diff --git a/prov/efa/src/rdm/efa_rdm_ep_fiops.c b/prov/efa/src/rdm/efa_rdm_ep_fiops.c
index 56e80bc146d..1387f6f8130 100644
--- a/prov/efa/src/rdm/efa_rdm_ep_fiops.c
+++ b/prov/efa/src/rdm/efa_rdm_ep_fiops.c
@@ -236,7 +236,9 @@ int efa_rdm_ep_create_buffer_pools(struct efa_rdm_ep *ep)
 	ret = ofi_bufpool_create(&ep->user_rx_pkt_pool,
 			sizeof(struct efa_rdm_pke),
 			EFA_RDM_BUFPOOL_ALIGNMENT,
-			0, ep->base_ep.info->rx_attr->size, 0);
+			ep->base_ep.info->rx_attr->size,
+			ep->base_ep.info->rx_attr->size, /* max count==chunk_cnt means pool is not allowed to grow */
+			0);
 	if (ret)
 		goto err_free;
 
diff --git a/prov/efa/src/rdm/efa_rdm_ep_utils.c b/prov/efa/src/rdm/efa_rdm_ep_utils.c
index 69812d0f90c..51e4e8c405a 100644
--- a/prov/efa/src/rdm/efa_rdm_ep_utils.c
+++ b/prov/efa/src/rdm/efa_rdm_ep_utils.c
@@ -214,10 +214,8 @@ int efa_rdm_ep_post_user_recv_buf(struct efa_rdm_ep *ep, struct efa_rdm_ope *rxe
 	assert(rxe->iov_count > 0  && rxe->iov_count <= ep->base_ep.info->rx_attr->iov_limit);
 	assert(rxe->iov[0].iov_len >= ep->msg_prefix_size);
 	pkt_entry = efa_rdm_pke_alloc(ep, ep->user_rx_pkt_pool, EFA_RDM_PKE_FROM_USER_RX_POOL);
-	if (OFI_UNLIKELY(!pkt_entry)) {
-		EFA_WARN(FI_LOG_EP_DATA, "Failed to allocate pkt_entry for user rx\n");
-		return -FI_ENOMEM;
-	}
+	if (OFI_UNLIKELY(!pkt_entry))
+		return -FI_EAGAIN;
 
 	pkt_entry->ope = rxe;
 	rxe->state = EFA_RDM_RXE_MATCHED;
diff --git a/prov/efa/src/rdm/efa_rdm_msg.c b/prov/efa/src/rdm/efa_rdm_msg.c
index cdbabe128c1..dc583c0255e 100644
--- a/prov/efa/src/rdm/efa_rdm_msg.c
+++ b/prov/efa/src/rdm/efa_rdm_msg.c
@@ -917,6 +917,9 @@ ssize_t efa_rdm_msg_generic_recv(struct efa_rdm_ep *ep, const struct fi_msg *msg
 		}
 
 		ret = efa_rdm_ep_post_user_recv_buf(ep, rxe, flags);
+		if (OFI_UNLIKELY(ret))
+			efa_rdm_rxe_release(rxe);
+
 		ofi_genlock_unlock(srx_ctx->lock);
 	} else if (op == ofi_op_tagged) {
 		ret = util_srx_generic_trecv(ep->peer_srx_ep, msg->msg_iov, msg->desc,
diff --git a/prov/efa/test/efa_unit_test_ep.c b/prov/efa/test/efa_unit_test_ep.c
index f8dd2073df4..b87382c1a0f 100644
--- a/prov/efa/test/efa_unit_test_ep.c
+++ b/prov/efa/test/efa_unit_test_ep.c
@@ -1119,6 +1119,46 @@ void test_efa_rdm_ep_zcpy_recv_cancel(struct efa_resource **state)
 	free(recv_buff.buff);
 }
 
+/**
+ * @brief When user posts more than rx size fi_recv, we should return eagain and make sure
+ * there is no rx entry leaked
+ */
+void test_efa_rdm_ep_zcpy_recv_eagain(struct efa_resource **state)
+{
+	struct efa_resource *resource = *state;
+	struct efa_unit_test_buff recv_buff;
+	int i;
+	struct efa_rdm_ep *efa_rdm_ep;
+
+	resource->hints = efa_unit_test_alloc_hints(FI_EP_RDM);
+	assert_non_null(resource->hints);
+
+	resource->hints->caps = FI_MSG;
+
+	/* enable zero-copy recv mode in ep */
+	test_efa_rdm_ep_use_zcpy_rx_impl(resource, false, true, true);
+
+	efa_rdm_ep = container_of(resource->ep, struct efa_rdm_ep, base_ep.util_ep.ep_fid);
+
+	/* Construct a recv buffer with mr */
+	efa_unit_test_buff_construct(&recv_buff, resource, 16);
+
+	for (i = 0; i < efa_rdm_ep->base_ep.info->rx_attr->size; i++)
+		assert_int_equal(fi_recv(resource->ep, recv_buff.buff, recv_buff.size, fi_mr_desc(recv_buff.mr), FI_ADDR_UNSPEC, NULL), 0);
+
+	/* we should have rx number of rx entry before and after the extra recv post */
+	assert_true(efa_unit_test_get_dlist_length(&efa_rdm_ep->rxe_list) == efa_rdm_ep->base_ep.info->rx_attr->size);
+	assert_int_equal(fi_recv(resource->ep, recv_buff.buff, recv_buff.size, fi_mr_desc(recv_buff.mr), FI_ADDR_UNSPEC, NULL), -FI_EAGAIN);
+	assert_true(efa_unit_test_get_dlist_length(&efa_rdm_ep->rxe_list) == efa_rdm_ep->base_ep.info->rx_attr->size);
+
+	/**
+	 * the buf is still posted to rdma-core, so unregistering mr can
+	 * return non-zero. Currently ignore this failure.
+	 */
+	(void) fi_close(&recv_buff.mr->fid);
+	free(recv_buff.buff);
+}
+
 /**
  * @brief when efa_rdm_ep_post_handshake_error failed due to pkt pool exhaustion, 
  * make sure both txe is cleaned
diff --git a/prov/efa/test/efa_unit_tests.c b/prov/efa/test/efa_unit_tests.c
index 7c485058132..2232ea36059 100644
--- a/prov/efa/test/efa_unit_tests.c
+++ b/prov/efa/test/efa_unit_tests.c
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ int main(void)
 		cmocka_unit_test_setup_teardown(test_efa_rdm_ep_user_zcpy_rx_unhappy_due_to_no_mr_local, efa_unit_test_mocks_setup, efa_unit_test_mocks_teardown),
 		cmocka_unit_test_setup_teardown(test_efa_rdm_ep_close_discard_posted_recv, efa_unit_test_mocks_setup, efa_unit_test_mocks_teardown),
 		cmocka_unit_test_setup_teardown(test_efa_rdm_ep_zcpy_recv_cancel, efa_unit_test_mocks_setup, efa_unit_test_mocks_teardown),
+		cmocka_unit_test_setup_teardown(test_efa_rdm_ep_zcpy_recv_eagain, efa_unit_test_mocks_setup, efa_unit_test_mocks_teardown),
 		cmocka_unit_test_setup_teardown(test_efa_rdm_ep_post_handshake_error_handling_pke_exhaustion, efa_unit_test_mocks_setup, efa_unit_test_mocks_teardown),
 		cmocka_unit_test_setup_teardown(test_dgram_cq_read_empty_cq, efa_unit_test_mocks_setup, efa_unit_test_mocks_teardown),
 		cmocka_unit_test_setup_teardown(test_ibv_cq_ex_read_empty_cq, efa_unit_test_mocks_setup, efa_unit_test_mocks_teardown),
diff --git a/prov/efa/test/efa_unit_tests.h b/prov/efa/test/efa_unit_tests.h
index c4605c8e962..d44368bc81f 100644
--- a/prov/efa/test/efa_unit_tests.h
+++ b/prov/efa/test/efa_unit_tests.h
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ void test_efa_rdm_ep_user_p2p_not_supported_zcpy_rx_happy();
 void test_efa_rdm_ep_user_zcpy_rx_unhappy_due_to_no_mr_local();
 void test_efa_rdm_ep_close_discard_posted_recv();
 void test_efa_rdm_ep_zcpy_recv_cancel();
+void test_efa_rdm_ep_zcpy_recv_eagain();
 void test_efa_rdm_ep_post_handshake_error_handling_pke_exhaustion();
 void test_dgram_cq_read_empty_cq();
 void test_ibv_cq_ex_read_empty_cq();