diff --git a/src/refit/replica/REFITOmadaReplica.java b/src/refit/replica/REFITOmadaReplica.java
index ed24cbd2006aaeb319f648bbee814d2b85ed0d59..39cdb4edf7b915ec74e4dc1442a603bc2ade51ae 100644
--- a/src/refit/replica/REFITOmadaReplica.java
+++ b/src/refit/replica/REFITOmadaReplica.java
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ public class REFITOmadaReplica extends REFITBaseReplica {
 		REFITCouplingHelper helper = new REFITCouplingHelper(this);
 		addToInbound(REFITMessageType.EXECUTOR_FLUSH, helper);
 
+		boolean hasGroup = false;
 		for (short groupID = 0; groupID < REFITOrderGroups.COUNT; groupID++) {
 			boolean inGroup = REFITOrderGroups.isInGroupByID(id, groupID);
 			if (!inGroup && id >= REFITConfig.EXEC_GROUP_SIZE) {
@@ -91,6 +92,7 @@ public class REFITOmadaReplica extends REFITBaseReplica {
 			if (!inGroup) {
 				continue;
 			}
+			hasGroup = true;
 
 			orderStage[groupID] = new REFITOrderStage(this, REFITConfig.INITIAL_ORDER_PROTOCOL, groupID, null);
 			msgRouter.orderSenders[groupID].addListener(orderStage[groupID]);
@@ -113,6 +115,10 @@ public class REFITOmadaReplica extends REFITBaseReplica {
 			checkpointStage.progressSender.addListener(orderStage[groupID]);
 		}
 
+		if (!hasGroup && id < REFITConfig.EXEC_GROUP_SIZE) {
+			couplingStage[0].configSender.addListener(executionStage);
+		}
+
 		executionStage.checkpointSender.addListener(checkpointStage);
 		checkpointStage.progressSender.addListener(executionStage);
 		checkpointStage.stableCPSender.addListener(executionStage);
diff --git a/src/refit/replica/coupling/REFITCouplingStage.java b/src/refit/replica/coupling/REFITCouplingStage.java
index 88ce8bfc8664b301490350f5f72d239006179cd4..c7c7e329df181f6372d70f19805ab19906df1859 100644
--- a/src/refit/replica/coupling/REFITCouplingStage.java
+++ b/src/refit/replica/coupling/REFITCouplingStage.java
@@ -16,11 +16,13 @@ import refit.replica.REFITReplicaGroups;
 import refit.replica.REFITStage;
 import refit.replica.checkpoint.REFITCheckpoint;
 import refit.replica.order.REFITOrderGroups;
+import refit.replica.order.REFITStubOrderProtocol;
 import refit.scheduler.REFITSchedulerTaskType;
 
 public class REFITCouplingStage extends REFITStage {
 
 	public final REFITObserver<REFITExecuteRequest> requestSender;
+	public final REFITObserver<REFITConfigurationNotification> configSender;
 
 	private REFITCouplingHelper helper;
 
@@ -33,6 +35,7 @@ public class REFITCouplingStage extends REFITStage {
 	public REFITCouplingStage(REFITBaseReplica replica, REFITCouplingHelper helper, int groupID) {
 		super(REFITSchedulerTaskType.COUPLING_STAGE, replica);
 		requestSender = new REFITObserver<>();
+		configSender = new REFITObserver<>();
 
 		this.helper = helper;
 		this.groupID = groupID;
@@ -68,6 +71,12 @@ public class REFITCouplingStage extends REFITStage {
 		return "COUPL[" + groupID + "]";
 	}
 
+	@Override
+	public void init() {
+		// send configuration notification with stub protocol to execution
+		configSender.broadcast(new REFITConfigurationNotification(new REFITStubOrderProtocol(), -1, -1));
+	}
+
 	@Override
 	protected void handleMessage(REFITMessage message) {
 		switch (message.type) {