diff --git a/ompi/mpi/c/init_thread.c b/ompi/mpi/c/init_thread.c
index 48fc53a1540..f4daf25d910 100644
--- a/ompi/mpi/c/init_thread.c
+++ b/ompi/mpi/c/init_thread.c
@@ -48,6 +48,11 @@ int MPI_Init_thread(int *argc, char ***argv, int required,
                     int *provided)
 {
     int err;
+    char *env;
+
+    if (NULL != (env = getenv("OMPI_MPI_THREAD_LEVEL")))  {
+        required = atoi(env);
+    }
 
     ompi_hook_base_mpi_init_thread_top(argc, argv, required, provided);
 
diff --git a/ompi/request/request.h b/ompi/request/request.h
index ff85d2b7611..7b58fa0c780 100644
--- a/ompi/request/request.h
+++ b/ompi/request/request.h
@@ -417,21 +417,24 @@ static inline int ompi_request_free(ompi_request_t** request)
 
 static inline void ompi_request_wait_completion(ompi_request_t *req)
 {
-    if (opal_using_threads () && !REQUEST_COMPLETE(req)) {
-        void *_tmp_ptr = REQUEST_PENDING;
-        ompi_wait_sync_t sync;
+    if (opal_using_threads ()) {
+        if(!REQUEST_COMPLETE(req)) {
+            void *_tmp_ptr = REQUEST_PENDING;
+            ompi_wait_sync_t sync;
 
-        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);
+            }
 
-        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();