One embodiment provides a pending interest table (PIT) sharing system that facilitates sharing of a PIT. During operation, the system receives, by a local interface, a first message comprising an interest from a node of origin. The hop count for the interest has not been decreased. The system creates an entry, which includes a name of the interest, in a PIT for the interest. If the system receives a content object associated with the name, the system retrieves and removes the entry from the PIT, and sends the content object to the node of origin in a second message.