diff --git a/prov/efa/Makefile.include b/prov/efa/Makefile.include
index 13b5659bbb3..4963fe404e3 100644
--- a/prov/efa/Makefile.include
+++ b/prov/efa/Makefile.include
@@ -147,7 +147,8 @@ nodist_prov_efa_test_efa_unit_test_SOURCES = \
 	prov/efa/test/efa_unit_test_fork_support.c \
 	prov/efa/test/efa_unit_test_runt.c \
 	prov/efa/test/efa_unit_test_mr.c \
-	prov/efa/test/efa_unit_test_rdm_peer.c
+	prov/efa/test/efa_unit_test_rdm_peer.c \
+	prov/efa/test/efa_unit_test_pke.c
 
 
 efa_CPPFLAGS += -I$(top_srcdir)/include -I$(top_srcdir)/prov/efa/test $(cmocka_CPPFLAGS)
diff --git a/prov/efa/src/rdm/efa_rdm_pke_rtm.c b/prov/efa/src/rdm/efa_rdm_pke_rtm.c
index 613541fc806..4d8dc735e4b 100644
--- a/prov/efa/src/rdm/efa_rdm_pke_rtm.c
+++ b/prov/efa/src/rdm/efa_rdm_pke_rtm.c
@@ -1084,6 +1084,18 @@ void efa_rdm_pke_handle_longcts_rtm_send_completion(struct efa_rdm_pke *pkt_entr
 {
 	struct efa_rdm_ope *txe;
 
+	/**
+	 * A zero-payload longcts rtm pkt currently should only happen when it's
+	 * used for the READ NACK protocol. In this case, this pkt doesn't
+	 * contribute to the send completion, and the associated tx entry
+	 * may be released earlier as the CTSDATA pkts have already kicked off
+	 * and finished the send.
+	 */
+	if (pkt_entry->payload_size == 0) {
+		assert(efa_rdm_pke_get_rtm_base_hdr(pkt_entry)->flags & EFA_RDM_REQ_READ_NACK);
+		return;
+	}
+
 	txe = pkt_entry->ope;
 	txe->bytes_acked += pkt_entry->payload_size;
 	if (txe->total_len == txe->bytes_acked)
diff --git a/prov/efa/test/efa_unit_test_pke.c b/prov/efa/test/efa_unit_test_pke.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d52ccf76cc3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/prov/efa/test/efa_unit_test_pke.c
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+#include "efa_unit_tests.h"
+#include "rdm/efa_rdm_pke_rtm.h"
+
+/**
+ * @brief When handling a long cts rtm as read nack fallback,
+ * efa_rdm_pke_handle_longcts_rtm_send_completion shouldn't touch
+ * txe and write send completion.
+ */
+void test_efa_rdm_pke_handle_longcts_rtm_send_completion(struct efa_resource **state)
+{
+    struct efa_resource *resource = *state;
+    struct efa_rdm_pke *pkt_entry;
+    struct efa_rdm_ep *efa_rdm_ep;
+    struct efa_rdm_peer *peer;
+    struct fi_msg msg = {0};
+    char buf[16];
+	struct iovec iov = {
+        .iov_base = buf,
+        .iov_len = sizeof buf
+    };
+    struct efa_ep_addr raw_addr = {0};
+    size_t raw_addr_len = sizeof(struct efa_ep_addr);
+    fi_addr_t peer_addr;
+    int err, numaddr;
+    struct efa_rdm_ope *txe;
+
+    efa_unit_test_resource_construct(resource, FI_EP_RDM);
+
+    efa_rdm_ep = container_of(resource->ep, struct efa_rdm_ep, base_ep.util_ep.ep_fid);
+
+    /* create a fake peer */
+    err = fi_getname(&resource->ep->fid, &raw_addr, &raw_addr_len);
+    assert_int_equal(err, 0);
+    raw_addr.qpn = 1;
+    raw_addr.qkey = 0x1234;
+    numaddr = fi_av_insert(resource->av, &raw_addr, 1, &peer_addr, 0, NULL);
+    assert_int_equal(numaddr, 1);
+    peer = efa_rdm_ep_get_peer(efa_rdm_ep, peer_addr);
+    assert_non_null(peer);
+
+    /* Construct a txe with read nack flag added */
+    msg.addr = peer_addr;
+    msg.iov_count = 1;
+    msg.msg_iov = &iov;
+    msg.desc = NULL;
+    txe = efa_rdm_ep_alloc_txe(efa_rdm_ep, peer, &msg, ofi_op_msg, 0, 0);
+    assert_non_null(txe);
+    txe->internal_flags |= EFA_RDM_OPE_READ_NACK;
+
+    /* construct a fallback long cts rtm pkt */
+    pkt_entry = efa_rdm_pke_alloc(efa_rdm_ep, efa_rdm_ep->efa_tx_pkt_pool, EFA_RDM_PKE_FROM_EFA_TX_POOL);
+    assert_non_null(pkt_entry);
+
+    err = efa_rdm_pke_init_longcts_msgrtm(pkt_entry, txe);
+    assert_int_equal(err, 0);
+
+    assert_int_equal(pkt_entry->payload_size, 0);
+
+    /* Mimic the case when CTSDATA pkts have completed all data and released the txe */
+    txe->bytes_acked = txe->total_len;
+    txe->bytes_sent = txe->total_len;
+    efa_rdm_txe_release(txe);
+
+    efa_rdm_pke_handle_longcts_rtm_send_completion(pkt_entry);
+
+    /* CQ should be empty as send completion shouldn't be written */
+    assert_int_equal(fi_cq_read(resource->cq, NULL, 1), -FI_EAGAIN);
+
+    efa_rdm_pke_release_tx(pkt_entry);
+}
diff --git a/prov/efa/test/efa_unit_tests.c b/prov/efa/test/efa_unit_tests.c
index 30a65ef7c47..828f1b32332 100644
--- a/prov/efa/test/efa_unit_tests.c
+++ b/prov/efa/test/efa_unit_tests.c
@@ -197,6 +197,7 @@ int main(void)
 		cmocka_unit_test_setup_teardown(test_efa_rdm_peer_move_overflow_pke_to_recvwin, efa_unit_test_mocks_setup, efa_unit_test_mocks_teardown),
 		cmocka_unit_test_setup_teardown(test_efa_rdm_peer_keep_pke_in_overflow_list, efa_unit_test_mocks_setup, efa_unit_test_mocks_teardown),
 		cmocka_unit_test_setup_teardown(test_efa_rdm_peer_append_overflow_pke_to_recvwin, efa_unit_test_mocks_setup, efa_unit_test_mocks_teardown),
+		cmocka_unit_test_setup_teardown(test_efa_rdm_pke_handle_longcts_rtm_send_completion, efa_unit_test_mocks_setup, efa_unit_test_mocks_teardown),
 	};
 
 	cmocka_set_message_output(CM_OUTPUT_XML);
diff --git a/prov/efa/test/efa_unit_tests.h b/prov/efa/test/efa_unit_tests.h
index 581f3a19426..9fbd0cd0e32 100644
--- a/prov/efa/test/efa_unit_tests.h
+++ b/prov/efa/test/efa_unit_tests.h
@@ -207,6 +207,7 @@ void test_efa_rdm_peer_reorder_overflow_msg_id();
 void test_efa_rdm_peer_move_overflow_pke_to_recvwin();
 void test_efa_rdm_peer_keep_pke_in_overflow_list();
 void test_efa_rdm_peer_append_overflow_pke_to_recvwin();
+void test_efa_rdm_pke_handle_longcts_rtm_send_completion();
 
 static inline
 int efa_unit_test_get_dlist_length(struct dlist_entry *head)