diff --git a/ompi/mca/osc/ucx/osc_ucx_component.c b/ompi/mca/osc/ucx/osc_ucx_component.c
index 17071cadc13..431a86b9445 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/osc/ucx/osc_ucx_component.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/osc/ucx/osc_ucx_component.c
@@ -142,11 +142,78 @@ static int progress_callback(void) {
     return 0;
 }
 
+static int ucp_context_init(void) {
+    int ret = OMPI_SUCCESS;
+    ucs_status_t status;
+    ucp_config_t *config = NULL;
+    ucp_params_t context_params;
+
+    status = ucp_config_read("MPI", NULL, &config);
+    if (UCS_OK != status) {
+        OSC_UCX_VERBOSE(1, "ucp_config_read failed: %d", status);
+        return OMPI_ERROR;
+    }
+
+    /* initialize UCP context */
+    memset(&context_params, 0, sizeof(context_params));
+    context_params.field_mask = UCP_PARAM_FIELD_FEATURES |
+                                UCP_PARAM_FIELD_MT_WORKERS_SHARED |
+                                UCP_PARAM_FIELD_ESTIMATED_NUM_EPS |
+                                UCP_PARAM_FIELD_REQUEST_INIT |
+                                UCP_PARAM_FIELD_REQUEST_SIZE;
+    context_params.features = UCP_FEATURE_RMA | UCP_FEATURE_AMO32 | UCP_FEATURE_AMO64;
+    context_params.mt_workers_shared = 0;
+    context_params.estimated_num_eps = ompi_proc_world_size();
+    context_params.request_init = internal_req_init;
+    context_params.request_size = sizeof(ompi_osc_ucx_internal_request_t);
+
+    status = ucp_init(&context_params, config, &mca_osc_ucx_component.ucp_context);
+    ucp_config_release(config);
+    if (UCS_OK != status) {
+        OSC_UCX_VERBOSE(1, "ucp_init failed: %d", status);
+        ret =  OMPI_ERROR;
+    }
+
+    return ret;
+}
 static int component_init(bool enable_progress_threads, bool enable_mpi_threads) {
+    opal_common_ucx_support_level_t support_level = OPAL_COMMON_UCX_SUPPORT_NONE;
+    mca_base_var_source_t param_source = MCA_BASE_VAR_SOURCE_DEFAULT;
+    int ret = OMPI_SUCCESS,
+        param = -1;
+
     mca_osc_ucx_component.enable_mpi_threads = enable_mpi_threads;
 
     opal_common_ucx_mca_register();
-    return OMPI_SUCCESS;
+
+    ret = ucp_context_init();
+    if (OMPI_ERROR == ret) {
+        return OMPI_ERR_NOT_AVAILABLE;
+    }
+
+    support_level = opal_common_ucx_support_level(mca_osc_ucx_component.ucp_context);
+    if (OPAL_COMMON_UCX_SUPPORT_NONE == support_level) {
+        ucp_cleanup(mca_osc_ucx_component.ucp_context);
+        mca_osc_ucx_component.ucp_context = NULL;
+        return OMPI_ERR_NOT_AVAILABLE;
+    }
+
+    param = mca_base_var_find("ompi","osc","ucx","priority");
+    if (0 <= param) {
+        (void) mca_base_var_get_value(param, NULL, &param_source, NULL);
+    }
+
+    /*
+     * Retain priority if we have supported devices and transports.
+     * Lower priority if we have supported transports, but not supported devices.
+     */
+    if (MCA_BASE_VAR_SOURCE_DEFAULT == param_source) {
+        mca_osc_ucx_component.priority = (support_level == OPAL_COMMON_UCX_SUPPORT_DEVICE) ?
+                    mca_osc_ucx_component.priority : 9;
+        OSC_UCX_VERBOSE(2, "returning priority %d", mca_osc_ucx_component.priority);
+    }
+
+    return ret;
 }
 
 static int component_finalize(void) {
@@ -165,7 +232,10 @@ static int component_finalize(void) {
     assert(mca_osc_ucx_component.num_incomplete_req_ops == 0);
     if (mca_osc_ucx_component.env_initialized == true) {
         OBJ_DESTRUCT(&mca_osc_ucx_component.requests);
-        ucp_cleanup(mca_osc_ucx_component.ucp_context);
+        if (NULL != mca_osc_ucx_component.ucp_context) {
+            ucp_cleanup(mca_osc_ucx_component.ucp_context);
+            mca_osc_ucx_component.ucp_context = NULL;
+        }
         mca_osc_ucx_component.env_initialized = false;
     }
     opal_common_ucx_mca_deregister();
@@ -317,18 +387,9 @@ static int component_select(struct ompi_win_t *win, void **base, size_t size, in
     _osc_ucx_init_lock();
 
     if (mca_osc_ucx_component.env_initialized == false) {
-        ucp_config_t *config = NULL;
-        ucp_params_t context_params;
         ucp_worker_params_t worker_params;
         ucp_worker_attr_t worker_attr;
 
-        status = ucp_config_read("MPI", NULL, &config);
-        if (UCS_OK != status) {
-            OSC_UCX_VERBOSE(1, "ucp_config_read failed: %d", status);
-            ret = OMPI_ERROR;
-            goto select_unlock;
-        }
-
         OBJ_CONSTRUCT(&mca_osc_ucx_component.requests, opal_free_list_t);
         ret = opal_free_list_init (&mca_osc_ucx_component.requests,
                                    sizeof(ompi_osc_ucx_request_t),
@@ -340,28 +401,6 @@ static int component_select(struct ompi_win_t *win, void **base, size_t size, in
             goto select_unlock;
         }
 
-        /* initialize UCP context */
-
-        memset(&context_params, 0, sizeof(context_params));
-        context_params.field_mask = UCP_PARAM_FIELD_FEATURES |
-                                    UCP_PARAM_FIELD_MT_WORKERS_SHARED |
-                                    UCP_PARAM_FIELD_ESTIMATED_NUM_EPS |
-                                    UCP_PARAM_FIELD_REQUEST_INIT |
-                                    UCP_PARAM_FIELD_REQUEST_SIZE;
-        context_params.features = UCP_FEATURE_RMA | UCP_FEATURE_AMO32 | UCP_FEATURE_AMO64;
-        context_params.mt_workers_shared = 0;
-        context_params.estimated_num_eps = ompi_proc_world_size();
-        context_params.request_init = internal_req_init;
-        context_params.request_size = sizeof(ompi_osc_ucx_internal_request_t);
-
-        status = ucp_init(&context_params, config, &mca_osc_ucx_component.ucp_context);
-        ucp_config_release(config);
-        if (UCS_OK != status) {
-            OSC_UCX_VERBOSE(1, "ucp_init failed: %d", status);
-            ret = OMPI_ERROR;
-            goto select_unlock;
-        }
-
         assert(mca_osc_ucx_component.ucp_worker == NULL);
         memset(&worker_params, 0, sizeof(worker_params));
         worker_params.field_mask = UCP_WORKER_PARAM_FIELD_THREAD_MODE;