A method and apparatus to help manage communication on a wireless channel. When a neighboring node detects on a wireless channel a ready-to-send (RTS) message from a transmitting node to a receiving node, the neighboring node will set itself to avoid transmission on the channel for a time period but will then determine whether it detects in that time period a further transmission from the transmitting node to the receiving node, related to the data transmission. The further transmission may be a confirmation-to-send (CoTS) message that the transmitting node sends to the receiving node in response to a clear-to-send (CTS) from the receiving node. If the determination is affirmative, then the neighboring node will continue avoiding use of the channel. But if the determination is negative, then the neighboring node will discontinue avoiding use of the channel.