(peer, sd, false)) {
+                    return ORTE_ERR_UNREACH;
+                }
             }
         }
     } else {
@@ -724,7 +746,7 @@ int mca_oob_tcp_peer_recv_connect_ack(mca_oob_tcp_peer_t* pr,
         return ORTE_ERR_OUT_OF_RESOURCE;
     }
     if (!tcp_peer_recv_blocking(peer, sd, msg, hdr.nbytes)) {
-        /* unable to complete the recv */
+        /* unable to complete the recv but should never happen */
         opal_output_verbose(OOB_TCP_DEBUG_CONNECT, orte_oob_base_framework.framework_output,
                             "%s unable to complete recv of connect-ack from %s ON SOCKET %d",
                             ORTE_NAME_PRINT(ORTE_PROC_MY_NAME),
@@ -738,7 +760,7 @@ int mca_oob_tcp_peer_recv_connect_ack(mca_oob_tcp_peer_t* pr,
         if (MCA_OOB_TCP_CONNECTED == peer->state ||
             MCA_OOB_TCP_CONNECTING == peer->state ||
             MCA_OOB_TCP_CONNECT_ACK == peer->state) {
-            retry(peer, sd);
+            retry(peer, sd, true);
         }
         free(msg);
         return ORTE_ERR_UNREACH;
@@ -1085,11 +1107,6 @@ bool mca_oob_tcp_peer_accept(mca_oob_tcp_peer_t* peer)
             opal_event_add(&peer->recv_event, 0);
             peer->recv_ev_active = true;
         }
-        /* if a message is waiting to be sent, ensure the send event is active */
-        if (NULL != peer->send_msg && !peer->send_ev_active) {
-            opal_event_add(&peer->send_event, 0);
-            peer->send_ev_active = true;
-        }
         if (OOB_TCP_DEBUG_CONNECT <= opal_output_get_verbosity(orte_oob_base_framework.framework_output)) {
             mca_oob_tcp_peer_dump(peer, "accepted");
         }