diff --git a/include/rdma/fi_ext.h b/include/rdma/fi_ext.h
index a17288dae5a..dbd57d42f64 100644
--- a/include/rdma/fi_ext.h
+++ b/include/rdma/fi_ext.h
@@ -78,6 +78,11 @@ enum {
 	FI_OPT_EFA_WRITE_IN_ORDER_ALIGNED_128_BYTES, /* bool */
 };
 
+/* provider specific op flags range between 60-63 */
+enum {
+	FI_TCP_NO_CONNECT = (1ULL << 60)
+};
+
 struct fi_fid_export {
 	struct fid **fid;
 	uint64_t flags;
diff --git a/man/fi_tcp.7.md b/man/fi_tcp.7.md
index f65d161fd48..2968d98a0e2 100644
--- a/man/fi_tcp.7.md
+++ b/man/fi_tcp.7.md
@@ -32,6 +32,15 @@ The following features are supported
 *Shared Rx Context*
 : The tcp provider supports shared receive context
 
+# PROVIDER SPECIFIC OPERATION FLAGS
+: The tcp provider supports the following op flags
+
+*FI_TCP_NO_CONNECT*
+: This flag indicates that operations should fail if there is no
+  existing connection to the remote peer.  In such case, an FI_ENOTCONN
+  error should be expected.
+
+
 # RUNTIME PARAMETERS
 
 The tcp provider may be configured using several environment variables.  A
diff --git a/prov/tcp/src/xnet.h b/prov/tcp/src/xnet.h
index ee16d7e3a98..f2ac5f63c27 100644
--- a/prov/tcp/src/xnet.h
+++ b/prov/tcp/src/xnet.h
@@ -98,6 +98,9 @@ typedef void  xnet_profile_t;
 #define XNET_MIN_MULTI_RECV	16384
 #define XNET_PORT_MAX_RANGE	(USHRT_MAX)
 
+/* provider specific op flags */
+#define TCP_NO_CONNECT FI_TCP_NO_CONNECT
+
 extern struct fi_provider	xnet_prov;
 extern struct util_prov		xnet_util_prov;
 void xnet_init_infos(void);
@@ -304,8 +307,8 @@ struct xnet_rdm {
 
 int xnet_rdm_ep(struct fid_domain *domain, struct fi_info *info,
 		struct fid_ep **ep_fid, void *context);
-ssize_t xnet_get_conn(struct xnet_rdm *rdm, fi_addr_t dest_addr,
-		      struct xnet_conn **conn);
+ssize_t xnet_get_conn(struct xnet_rdm *rdm, fi_addr_t addr,
+		      struct xnet_conn **conn, uint64_t flags);
 struct xnet_ep *xnet_get_rx_ep(struct xnet_rdm *rdm, fi_addr_t addr);
 void xnet_freeall_conns(struct xnet_rdm *rdm);
 
diff --git a/prov/tcp/src/xnet_rdm.c b/prov/tcp/src/xnet_rdm.c
index 0d85faaa449..53d3bc7d310 100644
--- a/prov/tcp/src/xnet_rdm.c
+++ b/prov/tcp/src/xnet_rdm.c
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ xnet_rdm_send(struct fid_ep *ep_fid, const void *buf, size_t len,
 
 	rdm = container_of(ep_fid, struct xnet_rdm, util_ep.ep_fid);
 	ofi_genlock_lock(&xnet_rdm2_progress(rdm)->rdm_lock);
-	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, dest_addr, &conn);
+	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, dest_addr, &conn, rdm->util_ep.tx_op_flags);
 	if (ret)
 		goto unlock;
 
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ xnet_rdm_sendv(struct fid_ep *ep_fid, const struct iovec *iov,
 
 	rdm = container_of(ep_fid, struct xnet_rdm, util_ep.ep_fid);
 	ofi_genlock_lock(&xnet_rdm2_progress(rdm)->rdm_lock);
-	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, dest_addr, &conn);
+	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, dest_addr, &conn, rdm->util_ep.tx_op_flags);
 	if (ret)
 		goto unlock;
 
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ xnet_rdm_sendmsg(struct fid_ep *ep_fid, const struct fi_msg *msg,
 
 	rdm = container_of(ep_fid, struct xnet_rdm, util_ep.ep_fid);
 	ofi_genlock_lock(&xnet_rdm2_progress(rdm)->rdm_lock);
-	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, msg->addr, &conn);
+	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, msg->addr, &conn, flags);
 	if (ret)
 		goto unlock;
 
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ xnet_rdm_inject(struct fid_ep *ep_fid, const void *buf,
 
 	rdm = container_of(ep_fid, struct xnet_rdm, util_ep.ep_fid);
 	ofi_genlock_lock(&xnet_rdm2_progress(rdm)->rdm_lock);
-	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, dest_addr, &conn);
+	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, dest_addr, &conn, rdm->util_ep.tx_op_flags);
 	if (ret)
 		goto unlock;
 
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ xnet_rdm_senddata(struct fid_ep *ep_fid, const void *buf, size_t len,
 
 	rdm = container_of(ep_fid, struct xnet_rdm, util_ep.ep_fid);
 	ofi_genlock_lock(&xnet_rdm2_progress(rdm)->rdm_lock);
-	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, dest_addr, &conn);
+	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, dest_addr, &conn, rdm->util_ep.tx_op_flags);
 	if (ret)
 		goto unlock;
 
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ xnet_rdm_injectdata(struct fid_ep *ep_fid, const void *buf, size_t len,
 
 	rdm = container_of(ep_fid, struct xnet_rdm, util_ep.ep_fid);
 	ofi_genlock_lock(&xnet_rdm2_progress(rdm)->rdm_lock);
-	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, dest_addr, &conn);
+	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, dest_addr, &conn, rdm->util_ep.tx_op_flags);
 	if (ret)
 		goto unlock;
 
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ xnet_rdm_tsend(struct fid_ep *ep_fid, const void *buf, size_t len,
 
 	rdm = container_of(ep_fid, struct xnet_rdm, util_ep.ep_fid);
 	ofi_genlock_lock(&xnet_rdm2_progress(rdm)->rdm_lock);
-	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, dest_addr, &conn);
+	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, dest_addr, &conn, rdm->util_ep.tx_op_flags);
 	if (ret)
 		goto unlock;
 
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ xnet_rdm_tsendv(struct fid_ep *ep_fid, const struct iovec *iov,
 
 	rdm = container_of(ep_fid, struct xnet_rdm, util_ep.ep_fid);
 	ofi_genlock_lock(&xnet_rdm2_progress(rdm)->rdm_lock);
-	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, dest_addr, &conn);
+	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, dest_addr, &conn, rdm->util_ep.tx_op_flags);
 	if (ret)
 		goto unlock;
 
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ xnet_rdm_tsendmsg(struct fid_ep *ep_fid, const struct fi_msg_tagged *msg,
 
 	rdm = container_of(ep_fid, struct xnet_rdm, util_ep.ep_fid);
 	ofi_genlock_lock(&xnet_rdm2_progress(rdm)->rdm_lock);
-	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, msg->addr, &conn);
+	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, msg->addr, &conn, flags);
 	if (ret)
 		goto unlock;
 
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ xnet_rdm_tinject(struct fid_ep *ep_fid, const void *buf,
 
 	rdm = container_of(ep_fid, struct xnet_rdm, util_ep.ep_fid);
 	ofi_genlock_lock(&xnet_rdm2_progress(rdm)->rdm_lock);
-	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, dest_addr, &conn);
+	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, dest_addr, &conn, rdm->util_ep.tx_op_flags);
 	if (ret)
 		goto unlock;
 
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@ xnet_rdm_tsenddata(struct fid_ep *ep_fid, const void *buf, size_t len,
 
 	rdm = container_of(ep_fid, struct xnet_rdm, util_ep.ep_fid);
 	ofi_genlock_lock(&xnet_rdm2_progress(rdm)->rdm_lock);
-	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, dest_addr, &conn);
+	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, dest_addr, &conn, rdm->util_ep.tx_op_flags);
 	if (ret)
 		goto unlock;
 
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@ xnet_rdm_tinjectdata(struct fid_ep *ep_fid, const void *buf, size_t len,
 
 	rdm = container_of(ep_fid, struct xnet_rdm, util_ep.ep_fid);
 	ofi_genlock_lock(&xnet_rdm2_progress(rdm)->rdm_lock);
-	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, dest_addr, &conn);
+	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, dest_addr, &conn, rdm->util_ep.tx_op_flags);
 	if (ret)
 		goto unlock;
 
@@ -384,7 +384,7 @@ xnet_rdm_read(struct fid_ep *ep_fid, void *buf, size_t len,
 
 	rdm = container_of(ep_fid, struct xnet_rdm, util_ep.ep_fid);
 	ofi_genlock_lock(&xnet_rdm2_progress(rdm)->rdm_lock);
-	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, src_addr, &conn);
+	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, src_addr, &conn, rdm->util_ep.rx_op_flags);
 	if (ret)
 		goto unlock;
 
@@ -406,7 +406,7 @@ xnet_rdm_readv(struct fid_ep *ep_fid, const struct iovec *iov,
 
 	rdm = container_of(ep_fid, struct xnet_rdm, util_ep.ep_fid);
 	ofi_genlock_lock(&xnet_rdm2_progress(rdm)->rdm_lock);
-	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, src_addr, &conn);
+	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, src_addr, &conn, rdm->util_ep.rx_op_flags);
 	if (ret)
 		goto unlock;
 
@@ -427,7 +427,7 @@ xnet_rdm_readmsg(struct fid_ep *ep_fid, const struct fi_msg_rma *msg,
 
 	rdm = container_of(ep_fid, struct xnet_rdm, util_ep.ep_fid);
 	ofi_genlock_lock(&xnet_rdm2_progress(rdm)->rdm_lock);
-	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, msg->addr, &conn);
+	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, msg->addr, &conn, flags);
 	if (ret)
 		goto unlock;
 
@@ -448,7 +448,7 @@ xnet_rdm_write(struct fid_ep *ep_fid, const void *buf,
 
 	rdm = container_of(ep_fid, struct xnet_rdm, util_ep.ep_fid);
 	ofi_genlock_lock(&xnet_rdm2_progress(rdm)->rdm_lock);
-	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, dest_addr, &conn);
+	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, dest_addr, &conn, rdm->util_ep.tx_op_flags);
 	if (ret)
 		goto unlock;
 
@@ -470,7 +470,7 @@ xnet_rdm_writev(struct fid_ep *ep_fid, const struct iovec *iov,
 
 	rdm = container_of(ep_fid, struct xnet_rdm, util_ep.ep_fid);
 	ofi_genlock_lock(&xnet_rdm2_progress(rdm)->rdm_lock);
-	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, dest_addr, &conn);
+	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, dest_addr, &conn, rdm->util_ep.tx_op_flags);
 	if (ret)
 		goto unlock;
 
@@ -491,7 +491,7 @@ xnet_rdm_writemsg(struct fid_ep *ep_fid, const struct fi_msg_rma *msg,
 
 	rdm = container_of(ep_fid, struct xnet_rdm, util_ep.ep_fid);
 	ofi_genlock_lock(&xnet_rdm2_progress(rdm)->rdm_lock);
-	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, msg->addr, &conn);
+	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, msg->addr, &conn, flags);
 	if (ret)
 		goto unlock;
 
@@ -512,7 +512,7 @@ xnet_rdm_inject_write(struct fid_ep *ep_fid, const void *buf,
 
 	rdm = container_of(ep_fid, struct xnet_rdm, util_ep.ep_fid);
 	ofi_genlock_lock(&xnet_rdm2_progress(rdm)->rdm_lock);
-	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, dest_addr, &conn);
+	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, dest_addr, &conn, rdm->util_ep.tx_op_flags);
 	if (ret)
 		goto unlock;
 
@@ -535,7 +535,7 @@ xnet_rdm_writedata(struct fid_ep *ep_fid, const void *buf,
 
 	rdm = container_of(ep_fid, struct xnet_rdm, util_ep.ep_fid);
 	ofi_genlock_lock(&xnet_rdm2_progress(rdm)->rdm_lock);
-	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, dest_addr, &conn);
+	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, dest_addr, &conn, rdm->util_ep.tx_op_flags);
 	if (ret)
 		goto unlock;
 
@@ -557,7 +557,7 @@ xnet_rdm_inject_writedata(struct fid_ep *ep_fid, const void *buf,
 
 	rdm = container_of(ep_fid, struct xnet_rdm, util_ep.ep_fid);
 	ofi_genlock_lock(&xnet_rdm2_progress(rdm)->rdm_lock);
-	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, dest_addr, &conn);
+	ret = xnet_get_conn(rdm, dest_addr, &conn, rdm->util_ep.tx_op_flags);
 	if (ret)
 		goto unlock;
 
diff --git a/prov/tcp/src/xnet_rdm_cm.c b/prov/tcp/src/xnet_rdm_cm.c
index 4dfc966505d..c03fdbc47b0 100644
--- a/prov/tcp/src/xnet_rdm_cm.c
+++ b/prov/tcp/src/xnet_rdm_cm.c
@@ -317,28 +317,31 @@ xnet_alloc_conn(struct xnet_rdm *rdm, struct util_peer_addr *peer)
 	return conn;
 }
 
-static struct xnet_conn *
-xnet_add_conn(struct xnet_rdm *rdm, struct util_peer_addr *peer)
+static ssize_t
+xnet_add_conn(struct xnet_rdm *rdm, struct util_peer_addr *peer,
+	      struct xnet_conn **conn, uint64_t flags)
 {
-	struct xnet_conn *conn;
 
 	assert(xnet_progress_locked(xnet_rdm2_progress(rdm)));
-	conn = ofi_idm_lookup(&rdm->conn_idx_map, peer->index);
-	if (conn)
-		return conn;
+	*conn = ofi_idm_lookup(&rdm->conn_idx_map, peer->index);
+	if (*conn)
+		return 0;
 
-	conn = xnet_alloc_conn(rdm, peer);
-	if (!conn)
-		return NULL;
+	if (flags & TCP_NO_CONNECT)
+		return -FI_ENOTCONN;
 
-	if (ofi_idm_set(&rdm->conn_idx_map, peer->index, conn) < 0) {
-		xnet_free_conn(conn);
+	*conn = xnet_alloc_conn(rdm, peer);
+	if (!(*conn))
+		return -FI_ENOMEM;
+
+	if (ofi_idm_set(&rdm->conn_idx_map, peer->index, *conn) < 0) {
+		xnet_free_conn(*conn);
 		XNET_WARN_ERR(FI_LOG_EP_CTRL, "ofi_idm_set", -FI_ENOMEM);
-		return NULL;
+		return -FI_ENOMEM;
 	}
 
-	conn->flags |= XNET_CONN_INDEXED;
-	return conn;
+	(*conn)->flags |= XNET_CONN_INDEXED;
+	return 0;
 }
 
 /* The returned conn is only valid if the function returns success.
@@ -346,16 +349,16 @@ xnet_add_conn(struct xnet_rdm *rdm, struct util_peer_addr *peer)
  * we return that rather than int.
  */
 ssize_t xnet_get_conn(struct xnet_rdm *rdm, fi_addr_t addr,
-		      struct xnet_conn **conn)
+		      struct xnet_conn **conn, uint64_t flags)
 {
 	struct util_peer_addr **peer;
 	ssize_t ret;
 
 	assert(xnet_progress_locked(xnet_rdm2_progress(rdm)));
 	peer = ofi_av_addr_context(rdm->util_ep.av, addr);
-	*conn = xnet_add_conn(rdm, *peer);
-	if (!*conn)
-		return -FI_ENOMEM;
+	ret = xnet_add_conn(rdm, *peer, conn, flags);
+	if (ret)
+		return ret;
 
 	if (!(*conn)->ep) {
 		ret = xnet_rdm_connect(*conn);
@@ -444,8 +447,8 @@ static void xnet_process_connreq(struct fi_eq_cm_entry *cm_entry)
 		goto reject;
 	}
 
-	conn = xnet_add_conn(rdm, peer);
-	if (!conn)
+	ret = xnet_add_conn(rdm, peer, &conn, 0);
+	if (ret)
 		goto put;
 
 	FI_INFO(&xnet_prov, FI_LOG_EP_CTRL, "connreq for %p\n", conn);