diff --git a/source/adios2/toolkit/sst/dp/rdma_dp.c b/source/adios2/toolkit/sst/dp/rdma_dp.c
index 9491c451d6..af680daba9 100644
--- a/source/adios2/toolkit/sst/dp/rdma_dp.c
+++ b/source/adios2/toolkit/sst/dp/rdma_dp.c
@@ -254,13 +254,32 @@ struct fabric_state
     pthread_t pthread_id;
 };
 
-void cq_read(struct fabric_state *fabric, struct fi_cq_data_entry *CQEntry)
+void cq_read(struct fabric_state *fabric, struct fi_cq_data_entry *CQEntry, CP_Services Svcs,
+             void *Stream)
 {
-    unsigned int current_backoff_seconds = 0;
-    struct fi_cq_data_entry *res = cq_manual_progress_pop(fabric->cq_manual_progress);
-    memcpy(CQEntry, res, sizeof(struct fi_cq_data_entry));
-    free(res);
-    return;
+    if (fabric->cq_manual_progress)
+    {
+        struct fi_cq_data_entry *res = cq_manual_progress_pop(fabric->cq_manual_progress);
+        memcpy(CQEntry, res, sizeof(struct fi_cq_data_entry));
+        free(res);
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        ssize_t rc = fi_cq_sread(fabric->cq_signal, (void *)CQEntry, 1, NULL, -1);
+        if (rc < 1)
+        {
+            struct fi_cq_err_entry error = {.err = 0};
+            fi_cq_readerr(fabric->cq_signal, &error, 0);
+            if (error.err != -FI_SUCCESS)
+            {
+                Svcs->verbose(
+                    Stream, DPCriticalVerbose,
+                    "[PullSelection] no completion event (%d (%s - %s)).\n", rc,
+                    fi_strerror(error.err),
+                    fi_cq_strerror(fabric->cq_signal, error.err, error.err_data, NULL, error.len));
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 /*
@@ -643,32 +662,45 @@ static void init_fabric(struct fabric_state *fabric, struct _SstParams *Params,
         return;
     }
 
-    fi_freeinfo(originfo);
-
     fabric->cq_manual_progress = NULL;
 
-    struct cq_manual_progress *manual_progress = malloc(sizeof(struct cq_manual_progress));
-
-    manual_progress->cq_signal = fabric->cq_signal;
-    if (pthread_mutex_init(&manual_progress->cq_event_list_mutex, NULL) != 0)
+    if (info->domain_attr->data_progress == FI_PROGRESS_MANUAL)
     {
-        Svcs->verbose(CP_Stream, DPCriticalVerbose, "Could not init mutex.\n");
-        return;
-    }
-    manual_progress->cq_event_list = NULL;
-    manual_progress->cq_event_list_filled = 0;
-    manual_progress->Svcs = Svcs;
-    manual_progress->Stream = CP_Stream;
-    manual_progress->do_continue = 1;
-    pthread_cond_init(&manual_progress->cq_even_list_signal, NULL);
+        Svcs->verbose(
+            CP_Stream, DPTraceVerbose,
+            "Using a separate thread to comply with the fabric's manual progress preference.\n");
 
-    fabric->cq_manual_progress = manual_progress;
+        struct cq_manual_progress *manual_progress = malloc(sizeof(struct cq_manual_progress));
 
-    if (pthread_create(&fabric->pthread_id, NULL, &make_progress, fabric->cq_manual_progress) != 0)
+        manual_progress->cq_signal = fabric->cq_signal;
+        if (pthread_mutex_init(&manual_progress->cq_event_list_mutex, NULL) != 0)
+        {
+            Svcs->verbose(CP_Stream, DPCriticalVerbose, "Could not init mutex.\n");
+            return;
+        }
+        manual_progress->cq_event_list = NULL;
+        manual_progress->cq_event_list_filled = 0;
+        manual_progress->Svcs = Svcs;
+        manual_progress->Stream = CP_Stream;
+        manual_progress->do_continue = 1;
+        pthread_cond_init(&manual_progress->cq_even_list_signal, NULL);
+
+        fabric->cq_manual_progress = manual_progress;
+
+        if (pthread_create(&fabric->pthread_id, NULL, &make_progress, fabric->cq_manual_progress) !=
+            0)
+        {
+            Svcs->verbose(CP_Stream, DPCriticalVerbose, "Could not start thread.\n");
+            return;
+        }
+    }
+    else
     {
-        Svcs->verbose(CP_Stream, DPCriticalVerbose, "Could not start thread.\n");
-        return;
+        Svcs->verbose(CP_Stream, DPTraceVerbose,
+                      "Using the fabric's automatic progress capability.\n");
     }
+
+    fi_freeinfo(originfo);
 }
 
 static void fini_fabric(struct fabric_state *fabric, CP_Services Svcs, void *CP_Stream)
@@ -1860,7 +1892,7 @@ static int DoPushWait(CP_Services Svcs, Rdma_RS_Stream Stream, RdmaCompletionHan
 
     while (Handle->Pending > 0)
     {
-        cq_read(Fabric, &CQEntry);
+        cq_read(Fabric, &CQEntry, Svcs, Stream);
         if (CQEntry.flags & FI_REMOTE_CQ_DATA)
         {
             BufferSlot = CQEntry.data >> 31;
@@ -1926,7 +1958,7 @@ static int WaitForAnyPull(CP_Services Svcs, Rdma_RS_Stream Stream)
     RdmaCompletionHandle Handle_t;
     struct fi_cq_data_entry CQEntry = {0};
 
-    cq_read(Fabric, &CQEntry);
+    cq_read(Fabric, &CQEntry, Svcs, Stream);
     {
         Svcs->verbose(Stream->CP_Stream, DPTraceVerbose,
                       "got completion for request with handle %p (flags %li).\n",
@@ -2301,6 +2333,14 @@ static int RdmaGetPriority(CP_Services Svcs, void *CP_Stream, struct _SstParams
 
     ifname = get_preferred_domain(Params);
 
+    char const *provider_name = NULL;
+    if ((provider_name = getenv("FABRIC_PROVIDER")))
+    {
+        size_t len = strlen(provider_name);
+        hints->fabric_attr->prov_name = malloc(len + 1);
+        memcpy(hints->fabric_attr->prov_name, provider_name, len + 1);
+    }
+
     forkunsafe = getenv("FI_FORK_UNSAFE");
     if (!forkunsafe)
     {
@@ -2588,7 +2628,7 @@ static void PostPreload(CP_Services Svcs, Rdma_RS_Stream Stream, long Timestep)
 
     while (WRidx > 0)
     {
-        cq_read(Fabric, &CQEntry);
+        cq_read(Fabric, &CQEntry, Svcs, Stream);
         CQBuffer = CQEntry.op_context;
         if (CQBuffer >= SendBuffer && CQBuffer < (SendBuffer + StepLog->WRanks))
         {
@@ -2715,7 +2755,7 @@ static void PullSelection(CP_Services Svcs, Rdma_WSR_Stream Stream)
     RankReq = Stream->PreloadReq;
     while (RankReq)
     {
-        cq_read(Fabric, &CQEntry);
+        cq_read(Fabric, &CQEntry, Svcs, Stream);
         CQRankReq = CQEntry.op_context;
         if (CQEntry.flags & FI_READ)
         {
@@ -2747,7 +2787,7 @@ static void CompletePush(CP_Services Svcs, Rdma_WSR_Stream Stream, TimestepList
 
     while (Step->OutstandingWrites > 0)
     {
-        cq_read(Fabric, &CQEntry);
+        cq_read(Fabric, &CQEntry, Svcs, Stream);
         if (CQEntry.flags & FI_WRITE)
         {
             CQTimestep = (long)CQEntry.op_context;