diff --git a/ompi/mca/btl/base/btl_base_select.c b/ompi/mca/btl/base/btl_base_select.c
index 179f42641a..2d836a2cd1 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/btl/base/btl_base_select.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/btl/base/btl_base_select.c
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 
 #include "opal/util/argv.h"
 #include "runtime/runtime.h"
+#include "opal/util/show_help.h"
 #include "mca/mca.h"
 #include "mca/base/base.h"
 #include "mca/pml/pml.h"
@@ -144,8 +145,9 @@ int mca_btl_base_select(bool enable_progress_threads,
   /* Finished querying all components.  Check for the bozo case. */
 
   if (0 == opal_list_get_size(&mca_btl_base_modules_initialized)) {
-    /* JMS Replace with show_help */
-    orte_abort(1, "No btl components available.  This shouldn't happen.");
+     opal_show_help("help-mca-base.txt", "find-available:none-found", true,
+                    "btl");
+     orte_abort(1, "");
   }
   return OMPI_SUCCESS;
 }
diff --git a/ompi/mca/pml/base/pml_base_select.c b/ompi/mca/pml/base/pml_base_select.c
index c130fc9d18..9e3cd34c47 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/pml/base/pml_base_select.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/pml/base/pml_base_select.c
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 
 #include "opal/class/opal_list.h"
 #include "runtime/runtime.h"
+#include "opal/util/show_help.h"
 #include "mca/mca.h"
 #include "mca/base/base.h"
 #include "mca/pml/pml.h"
@@ -110,8 +111,9 @@ int mca_pml_base_select(bool enable_progress_threads,
     /* Finished querying all components.  Check for the bozo case. */
 
     if( NULL == best_component ) {
-        /* JMS Replace with show_help */
-        orte_abort(1, "No pml component available.  This shouldn't happen.");
+       opal_show_help("help-mca-base.txt", "find-available:none-found", true,
+                      "pml");
+       orte_abort(1, "");
     } 
 
     /* Finalize all non-selected components */
diff --git a/ompi/mca/ptl/base/ptl_base_select.c b/ompi/mca/ptl/base/ptl_base_select.c
index 88c1d77f81..65625aac42 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/ptl/base/ptl_base_select.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/ptl/base/ptl_base_select.c
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 
 #include "opal/util/argv.h"
 #include "runtime/runtime.h"
+#include "opal/util/show_help.h"
 #include "mca/mca.h"
 #include "mca/base/base.h"
 #include "mca/pml/pml.h"
@@ -136,8 +137,9 @@ int mca_ptl_base_select(bool enable_progress_threads,
     /* Finished querying all components.  Check for the bozo case. */
 
     if (0 == opal_list_get_size(&mca_ptl_base_modules_initialized)) {
-        /* JMS Replace with show_help */
-        orte_abort(1, "No ptl components available.  This shouldn't happen.");
+       opal_show_help("help-mca-base.txt", "find-available:none-found", true,
+                      "ptl");
+       orte_abort(1, "");
     }
 
     /* All done */
diff --git a/opal/mca/base/help-mca-base.txt b/opal/mca/base/help-mca-base.txt
index d0de3f8c89..b1a410d910 100644
--- a/opal/mca/base/help-mca-base.txt
+++ b/opal/mca/base/help-mca-base.txt
@@ -27,3 +27,9 @@ output of the "ompi_info" command and ensure that components of this
 type are available on your system.  You may also wish to check the
 value of the "component_path" MCA parameter and ensure that it has at
 least one directory that contains valid MCA components.
+
+[find-available:not-valid]
+The %s component was not found!
+
+This means that this component is either not installed, or unable to be 
+used on your system.
diff --git a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_components_open.c b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_components_open.c
index 2a7052ac99..0f29c391a7 100644
--- a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_components_open.c
+++ b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_components_open.c
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include "opal/util/strncpy.h"
 #include "opal/util/argv.h"
 #include "opal/util/output.h"
+#include "opal/util/show_help.h"
 #include "mca/mca.h"
 #include "mca/base/base.h"
 #include "include/constants.h"
@@ -161,6 +162,7 @@ static int open_components(const char *type_name, int output_id,
   const mca_base_component_t *component;
   mca_base_component_list_item_t *cli;
   bool acceptable;
+  bool any_acceptable = true;
   bool called_open;
   bool opened;
 
@@ -180,6 +182,47 @@ static int open_components(const char *type_name, int output_id,
     }
   }
 
+  /*
+   * Check requested components for validity
+   */
+  if (NULL != requested_component_names) {
+     any_acceptable = false;
+
+     /* For every requested component ... */
+     for (i = 0; NULL != requested_component_names[i]; ++i) {
+        acceptable     = false;
+        
+        /* Try to match it to an item in the list */
+        for (item = opal_list_get_first(components_found);
+             opal_list_get_end(components_found) != item;
+             item = opal_list_get_next(item)) {
+
+           cli = (mca_base_component_list_item_t *) item;
+           component = cli->cli_component;
+           
+           if (0 == strcmp(requested_component_names[i],
+                           component->mca_component_name)) {
+              acceptable     = true;
+              any_acceptable = true;
+              break;
+           }
+        }
+
+        /* Didn't find it in the list, warn the user */
+        if (!acceptable) {
+           opal_show_help("help-mca-base.txt", "find-available:not-valid", true,
+                          requested_component_names[i]);
+        }
+     }
+
+     /* None of the listed components were acceptable :( */
+     if(!any_acceptable) {
+        opal_show_help("help-mca-base.txt", "find-available:none-found", true, 
+                       type_name);
+        return OMPI_ERROR;
+     }
+  }
+
   /* Traverse the list of found components */
 
   OBJ_CONSTRUCT(components_available, opal_list_t);