diff --git a/src/common/net/ib/IBConnect.cc b/src/common/net/ib/IBConnect.cc
index 92a3c981..cc71ae93 100644
--- a/src/common/net/ib/IBConnect.cc
+++ b/src/common/net/ib/IBConnect.cc
@@ -435,12 +435,15 @@ CoTryTask<void> IBSocket::connect(serde::ClientContext &ctx, Duration timeout) {
     co_return makeError(RPCCode::kConnectFailed);
   }
 
-  // post a empty msg to generate a event and notify remote side,
+  // post a 1-byte msg to generate a event and notify remote side,
   // after this msg send success, state will change to State::READY
-  auto bufIdx = sendBufs_.front().first;
+  // empty RDMA packet might be silently dropped in some certain virtualized
+  // RDMA environment on cloud.
+  auto [bufIdx, sendBuf] = sendBufs_.front();
+  memset(sendBuf.data(), 0, 1);
   sendBufs_.pop();
-  if (auto ret = postSend(bufIdx, 0, IBV_SEND_SIGNALED) != 0; ret != 0) {
-    XLOGF(CRITICAL, "IBSocket {} failed to send empty msg, errno {}", describe(), ret);
+  if (auto ret = postSend(bufIdx, 1, IBV_SEND_SIGNALED) != 0; ret != 0) {
+    XLOGF(CRITICAL, "IBSocket {} failed to send 1-byte msg, errno {}", describe(), ret);
     co_return Void{};
   }
   XLOGF(INFO, "IBSocket {} connected", describe());
@@ -485,7 +488,7 @@ Result<Void> IBSocket::accept(folly::IPAddressV4 ip, const IBConnectReq &req, Du
     return makeError(RPCCode::kConnectFailed, "IBSocket failed to modify QP to RTR.");
   }
 
-  // client will send a empty msg to server, then server's QP will turn to READY
+  // client will send a 1-byte msg to server, then server's QP will turn to READY
   auto state = state_.exchange(State::ACCEPTED);
   XLOGF_IF(FATAL, state != State::INIT, "State is not INIT!!!");
   if (UNLIKELY(closed_)) {
diff --git a/src/common/net/ib/IBSocket.cc b/src/common/net/ib/IBSocket.cc
index 45e97bcc..bf346c8d 100644
--- a/src/common/net/ib/IBSocket.cc
+++ b/src/common/net/ib/IBSocket.cc
@@ -516,8 +516,9 @@ int IBSocket::onSended(const ibv_wc &wc, Events &events) {
 
 int IBSocket::onRecved(const ibv_wc &wc, Events &events) {
   WRId wr(wc.wr_id);
+  bool isConnectMsg = (state_.load(std::memory_order_seq_cst) == State::ACCEPTED);
 
-  if (UNLIKELY(state_.load(std::memory_order_seq_cst) == State::ACCEPTED)) {
+  if (isConnectMsg) {
     // turn QP from ACCEPTED to RTS when receive first msg from peer.
     XLOGF(INFO, "IBSocket {} turn to READY from ACCEPTED.", describe());
     if (qpReadyToSend() != 0) {
@@ -538,6 +539,12 @@ int IBSocket::onRecved(const ibv_wc &wc, Events &events) {
     return postRecv(recvBufIdx);
   }
 
+  // The connecting message will be consumed by the transport layer and not be
+  // passed to the application.
+  if (isConnectMsg) {
+    return postRecv(recvBufIdx);
+  }
+
   XLOGF_IF(FATAL, wc.byte_len > recvBufs_.getBufSize(), "{} > {}", wc.byte_len, recvBufs_.getBufSize());
   recvBufs_.push(recvBufIdx, wc.byte_len);
   events |= kEventReadableFlag;