diff --git a/prov/verbs/src/fi_verbs.h b/prov/verbs/src/fi_verbs.h
index e27b299ef3f..f622947fec9 100644
--- a/prov/verbs/src/fi_verbs.h
+++ b/prov/verbs/src/fi_verbs.h
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@
 
 #define VERBS_NO_COMP_FLAG	((uint64_t)-1)
 
+#define VRB_CM_REQ_HDR_SIZE (36)
 #define VRB_CM_DATA_SIZE	(56)
 #define VERBS_CM_DATA_SIZE	(VRB_CM_DATA_SIZE -		\
 				 sizeof(struct vrb_cm_data_hdr))
@@ -575,6 +576,7 @@ struct vrb_ep {
 	size_t				rx_cq_size;
 	struct rdma_conn_param		conn_param;
 	struct vrb_cm_data_hdr	*cm_hdr;
+	void				*cm_priv_data;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/prov/verbs/src/verbs_cm.c b/prov/verbs/src/verbs_cm.c
index 174682eac64..a33827f9ada 100644
--- a/prov/verbs/src/verbs_cm.c
+++ b/prov/verbs/src/verbs_cm.c
@@ -125,11 +125,10 @@ vrb_msg_ep_prepare_cm_data(const void *param, size_t param_size,
 
 static inline void
 vrb_ep_prepare_rdma_cm_param(struct rdma_conn_param *conn_param,
-				struct vrb_cm_data_hdr *cm_hdr,
-				size_t cm_hdr_data_size)
+				void *priv_data, size_t priv_data_size)
 {
-	conn_param->private_data = cm_hdr;
-	conn_param->private_data_len = (uint8_t)cm_hdr_data_size;
+	conn_param->private_data = priv_data;
+	conn_param->private_data_len = (uint8_t)priv_data_size;
 	conn_param->responder_resources = RDMA_MAX_RESP_RES;
 	conn_param->initiator_depth = RDMA_MAX_INIT_DEPTH;
 	conn_param->flow_control = 1;
@@ -142,6 +141,9 @@ vrb_msg_ep_connect(struct fid_ep *ep_fid, const void *addr,
 {
 	struct vrb_ep *ep =
 		container_of(ep_fid, struct vrb_ep, util_ep.ep_fid);
+	size_t priv_data_len;
+	struct vrb_cm_data_hdr *cm_hdr;
+	off_t cm_hdr_offset = 0;
 	int ret;
 
 	if (OFI_UNLIKELY(paramlen > VERBS_CM_DATA_SIZE))
@@ -153,13 +155,19 @@ vrb_msg_ep_connect(struct fid_ep *ep_fid, const void *addr,
 			return ret;
 	}
 
-	ep->cm_hdr = malloc(sizeof(*(ep->cm_hdr)) + paramlen);
-	if (!ep->cm_hdr)
+	if (ep->id->route.addr.src_addr.sa_family == AF_IB)
+		cm_hdr_offset = VRB_CM_REQ_HDR_SIZE;
+
+	priv_data_len = cm_hdr_offset + sizeof(*cm_hdr) + paramlen;
+	ep->cm_priv_data = malloc(priv_data_len);
+	if (!ep->cm_priv_data)
 		return -FI_ENOMEM;
 
-	vrb_msg_ep_prepare_cm_data(param, paramlen, ep->cm_hdr);
-	vrb_ep_prepare_rdma_cm_param(&ep->conn_param, ep->cm_hdr,
-					sizeof(*(ep->cm_hdr)) + paramlen);
+	cm_hdr = (void*)((char *)ep->cm_priv_data + cm_hdr_offset);
+
+	vrb_msg_ep_prepare_cm_data(param, paramlen, cm_hdr);
+	vrb_ep_prepare_rdma_cm_param(&ep->conn_param, ep->cm_priv_data,
+					priv_data_len);
 	ep->conn_param.retry_count = 15;
 
 	if (ep->srq_ep)
@@ -170,8 +178,8 @@ vrb_msg_ep_connect(struct fid_ep *ep_fid, const void *addr,
 		FI_WARN(&vrb_prov, FI_LOG_EP_CTRL,
 			"rdma_resolve_route failed: %s (%d)\n",
 			strerror(-ret), -ret);
-		free(ep->cm_hdr);
-		ep->cm_hdr = NULL;
+		free(ep->cm_priv_data);
+		ep->cm_priv_data = NULL;
 		return ret;
 	}
 	return 0;
diff --git a/prov/verbs/src/verbs_ep.c b/prov/verbs/src/verbs_ep.c
index f7b47960c9b..76af19ccf21 100644
--- a/prov/verbs/src/verbs_ep.c
+++ b/prov/verbs/src/verbs_ep.c
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ static int vrb_close_free_ep(struct vrb_ep *ep)
 
 	free(ep->util_ep.ep_fid.msg);
 	ep->util_ep.ep_fid.msg = NULL;
-	free(ep->cm_hdr);
+	free(ep->cm_priv_data);
 
 	if (ep->util_ep.rx_cq) {
 		cq = container_of(ep->util_ep.rx_cq, struct vrb_cq, util_cq);
diff --git a/prov/verbs/src/verbs_eq.c b/prov/verbs/src/verbs_eq.c
index 845adb5b618..260817fae34 100644
--- a/prov/verbs/src/verbs_eq.c
+++ b/prov/verbs/src/verbs_eq.c
@@ -281,6 +281,15 @@ static inline int vrb_eq_copy_event_data(struct fi_eq_cm_entry *entry,
 	return datalen;
 }
 
+static void vrb_eq_skip_cm_req_hdr(const void **priv_data,
+				       size_t *priv_data_len)
+{
+	if (*priv_data_len > VRB_CM_REQ_HDR_SIZE) {
+		*priv_data = (void*)((char *)*priv_data + VRB_CM_REQ_HDR_SIZE);
+		*priv_data_len -= VRB_CM_REQ_HDR_SIZE;
+	}
+}
+
 static void vrb_eq_skip_xrc_cm_data(const void **priv_data,
 				       size_t *priv_data_len)
 {
@@ -850,6 +859,8 @@ vrb_eq_cm_process_event(struct vrb_eq *eq,
 							  &priv_data, &priv_datalen);
 			if (ret == -FI_EAGAIN || *event == FI_CONNECTED)
 				goto ack;
+		} else if (cma_event->id->route.addr.src_addr.sa_family == AF_IB) {
+			vrb_eq_skip_cm_req_hdr(&priv_data, &priv_datalen);
 		}
 		break;
 	case RDMA_CM_EVENT_CONNECT_RESPONSE: