diff --git a/opal/mca/btl/btl.h b/opal/mca/btl/btl.h
index bdd267c6f5e..ae44d714cfb 100644
--- a/opal/mca/btl/btl.h
+++ b/opal/mca/btl/btl.h
@@ -1119,6 +1119,10 @@ struct mca_btl_base_module_t {
     size_t      btl_put_limit;        /**< maximum size supported by the btl_put function */
     size_t      btl_put_alignment;    /**< minimum alignment/size needed by btl_put (power of 2) */
 
+    /* minimum transaction sizes for which registration is required for local memory */
+    size_t      btl_get_local_registration_threshold;
+    size_t      btl_put_local_registration_threshold;
+
     /* BTL function table */
     mca_btl_base_module_add_procs_fn_t      btl_add_procs;
     mca_btl_base_module_del_procs_fn_t      btl_del_procs;
diff --git a/opal/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_component.c b/opal/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_component.c
index 5a3d75b5944..b892544b786 100644
--- a/opal/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_component.c
+++ b/opal/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_component.c
@@ -816,6 +816,9 @@ static int init_one_port(opal_list_t *btl_list, mca_btl_openib_device_t *device,
                 openib_btl->super.btl_put_limit = openib_btl->ib_port_attr.max_msg_sz;
             }
 
+            openib_btl->super.btl_put_local_registration_threshold = openib_btl->device->max_inline_data;
+            openib_btl->super.btl_get_local_registration_threshold = 0;
+
 #if HAVE_DECL_IBV_ATOMIC_HCA
             if (openib_btl->device->ib_dev_attr.atomic_cap == IBV_ATOMIC_NONE) {
                 openib_btl->super.btl_flags &= ~MCA_BTL_FLAGS_ATOMIC_FOPS;
diff --git a/opal/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_put.c b/opal/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_put.c
index cc2cadcf73b..1814fbcd0b6 100644
--- a/opal/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_put.c
+++ b/opal/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_put.c
@@ -45,7 +45,12 @@ int mca_btl_openib_put (mca_btl_base_module_t *btl, struct mca_btl_base_endpoint
     mca_btl_openib_put_frag_t *frag = NULL;
     int rc, qp = order;
 
-    if (OPAL_UNLIKELY(size > btl->btl_put_limit)) {
+    if (MCA_BTL_NO_ORDER == qp) {
+        qp = mca_btl_openib_component.rdma_qp;
+    }
+
+    if (OPAL_UNLIKELY((ep->qps[qp].ib_inline_max < size && !local_handle) || !remote_handle ||
+                      size > btl->btl_put_limit)) {
         return OPAL_ERR_BAD_PARAM;
     }
 
@@ -54,10 +59,6 @@ int mca_btl_openib_put (mca_btl_base_module_t *btl, struct mca_btl_base_endpoint
         return OPAL_ERR_OUT_OF_RESOURCE;
     }
 
-    if (MCA_BTL_NO_ORDER == qp) {
-        qp = mca_btl_openib_component.rdma_qp;
-    }
-
     /* set base descriptor flags */
     to_base_frag(frag)->base.order = qp;
     /* free this descriptor when the operation is complete */
@@ -65,7 +66,14 @@ int mca_btl_openib_put (mca_btl_base_module_t *btl, struct mca_btl_base_endpoint
 
     /* set up scatter-gather entry */
     to_com_frag(frag)->sg_entry.length = size;
-    to_com_frag(frag)->sg_entry.lkey   = local_handle->lkey;
+
+    if (local_handle) {
+        to_com_frag(frag)->sg_entry.lkey   = local_handle->lkey;
+    } else {
+        /* lkey is not required for inline RDMA write */
+        to_com_frag(frag)->sg_entry.lkey   = 0;
+    }
+
     to_com_frag(frag)->sg_entry.addr   = (uint64_t)(intptr_t) local_address;
     to_com_frag(frag)->endpoint = ep;
 
diff --git a/opal/mca/btl/ugni/btl_ugni_component.c b/opal/mca/btl/ugni/btl_ugni_component.c
index 9338c1fa217..1e0fc91555d 100644
--- a/opal/mca/btl/ugni/btl_ugni_component.c
+++ b/opal/mca/btl/ugni/btl_ugni_component.c
@@ -251,6 +251,9 @@ btl_ugni_component_register(void)
     mca_btl_ugni_module.super.btl_bandwidth = 40000; /* Mbs */
     mca_btl_ugni_module.super.btl_latency   = 2;     /* Microsecs */
 
+    mca_btl_ugni_module.super.btl_get_local_registration_threshold = 0;
+    mca_btl_ugni_module.super.btl_put_local_registration_threshold = mca_btl_ugni_component.ugni_fma_limit;
+
     /* Call the BTL based to register its MCA params */
     mca_btl_base_param_register(&mca_btl_ugni_component.super.btl_version,
                                 &mca_btl_ugni_module.super);
@@ -321,6 +324,8 @@ mca_btl_ugni_component_init (int *num_btl_modules,
         mca_btl_ugni_component.ugni_fma_limit = 65536;
     }
 
+    mca_btl_ugni_module.super.btl_put_local_registration_threshold = mca_btl_ugni_component.ugni_fma_limit;
+
     if (enable_mpi_threads && mca_btl_ugni_component.progress_thread_requested) {
         mca_btl_ugni_component.progress_thread_enabled = 1;
     }
diff --git a/opal/mca/btl/ugni/btl_ugni_rdma.h b/opal/mca/btl/ugni/btl_ugni_rdma.h
index bcc8a5f33c7..970feabd34c 100644
--- a/opal/mca/btl/ugni/btl_ugni_rdma.h
+++ b/opal/mca/btl/ugni/btl_ugni_rdma.h
@@ -53,8 +53,13 @@ static inline int mca_btl_ugni_post_fma (struct mca_btl_base_endpoint_t *endpoin
                                          void *cbcontext, void *cbdata)
 {
     mca_btl_ugni_post_descriptor_t *post_desc;
+    gni_mem_handle_t local_gni_handle = {0, 0};
     gni_return_t grc;
 
+    if (local_handle) {
+        local_gni_handle = local_handle->gni_handle;
+    }
+
     mca_btl_ugni_alloc_post_descriptor (endpoint, local_handle, cbfunc, cbcontext, cbdata, &post_desc);
     if (OPAL_UNLIKELY(NULL == post_desc)) {
         return OPAL_ERR_OUT_OF_RESOURCE;
@@ -62,7 +67,7 @@ static inline int mca_btl_ugni_post_fma (struct mca_btl_base_endpoint_t *endpoin
 
     /* Post descriptor (CQ is ignored for FMA transactions) -- The CQ associated with the endpoint
      * is used. */
-    init_gni_post_desc (&post_desc->desc, order, op_type, (intptr_t) local_address, local_handle->gni_handle,
+    init_gni_post_desc (&post_desc->desc, order, op_type, (intptr_t) local_address, local_gni_handle,
                         remote_address, remote_handle->gni_handle, size, 0);
 
     OPAL_THREAD_LOCK(&endpoint->btl->device->dev_lock);