diff --git a/opal/mca/btl/self/btl_self.c b/opal/mca/btl/self/btl_self.c
index 0e8b5299d06..03b2389a5a8 100644
--- a/opal/mca/btl/self/btl_self.c
+++ b/opal/mca/btl/self/btl_self.c
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  * Copyright (c) 2004-2007 The Trustees of Indiana University and Indiana
  *                         University Research and Technology
  *                         Corporation.  All rights reserved.
- * Copyright (c) 2004-2013 The University of Tennessee and The University
+ * Copyright (c) 2004-2022 The University of Tennessee and The University
  *                         of Tennessee Research Foundation.  All rights
  *                         reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2004-2005 High Performance Computing Center Stuttgart,
@@ -248,7 +248,9 @@ static int mca_btl_self_sendi(struct mca_btl_base_module_t *btl,
     frag = mca_btl_self_prepare_src(btl, endpoint, convertor, order, header_size, &payload_size,
                                     flags | MCA_BTL_DES_FLAGS_BTL_OWNERSHIP);
     if (NULL == frag) {
-        *descriptor = NULL;
+        if( NULL != descriptor ) {
+            *descriptor = NULL;
+        }
         return OPAL_ERR_OUT_OF_RESOURCE;
     }
 
diff --git a/opal/mca/btl/smcuda/btl_smcuda.c b/opal/mca/btl/smcuda/btl_smcuda.c
index 5784e79bdde..3baac9f39b7 100644
--- a/opal/mca/btl/smcuda/btl_smcuda.c
+++ b/opal/mca/btl/smcuda/btl_smcuda.c
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  * Copyright (c) 2004-2011 The Trustees of Indiana University and Indiana
  *                         University Research and Technology
  *                         Corporation.  All rights reserved.
- * Copyright (c) 2004-2014 The University of Tennessee and The University
+ * Copyright (c) 2004-2022 The University of Tennessee and The University
  *                         of Tennessee Research Foundation.  All rights
  *                         reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2004-2007 High Performance Computing Center Stuttgart,
@@ -876,11 +876,7 @@ int mca_btl_smcuda_sendi(struct mca_btl_base_module_t *btl,
     }
     /* We do not want to use this path when we have CUDA IPC support */
     if ((convertor->flags & CONVERTOR_CUDA) && (IPC_ACKED == endpoint->ipcstate)) {
-        if (NULL != descriptor) {
-            *descriptor = mca_btl_smcuda_alloc(btl, endpoint, order, payload_size + header_size,
-                                               flags);
-        }
-        return OPAL_ERR_RESOURCE_BUSY;
+        goto return_resource_busy;
     }
 #endif /* OPAL_CUDA_SUPPORT */
 
@@ -942,8 +938,10 @@ int mca_btl_smcuda_sendi(struct mca_btl_base_module_t *btl,
         return OPAL_SUCCESS;
     }
 
-    /* presumably, this code path will never get executed */
-    *descriptor = mca_btl_smcuda_alloc(btl, endpoint, order, payload_size + header_size, flags);
+  return_resource_busy:
+    if (NULL != descriptor) {
+        *descriptor = mca_btl_smcuda_alloc(btl, endpoint, order, payload_size + header_size, flags);
+    }
     return OPAL_ERR_RESOURCE_BUSY;
 }