diff --git a/src/mpid/ch4/netmod/ofi/ofi_send.h b/src/mpid/ch4/netmod/ofi/ofi_send.h
index 897f05b42a7..3d409ef5fa1 100644
--- a/src/mpid/ch4/netmod/ofi/ofi_send.h
+++ b/src/mpid/ch4/netmod/ofi/ofi_send.h
@@ -104,6 +104,10 @@ MPL_STATIC_INLINE_PREFIX int MPIDI_OFI_issue_ack_recv(MPIR_Request * sreq, MPIR_
     ackreq->remote_addr = MPIDI_OFI_av_to_phys(addr, nic, vci_remote);
     ackreq->match_bits = match_bits;
 
+#ifndef MPIDI_CH4_DIRECT_NETMOD
+    /* set is_local in case we go into active messages later */
+    MPIDI_REQUEST(sreq, is_local) = 0;
+#endif
     MPIDI_OFI_CALL_RETRY(fi_trecv(MPIDI_OFI_global.ctx[ackreq->ctx_idx].rx,
                                   ackreq->ack_hdr, ackreq->ack_hdr_sz, NULL, ackreq->remote_addr,
                                   ackreq->match_bits, 0ULL, (void *) &(ackreq->context)),
diff --git a/src/mpid/ch4/netmod/ucx/ucx_send.h b/src/mpid/ch4/netmod/ucx/ucx_send.h
index 70a39f25a7c..838f64397ba 100644
--- a/src/mpid/ch4/netmod/ucx/ucx_send.h
+++ b/src/mpid/ch4/netmod/ucx/ucx_send.h
@@ -161,7 +161,9 @@ MPL_STATIC_INLINE_PREFIX int MPIDI_NM_mpi_isend(const void *buf,
                                addr, request, vci_src, vci_dst, is_sync, 0 /* is_am */);
     MPIDI_UCX_REQ(*request).s.am_req = NULL;
     MPIDI_UCX_THREAD_CS_EXIT_VCI(vci_src);
-
+#ifndef MPIDI_CH4_DIRECT_NETMOD
+    MPIDI_REQUEST(*request, is_local) = 0;
+#endif
 
     MPIR_FUNC_EXIT;
     return mpi_errno;
diff --git a/src/mpid/ch4/src/ch4_send.h b/src/mpid/ch4/src/ch4_send.h
index 1e78055f081..a8be81b4b2b 100644
--- a/src/mpid/ch4/src/ch4_send.h
+++ b/src/mpid/ch4/src/ch4_send.h
@@ -29,8 +29,6 @@ MPL_STATIC_INLINE_PREFIX int MPIDI_isend(const void *buf,
         mpi_errno = MPIDI_SHM_mpi_isend(buf, count, datatype, rank, tag, comm, attr, av, req);
     else
         mpi_errno = MPIDI_NM_mpi_isend(buf, count, datatype, rank, tag, comm, attr, av, req);
-    if (mpi_errno == MPI_SUCCESS)
-        MPIDI_REQUEST(*req, is_local) = r;
 #endif
     MPIR_ERR_CHECK(mpi_errno);
 
diff --git a/src/mpid/ch4/src/mpidig_part_callbacks.c b/src/mpid/ch4/src/mpidig_part_callbacks.c
index 01ac6b4a653..7a1745aea41 100644
--- a/src/mpid/ch4/src/mpidig_part_callbacks.c
+++ b/src/mpid/ch4/src/mpidig_part_callbacks.c
@@ -85,6 +85,9 @@ int MPIDIG_part_send_init_target_msg_cb(void *am_hdr, void *data,
         MPIR_ERR_CHKANDSTMT(unexp_req == NULL, mpi_errno, MPIX_ERR_NOREQ, goto fn_fail,
                             "**nomemreq");
 
+#ifndef MPIDI_CH4_DIRECT_NETMOD
+        MPIDI_REQUEST(unexp_req, is_local) = is_local;
+#endif
         MPIDI_PART_REQUEST(unexp_req, u.recv.context_id) = msg_hdr->context_id;
         part_rreq_update_sinfo(unexp_req, msg_hdr);
 
diff --git a/src/mpid/ch4/src/mpidig_send.h b/src/mpid/ch4/src/mpidig_send.h
index 6c2a0143cc6..ba64f0831f7 100644
--- a/src/mpid/ch4/src/mpidig_send.h
+++ b/src/mpid/ch4/src/mpidig_send.h
@@ -99,6 +99,9 @@ MPL_STATIC_INLINE_PREFIX int MPIDIG_isend_impl(const void *buf, MPI_Aint count,
                           src_vci, dst_vci, sreq), is_local, mpi_errno);
     } else {
         /* RNDV send */
+#ifndef MPIDI_CH4_DIRECT_NETMOD
+        MPIDI_REQUEST(sreq, is_local) = is_local;
+#endif
         MPIDIG_REQUEST(sreq, buffer) = (void *) buf;
         MPIDIG_REQUEST(sreq, count) = count;
         MPIDIG_REQUEST(sreq, datatype) = datatype;