diff --git a/src/vt/topos/location/location.h b/src/vt/topos/location/location.h
index bb7d6eefae..fec0849067 100644
--- a/src/vt/topos/location/location.h
+++ b/src/vt/topos/location/location.h
@@ -237,6 +237,14 @@ struct EntityLocationCoord : LocationCoord {
     MsgSharedPtr<MessageT> const& msg
   );
 
+  /**
+   * \brief Route a message with a custom handler where the element is local
+   *
+   * \param[in] m message shared pointer
+   */
+  template <typename MessageT>
+  void routeMsgHandlerLocal(MsgSharedPtr<MessageT> const& msg);
+
   /**
    * \brief Route a message to the default handler
    *
diff --git a/src/vt/topos/location/location.impl.h b/src/vt/topos/location/location.impl.h
index 52cbada83f..22fff5a6ab 100644
--- a/src/vt/topos/location/location.impl.h
+++ b/src/vt/topos/location/location.impl.h
@@ -668,7 +668,22 @@ void EntityLocationCoord<EntityID>::routeMsgHandler(
 # endif
 
   msg->setHandler(handler);
-  return routeMsg<MessageT>(id,home_node,msg);
+
+  if (local_registered_.find(id) == local_registered_.end()) {
+    return routeMsg<MessageT>(id,home_node,msg);
+  } else {
+    return routeMsgHandlerLocal(msg);
+  }
+}
+
+template <typename EntityID>
+template <typename MessageT>
+void EntityLocationCoord<EntityID>::routeMsgHandlerLocal(
+  MsgSharedPtr<MessageT> const& msg
+) {
+  runnable::makeRunnable(msg, true, msg->getHandler(), theContext()->getNode())
+    .withTDEpochFromMsg()
+    .run();
 }
 
 template <typename EntityID>