diff --git a/docs/api-reference/configuration.md b/docs/api-reference/configuration.md
index e79a815d..b27ba8a3 100644
--- a/docs/api-reference/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/api-reference/configuration.md
@@ -349,6 +349,10 @@ a template table.
 When enabled, DAQIRI requires hardware timestamp support from the NIC and driver.
 Timestamps returned by `get_packet_rx_timestamp()` are unsigned 64-bit PTP epoch
 nanoseconds in the same clock domain as a PTP-synchronized `CLOCK_REALTIME`.
+The raw ibverbs engine requests the mlx5 real-time CQ timestamp format only when
+the device advertises it; otherwise it uses the default mlx5 device-clock CQ
+format and converts those ticks to nanoseconds internally. Device-clock ticks are
+not exposed by the public API.
 **WARNING: PTP synchronization is required.** DAQIRI does not validate the NIC or system clock
 configuration. Timestamp values are invalid if the clocks are not PTP-synchronized.
 
diff --git a/docs/api-reference/cpp.md b/docs/api-reference/cpp.md
index 5beccd85..a322e8c8 100644
--- a/docs/api-reference/cpp.md
+++ b/docs/api-reference/cpp.md
@@ -121,6 +121,10 @@ RX hardware timestamps are available only when DAQIRI is configured with
 `rx.hardware_timestamps: true` and the NIC and driver support hardware timestamps.
 DAQIRI returns unsigned 64-bit PTP epoch nanoseconds in the same clock domain as
 a PTP-synchronized `CLOCK_REALTIME`. Device-clock ticks are not part of the public API.
+On the raw ibverbs engine, DAQIRI requests mlx5 real-time CQ timestamps only when
+the device advertises that format. Devices without that capability stay on the
+default mlx5 device-clock CQ format, and DAQIRI converts those raw ticks to
+nanoseconds before returning them.
 **WARNING: PTP synchronization is required.** DAQIRI does not validate the NIC or system clock
 configuration. Timestamp values are invalid if the clocks are not PTP-synchronized.
 For reordered aggregate bursts,
diff --git a/docs/api-reference/python.md b/docs/api-reference/python.md
index 28f3df67..79586c96 100644
--- a/docs/api-reference/python.md
+++ b/docs/api-reference/python.md
@@ -219,6 +219,10 @@ RX hardware timestamps are available only when DAQIRI is configured with
 `rx.hardware_timestamps: true` and the NIC and driver support hardware timestamps.
 DAQIRI returns unsigned 64-bit PTP epoch nanoseconds in the same clock domain as
 a PTP-synchronized `CLOCK_REALTIME`. Device-clock ticks are not part of the public API.
+On the raw ibverbs engine, DAQIRI requests mlx5 real-time CQ timestamps only when
+the device advertises that format. Devices without that capability stay on the
+default mlx5 device-clock CQ format, and DAQIRI converts those raw ticks to
+nanoseconds before returning them.
 **WARNING: PTP synchronization is required.** DAQIRI does not validate the NIC or system clock
 configuration. Timestamp values are invalid if the clocks are not PTP-synchronized.
 
diff --git a/docs/concepts.md b/docs/concepts.md
index 7cc1a787..756ce65d 100644
--- a/docs/concepts.md
+++ b/docs/concepts.md
@@ -365,6 +365,10 @@ transmission and receive timestamps.
 
 When hardware receive timestamps are enabled, applications use
 `get_packet_rx_timestamp()` to read each packet's PTP epoch-nanosecond timestamp.
+Raw ibverbs devices that support mlx5 real-time CQ timestamps produce that
+representation directly; devices without that capability use the default mlx5
+device-clock CQ format, which DAQIRI converts internally before returning the
+timestamp. Applications never handle raw device-clock ticks.
 
 For timed transmission, applications pass the desired PTP epoch-nanosecond value
 directly to `set_packet_tx_time()`.
diff --git a/include/daqiri/common.h b/include/daqiri/common.h
index 7cd5d95b..364cf3c8 100644
--- a/include/daqiri/common.h
+++ b/include/daqiri/common.h
@@ -246,8 +246,9 @@ Status poll_flow_op(FlowOpResult *result);
  *
  * Retrieves the 64-bit receive timestamp for a packet when DAQIRI is configured
  * with rx.hardware_timestamps enabled and the NIC and driver provide hardware
- * timestamps as PTP epoch nanoseconds. DAQIRI assumes that the
- * NIC clock and CLOCK_REALTIME are PTP-synchronized and does not validate
+ * timestamps. DAQIRI returns PTP epoch nanoseconds; engines that receive raw
+ * device-clock ticks convert them before returning. DAQIRI assumes that the NIC
+ * clock and CLOCK_REALTIME are PTP-synchronized and does not validate
  * synchronization. The result is invalid without working PTP.
  *
  * @param burst Burst structure containing packets
diff --git a/src/engines/ibverbs/daqiri_ibverbs_engine.cpp b/src/engines/ibverbs/daqiri_ibverbs_engine.cpp
index a89e628a..bece4e1a 100644
--- a/src/engines/ibverbs/daqiri_ibverbs_engine.cpp
+++ b/src/engines/ibverbs/daqiri_ibverbs_engine.cpp
@@ -997,17 +997,25 @@ Status IbverbsEngine::devx_create_rq(IbvRxQueue& q, uint32_t stride_log, uint32_
   DEVX_SET(rqc, rqc, cqn, q.dv_cq.cqn);
   DEVX_SET(rqc, rqc, flush_in_error_en, 1);
   DEVX_SET(rqc, rqc, vsd, 1);  // do not strip VLAN
-  // The public timestamp contract is PTP epoch nanoseconds. Request mlx5
-  // real-time CQEs, whose timestamp field uses UTC encoding
-  // (seconds << 32 | nanoseconds).
-  DEVX_SET(rqc, rqc, ts_format, MLX5_RQC_TIMESTAMP_FORMAT_REAL_TIME);
+  struct mlx5dv_context dv_ctx {};
+  q.realtime_timestamps = mlx5dv_query_device(q.ctx, &dv_ctx) == 0 &&
+                          (dv_ctx.flags & MLX5DV_CONTEXT_FLAGS_REAL_TIME_TS) != 0;
+  if (q.realtime_timestamps) {
+    // Real-time CQEs use UTC encoding (seconds << 32 | nanoseconds), matching
+    // the public PTP epoch-nanosecond timestamp contract.
+    DEVX_SET(rqc, rqc, ts_format, MLX5_RQC_TIMESTAMP_FORMAT_REAL_TIME);
+  } else {
+    DAQIRI_LOG_CRITICAL(
+        "RX queue {}: real-time CQ timestamps are unsupported; using the device clock format",
+        q.queue_id);
+  }
 
   DEVX_SET(wq, wq, wq_type, q.striding ? MLX5_WQ_TYPE_CYCLIC_STRIDING_RQ : MLX5_WQ_TYPE_CYCLIC);
   DEVX_SET(wq, wq, log_wq_stride, log2_floor(q.wqe_stride));
   DEVX_SET(wq, wq, log_wq_sz, log2_floor(q.num_wqe));
   DEVX_SET(wq, wq, pd, dvpd.pdn);
-  // WQ page size is encoded relative to the mlx5 4 KiB adapter page, not the
-  // operating-system page size (which is 64 KiB on GH200).
+  // The PRM field is relative to the mlx5 4 KiB adapter page, independent of
+  // the operating-system page size used to register the UMEM.
   DEVX_SET(wq, wq, log_wq_pg_sz, MLX5_ADAPTER_PAGE_SIZE_4_KIB);
   DEVX_SET64(wq, wq, dbr_addr, dbr_off);
   DEVX_SET(wq, wq, dbr_umem_id, q.wq_umem->umem_id);
@@ -3748,6 +3756,10 @@ Status IbverbsEngine::get_packet_rx_timestamp(BurstParams* burst, int idx, uint6
     return Status::INVALID_PARAMETER;
   }
   const uint64_t raw_timestamp = burst_ts_arr(burst)[idx];
+  if (!q->realtime_timestamps) {
+    *timestamp_ns = ts_to_ns(q->ctx, raw_timestamp);
+    return Status::SUCCESS;
+  }
   // mlx5 real-time CQEs use UTC encoding; expose the public API's linear PTP
   // epoch-nanosecond representation.
   const uint64_t seconds = raw_timestamp >> 32;
diff --git a/src/engines/ibverbs/daqiri_ibverbs_engine.h b/src/engines/ibverbs/daqiri_ibverbs_engine.h
index cc1b6197..411baff9 100644
--- a/src/engines/ibverbs/daqiri_ibverbs_engine.h
+++ b/src/engines/ibverbs/daqiri_ibverbs_engine.h
@@ -198,6 +198,7 @@ struct IbvRxQueue {
   // Direct mlx5dv views (we own the CQ consumer index; rdma-core owns the RQ).
   struct mlx5dv_cq dv_cq {};
   uint32_t cq_ci = 0;  // CQ consumer index (monotonic)
+  bool realtime_timestamps = false;
 
   // Per-WQE stride accounting for the reclaim path. Indexed by WQE/region.
   std::vector<uint32_t> consumed_strides;  // strides handed to the app (verbs path)