diff --git a/common/multipath-over-rdma b/common/multipath-over-rdma
index cef05ec9..6194ee6b 100644
--- a/common/multipath-over-rdma
+++ b/common/multipath-over-rdma
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ fio_aux_path=/tmp/fio-state-files
 memtotal=$(sed -n 's/^MemTotal:[[:blank:]]*\([0-9]*\)[[:blank:]]*kB$/\1/p' /proc/meminfo)
 max_ramdisk_size=$((1<<25))
 use_siw=${use_siw:-""}
+use_hw_rdma=${use_hw_rdma:-""}
 ramdisk_size=$((memtotal*(1024/16)))  # in bytes
 if [ $ramdisk_size -gt $max_ramdisk_size ]; then
 	ramdisk_size=$max_ramdisk_size
@@ -438,6 +439,18 @@ stop_soft_rdma() {
 	} >>"$FULL"
 }
 
+start_rdma() {
+	if [ -z "$use_hw_rdma" ]; then
+		start_soft_rdma
+	fi
+}
+
+stop_rdma() {
+	if [ -z "$use_hw_rdma" ]; then
+		stop_soft_rdma
+	fi
+}
+
 # Look up the block device below the filesystem for directory $1.
 block_dev_of_dir() {
 	df "$1" | {
@@ -579,7 +592,7 @@ configure_null_blk() {
 }
 
 setup_rdma() {
-	start_soft_rdma
+	start_rdma
 	(
 		echo "RDMA interfaces:"
 		cd /sys/class/infiniband &&
@@ -598,7 +611,7 @@ teardown_uncond() {
 	killall -9 multipathd >&/dev/null
 	rm -f /etc/multipath.conf
 	stop_target
-	stop_soft_rdma
+	stop_rdma
 	_exit_null_blk
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/nvme/rc b/tests/nvme/rc
index 1c27cdee..fde973a3 100644
--- a/tests/nvme/rc
+++ b/tests/nvme/rc
@@ -30,7 +30,9 @@ _nvme_requires() {
 		_have_modules nvmet nvme-core nvme-rdma nvmet-rdma
 		_have_configfs
 		_have_program rdma
-		_have_modules rdma_rxe || _have_modules siw
+		if [ -z "$use_hw_rdma" ]; then
+			_have_modules rdma_rxe || _have_modules siw
+		fi
 		;;
 	*)
 		SKIP_REASON="unsupported nvme_trtype=${nvme_trtype}"
@@ -131,7 +133,7 @@ _cleanup_nvmet() {
 	fi
 	modprobe -r nvmet 2>/dev/null
 	if [[ "${nvme_trtype}" == "rdma" ]]; then
-		stop_soft_rdma
+		stop_rdma
 	fi
 }
 
@@ -143,7 +145,7 @@ _setup_nvmet() {
 	fi
 	modprobe nvme-"${nvme_trtype}"
 	if [[ "${nvme_trtype}" == "rdma" ]]; then
-		start_soft_rdma
+		start_rdma
 		for i in $(rdma_network_interfaces)
 		do
 			ipv4_addr=$(get_ipv4_addr "$i")
diff --git a/tests/nvmeof-mp/rc b/tests/nvmeof-mp/rc
index dcb2e3c7..58247b27 100755
--- a/tests/nvmeof-mp/rc
+++ b/tests/nvmeof-mp/rc
@@ -35,13 +35,16 @@ and multipathing has been enabled in the nvme_core kernel module"
 		ib_umad
 		nvme-rdma
 		nvmet-rdma
-		rdma_rxe
 		scsi_dh_alua
 		scsi_dh_emc
 		scsi_dh_rdac
 	)
 	_have_modules "${required_modules[@]}" || return
 
+	if [ -z "$use_hw_rdma" ]; then
+		_have_modules rdma_rxe || _have_modules siw
+	fi
+
 	for p in mkfs.ext4 mkfs.xfs multipath multipathd pidof rdma fio; do
 		_have_program "$p" || return
 	done
diff --git a/tests/srp/rc b/tests/srp/rc
index d44082af..d954f66d 100755
--- a/tests/srp/rc
+++ b/tests/srp/rc
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ group_requires() {
 		ib_uverbs
 		null_blk
 		rdma_cm
-		rdma_rxe
 		scsi_debug
 		scsi_dh_alua
 		scsi_dh_emc
@@ -59,6 +58,10 @@ group_requires() {
 	)
 	_have_modules "${required_modules[@]}" || return
 
+	if [ -z "$use_hw_rdma" ]; then
+		_have_modules rdma_rxe || _have_modules siw
+	fi
+
 	for p in mkfs.ext4 mkfs.xfs multipath multipathd pidof rdma \
 		 sg_reset fio; do
 		_have_program "$p" || return