diff --git a/src/uct/ib/ud/base/ud_ep.c b/src/uct/ib/ud/base/ud_ep.c
index 473005ab7e5..acfcc2ef9bb 100644
--- a/src/uct/ib/ud/base/ud_ep.c
+++ b/src/uct/ib/ud/base/ud_ep.c
@@ -186,6 +186,19 @@ static void uct_ud_ep_slow_timer(ucs_wtimer_t *self)
     ucs_wtimer_add(&iface->async.slow_timer, &ep->slow_timer, ep->tx.slow_tick);
 }
 
+#if HAVE_HNS_ROCE
+static void uct_ud_ep_pskb_free(uct_ud_ep_t *ep)
+{
+    uct_ud_send_skb_t *skb;
+
+    ucs_queue_for_each_extract(skb, &ep->pending_skb, queue, 1) {
+        ucs_mpool_put(skb);
+    }
+}
+#else
+#define uct_ud_ep_pskb_free(ep)
+#endif
+
 UCS_CLASS_INIT_FUNC(uct_ud_ep_t, uct_ud_iface_t *iface)
 {
     ucs_trace_func("");
@@ -199,6 +212,9 @@ UCS_CLASS_INIT_FUNC(uct_ud_ep_t, uct_ud_iface_t *iface)
     uct_ud_iface_add_ep(iface, self);
     self->tx.slow_tick = iface->async.slow_tick;
     ucs_wtimer_init(&self->slow_timer, uct_ud_ep_slow_timer);
+#if HAVE_HNS_ROCE
+    ucs_queue_head_init(&self->pending_skb);
+#endif
     ucs_arbiter_group_init(&self->tx.pending.group);
     ucs_arbiter_elem_init(&self->tx.pending.elem);
 
@@ -238,6 +254,7 @@ static UCS_CLASS_CLEANUP_FUNC(uct_ud_ep_t)
 
     ucs_trace_func("ep=%p id=%d conn_id=%d", self, self->ep_id, self->conn_id);
 
+    uct_ud_ep_pskb_free(self);
     ucs_wtimer_remove(&self->slow_timer);
     uct_ud_iface_remove_ep(iface, self);
     uct_ud_iface_cep_remove(self);
@@ -426,7 +443,7 @@ uct_ud_iface_add_async_comp(uct_ud_iface_t *iface, uct_ud_ep_t *ep,
 
 static UCS_F_ALWAYS_INLINE void
 uct_ud_ep_process_ack(uct_ud_iface_t *iface, uct_ud_ep_t *ep,
-                      uct_ud_psn_t ack_psn, int is_async)
+                      uct_ud_psn_t ack_psn, int is_async, int dummy_ack)
 {
     uct_ud_send_skb_t *skb;
     if (ucs_unlikely(UCT_UD_PSN_COMPARE(ack_psn, <=, ep->tx.acked_psn))) {
@@ -448,7 +465,12 @@ uct_ud_ep_process_ack(uct_ud_iface_t *iface, uct_ud_ep_t *ep,
         }
 
         skb->flags = 0; /* reset also ACK_REQ flag */
-        ucs_mpool_put(skb);
+#if HAVE_HNS_ROCE
+        if (dummy_ack)
+            ucs_queue_push(&ep->pending_skb, &skb->queue);
+        else
+#endif
+            ucs_mpool_put(skb);
     }
 
     uct_ud_ep_ca_ack(ep);
@@ -529,7 +551,7 @@ static void uct_ud_ep_rx_creq(uct_ud_iface_t *iface, uct_ud_neth_t *neth)
                 /* our own creq was sent, treat incoming creq as ack and remove our own
                  * from tx window
                  */
-                uct_ud_ep_process_ack(iface, ep, UCT_UD_INITIAL_PSN, 0);
+                uct_ud_ep_process_ack(iface, ep, UCT_UD_INITIAL_PSN, 0, 1);
             }
             uct_ud_ep_ctl_op_add(iface, ep, UCT_UD_EP_OP_CREP);
         }
@@ -549,6 +571,7 @@ static void uct_ud_ep_rx_creq(uct_ud_iface_t *iface, uct_ud_neth_t *neth)
     /* scedule connection reply op */
     UCT_UD_EP_HOOK_CALL_RX(ep, neth, sizeof(*neth) + sizeof(*ctl));
     if (uct_ud_ep_ctl_op_check(ep, UCT_UD_EP_OP_CREQ)) {
+        uct_ud_ep_pskb_free(ep);
         uct_ud_ep_set_state(ep, UCT_UD_EP_FLAG_CREQ_NOTSENT);
     }
     uct_ud_ep_ctl_op_del(ep, UCT_UD_EP_OP_CREQ);
@@ -570,6 +593,8 @@ static void uct_ud_ep_rx_ctl(uct_ud_iface_t *iface, uct_ud_ep_t *ep,
         return;
     }
 
+    uct_ud_ep_pskb_free(ep);
+
     ep->rx.ooo_pkts.head_sn = neth->psn;
     ep->dest_ep_id = ctl->conn_rep.src_ep_id;
     ucs_arbiter_group_schedule(&iface->tx.pending_q, &ep->tx.pending.group);
@@ -663,7 +688,7 @@ void uct_ud_ep_process_rx(uct_ud_iface_t *iface, uct_ud_neth_t *neth, unsigned b
     ucs_assert(ep->ep_id != UCT_UD_EP_NULL_ID);
     UCT_UD_EP_HOOK_CALL_RX(ep, neth, byte_len);
 
-    uct_ud_ep_process_ack(iface, ep, neth->ack_psn, is_async);
+    uct_ud_ep_process_ack(iface, ep, neth->ack_psn, is_async, 0);
 
     if (ucs_unlikely(neth->packet_type & UCT_UD_PACKET_FLAG_ACK_REQ)) {
         uct_ud_ep_ctl_op_add(iface, ep, UCT_UD_EP_OP_ACK);
diff --git a/src/uct/ib/ud/base/ud_ep.h b/src/uct/ib/ud/base/ud_ep.h
index 7100347b9a3..206e8100486 100644
--- a/src/uct/ib/ud/base/ud_ep.h
+++ b/src/uct/ib/ud/base/ud_ep.h
@@ -251,6 +251,9 @@ struct uct_ud_ep {
     uint8_t          rx_creq_count; /* TODO: remove when reason for DUP/OOO CREQ is found */
     ucs_wtimer_t     slow_timer;
     ucs_time_t       close_time;   /* timestamp of closure */
+#if HAVE_HNS_ROCE
+    ucs_queue_head_t pending_skb;
+#endif
     UCS_STATS_NODE_DECLARE(stats);
     UCT_UD_EP_HOOK_DECLARE(timer_hook);
 #if ENABLE_DEBUG_DATA