diff --git a/src/mpid/ch4/shm/posix/posix_init.c b/src/mpid/ch4/shm/posix/posix_init.c
index 16877a8cb94..5fba5f8c78f 100644
--- a/src/mpid/ch4/shm/posix/posix_init.c
+++ b/src/mpid/ch4/shm/posix/posix_init.c
@@ -47,6 +47,28 @@
       description : >-
         Controls topology-aware communication in POSIX.
 
+    - name        : MPIR_CVAR_CH4_SHM_POSIX_PROGRESS_RECV_LOOPS
+      category    : CH4
+      type        : int
+      default     : 1
+      class       : none
+      verbosity   : MPI_T_VERBOSITY_USER_BASIC
+      scope       : MPI_T_SCOPE_ALL_EQ
+      description : >-
+        Controls the maximum number of polling on recv queue
+        per progress.
+
+    - name        : MPIR_CVAR_CH4_SHM_POSIX_PROGRESS_SEND_LOOPS
+      category    : CH4
+      type        : int
+      default     : 1
+      class       : none
+      verbosity   : MPI_T_VERBOSITY_USER_BASIC
+      scope       : MPI_T_SCOPE_ALL_EQ
+      description : >-
+        Controls the maximum number of polling on send queue (for
+        deferred sends) per progress.
+
 === END_MPI_T_CVAR_INFO_BLOCK ===
 */
 
diff --git a/src/mpid/ch4/shm/posix/posix_progress.h b/src/mpid/ch4/shm/posix/posix_progress.h
index e9832f3cf51..1ebb61335e6 100644
--- a/src/mpid/ch4/shm/posix/posix_progress.h
+++ b/src/mpid/ch4/shm/posix/posix_progress.h
@@ -144,11 +144,25 @@ MPL_STATIC_INLINE_PREFIX int MPIDI_POSIX_progress(int vci, int *made_progress)
 
     MPIR_Assert(vci < MPIDI_POSIX_global.num_vcis);
 
-    mpi_errno = MPIDI_POSIX_progress_recv(vci, made_progress);
-    MPIR_ERR_CHECK(mpi_errno);
+    for (int i = 0; i < MPIR_CVAR_CH4_SHM_POSIX_PROGRESS_RECV_LOOPS; i++) {
+        int made_recv_progress = 0;
+        mpi_errno = MPIDI_POSIX_progress_recv(vci, &made_recv_progress);
+        MPIR_ERR_CHECK(mpi_errno);
+        if (!made_recv_progress)
+            break;
+
+        *made_progress |= made_recv_progress;
+    }
+
+    for (int i = 0; i < MPIR_CVAR_CH4_SHM_POSIX_PROGRESS_SEND_LOOPS; i++) {
+        int made_send_progress = 0;
+        mpi_errno = MPIDI_POSIX_progress_send(vci, &made_send_progress);
+        MPIR_ERR_CHECK(mpi_errno);
+        if (!made_send_progress)
+            break;
 
-    mpi_errno = MPIDI_POSIX_progress_send(vci, made_progress);
-    MPIR_ERR_CHECK(mpi_errno);
+        *made_progress |= made_send_progress;
+    }
 
   fn_exit:
     MPIR_FUNC_EXIT;