diff --git a/prov/efa/src/rdm/efa_rdm_cq.c b/prov/efa/src/rdm/efa_rdm_cq.c
index 702bfb09712..b0b6b7998dd 100644
--- a/prov/efa/src/rdm/efa_rdm_cq.c
+++ b/prov/efa/src/rdm/efa_rdm_cq.c
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ static void efa_rdm_cq_handle_recv_completion(struct efa_ibv_cq *ibv_cq, struct
 	/* Proc receives with pkt hdrs (posted to ctrl QPs)*/
 	base_hdr = efa_rdm_pke_get_base_hdr(pkt_entry);
 	pkt_type = base_hdr->type;
-	if (pkt_type >= EFA_RDM_EXTRA_REQ_PKT_END) {
+	if (OFI_UNLIKELY(pkt_type >= EFA_RDM_EXTRA_REQ_PKT_END)) {
 		EFA_WARN(FI_LOG_CQ,
 			"Peer %d is requesting feature %d, which this EP does not support.\n",
 			(int)pkt_entry->addr, base_hdr->type);
@@ -365,6 +365,23 @@ static void efa_rdm_cq_handle_recv_completion(struct efa_ibv_cq *ibv_cq, struct
 		return;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * When zero copy recv is turned on, the ep cannot
+	 * handle rtm pkts delivered to the internal bounce buffer,
+	 * because the user recv buffer has been posted to the other
+	 * QP and we cannot cancel that.
+	 */
+	if (OFI_UNLIKELY(ep->use_zcpy_rx && efa_rdm_pkt_type_is_rtm(pkt_type))) {
+		EFA_WARN(FI_LOG_CQ,
+			"Invalid pkt type %d! Peer %d doesn't respect the request from this EP that"
+			" RTM packets must be sent to the user recv QP.\n",
+			base_hdr->type, (int)pkt_entry->addr);
+
+		efa_base_ep_write_eq_error(&ep->base_ep, FI_EINVAL, FI_EFA_ERR_INVALID_PKT_TYPE);
+		efa_rdm_pke_release_rx(pkt_entry);
+		return;
+	}
+
 	efa_rdm_pke_proc_received(pkt_entry);
 }
 
diff --git a/prov/efa/src/rdm/efa_rdm_msg.c b/prov/efa/src/rdm/efa_rdm_msg.c
index 14240d49e8a..e9ee9aea54d 100644
--- a/prov/efa/src/rdm/efa_rdm_msg.c
+++ b/prov/efa/src/rdm/efa_rdm_msg.c
@@ -761,20 +761,6 @@ struct efa_rdm_ope *efa_rdm_msg_alloc_rxe_for_msgrtm(struct efa_rdm_ep *ep,
 	int ret;
 	int pkt_type;
 
-	if ((*pkt_entry_ptr)->alloc_type == EFA_RDM_PKE_FROM_USER_RX_POOL) {
-		/* If a pkt_entry is constructred from user supplied buffer,
-		 * the endpoint must be in zero copy receive mode.
-		 */
-		assert(ep->use_zcpy_rx);
-		/* In this mode, an rxe is always created together
-		 * with this pkt_entry, and pkt_entry->ope is pointing
-		 * to it. Thus we can skip the matching process, and return
-		 * pkt_entry->ope right away.
-		 */
-		assert((*pkt_entry_ptr)->ope);
-		return (*pkt_entry_ptr)->ope;
-	}
-
 	peer_srx = util_get_peer_srx(ep->peer_srx_ep);
 	data_size = efa_rdm_pke_get_rtm_msg_length(*pkt_entry_ptr);
 
diff --git a/prov/efa/src/rdm/efa_rdm_pke_rtm.c b/prov/efa/src/rdm/efa_rdm_pke_rtm.c
index d8509a71d93..01308d1c497 100644
--- a/prov/efa/src/rdm/efa_rdm_pke_rtm.c
+++ b/prov/efa/src/rdm/efa_rdm_pke_rtm.c
@@ -656,49 +656,19 @@ void efa_rdm_pke_handle_eager_rtm_send_completion(struct efa_rdm_pke *pkt_entry)
 ssize_t efa_rdm_pke_proc_matched_eager_rtm(struct efa_rdm_pke *pkt_entry)
 {
 	int err;
-	int hdr_size;
 	struct efa_rdm_ope *rxe;
 
 	rxe = pkt_entry->ope;
 
-	if (pkt_entry->alloc_type != EFA_RDM_PKE_FROM_USER_RX_POOL) {
-		/*
-		 * On success, efa_rdm_pke_copy_data_to_ope will write rx completion,
-		 * release pkt_entry and rxe
-		 */
-		err = efa_rdm_pke_copy_payload_to_ope(pkt_entry, rxe);
-		if (err)
-			efa_rdm_pke_release_rx(pkt_entry);
-
-		return err;
-	}
-
-	/* In this case, data is already in user provided buffer, so no need
-	 * to copy. However, we do need to make sure the packet header length
-	 * is correct. Otherwise, user will get wrong data.
-	 *
-	 * The expected header size is
-	 * 	ep->msg_prefix_size - sizeof(struct efa_rdm_pke)
-	 * because we used the first sizeof(struct efa_rdm_pke) to construct
-	 * a pkt_entry.
+	/*
+	 * On success, efa_rdm_pke_copy_data_to_ope will write rx completion,
+	 * release pkt_entry and rxe
 	 */
-	hdr_size = pkt_entry->payload - pkt_entry->wiredata;
-	if (hdr_size != pkt_entry->ep->msg_prefix_size - sizeof(struct efa_rdm_pke)) {
-		/* if header size is wrong, the data in user buffer is not useful.
-		 * setting rxe->cq_entry.len here will cause an error cq entry
-		 * to be written to application.
-		 */
-		rxe->cq_entry.len = 0;
-	} else {
-		rxe->cq_entry.len = pkt_entry->pkt_size + sizeof(struct efa_rdm_pke);
-	}
-
-	efa_rdm_rxe_report_completion(rxe);
-	efa_rdm_rxe_release(rxe);
+	err = efa_rdm_pke_copy_payload_to_ope(pkt_entry, rxe);
+	if (err)
+		efa_rdm_pke_release_rx(pkt_entry);
 
-	/* no need to release packet entry because it is
-	 * constructed using user supplied buffer */
-	return 0;
+	return err;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/prov/efa/src/rdm/efa_rdm_pkt_type.h b/prov/efa/src/rdm/efa_rdm_pkt_type.h
index b395dc287a8..408aed5be47 100644
--- a/prov/efa/src/rdm/efa_rdm_pkt_type.h
+++ b/prov/efa/src/rdm/efa_rdm_pkt_type.h
@@ -121,6 +121,38 @@ bool efa_rdm_pkt_type_is_longcts_req(int pkt_type)
 	}
 }
 
+/**
+ * @brief determine whether a req pkt type is RTM
+ *
+ * @param[in]		pkt_type		REQ packet type
+ * @return		a boolean
+ */
+static inline
+bool efa_rdm_pkt_type_is_rtm(int pkt_type)
+{
+	switch(pkt_type) {
+	case EFA_RDM_EAGER_MSGRTM_PKT:
+	case EFA_RDM_EAGER_TAGRTM_PKT:
+	case EFA_RDM_DC_EAGER_MSGRTM_PKT:
+	case EFA_RDM_DC_EAGER_TAGRTM_PKT:
+	case EFA_RDM_MEDIUM_MSGRTM_PKT:
+	case EFA_RDM_MEDIUM_TAGRTM_PKT:
+	case EFA_RDM_DC_MEDIUM_MSGRTM_PKT:
+	case EFA_RDM_DC_MEDIUM_TAGRTM_PKT:
+	case EFA_RDM_LONGCTS_MSGRTM_PKT:
+	case EFA_RDM_LONGCTS_TAGRTM_PKT:
+	case EFA_RDM_DC_LONGCTS_MSGRTM_PKT:
+	case EFA_RDM_DC_LONGCTS_TAGRTM_PKT:
+	case EFA_RDM_LONGREAD_MSGRTM_PKT:
+	case EFA_RDM_LONGREAD_TAGRTM_PKT:
+	case EFA_RDM_RUNTREAD_MSGRTM_PKT:
+	case EFA_RDM_RUNTREAD_TAGRTM_PKT:
+		return 1;
+	default:
+		return 0;
+	}
+}
+
 /**
  * @brief determine whether a req pkt type is RTA
  *