diff --git a/ompi/mca/bml/base/base.h b/ompi/mca/bml/base/base.h
index 4bfeeeda8f..00a44c5d77 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/bml/base/base.h
+++ b/ompi/mca/bml/base/base.h
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
  *                         University of Stuttgart.  All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2004-2006 The Regents of the University of California.
  *                         All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2009      Cisco Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  * 
  * Additional copyrights may follow
@@ -59,6 +60,7 @@ OMPI_DECLSPEC  int mca_bml_base_ft_event(int state);
 /*
  * Globals
  */
+extern int mca_bml_base_already_opened;
 OMPI_DECLSPEC extern int mca_bml_base_output;
 OMPI_DECLSPEC extern mca_bml_base_component_t mca_bml_component;
 OMPI_DECLSPEC extern opal_list_t mca_bml_base_components_available; 
diff --git a/ompi/mca/bml/base/bml_base_close.c b/ompi/mca/bml/base/bml_base_close.c
index afcc4a8ebc..f90b28d790 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/bml/base/bml_base_close.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/bml/base/bml_base_close.c
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
  *                         University of Stuttgart.  All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2004-2006 The Regents of the University of California.
  *                         All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2009      Cisco Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  * 
  * Additional copyrights may follow
@@ -23,10 +24,12 @@
 int mca_bml_base_close( void )
 {
     int rc; 
+    if (mca_bml_base_already_opened <= 0) {
+        return OMPI_ERROR;
+    } else if (--mca_bml_base_already_opened > 0) {
+        return OMPI_SUCCESS;
+    }
 
-    if(OMPI_SUCCESS != (rc = mca_btl_base_close()))
-        return rc;
-
-    return OMPI_SUCCESS; 
+    return mca_btl_base_close();
 }
 
diff --git a/ompi/mca/bml/base/bml_base_open.c b/ompi/mca/bml/base/bml_base_open.c
index db5399379c..88b801cf37 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/bml/base/bml_base_open.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/bml/base/bml_base_open.c
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
  *                         University of Stuttgart.  All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2004-2006 The Regents of the University of California.
  *                         All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2009      Cisco Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  * 
  * Additional copyrights may follow
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@
 #include "ompi/mca/bml/base/static-components.h"
 #include "opal/mca/base/base.h"
 
+int mca_bml_base_already_opened = 0;
 opal_list_t mca_bml_base_components_available;
 
 #if OMPI_ENABLE_DEBUG_RELIABILITY
@@ -36,8 +38,13 @@ double mca_bml_base_error_rate_ceiling;
 int    mca_bml_base_error_count;
 #endif
 
-int mca_bml_base_open( void ) { 
-    
+int mca_bml_base_open(void) 
+{
+    /* See if we've already been here */
+    if (++mca_bml_base_already_opened > 1) {
+        return OMPI_SUCCESS;
+    }
+
     if(OMPI_SUCCESS !=
        mca_base_components_open("bml", 0, mca_bml_base_static_components, 
                                 &mca_bml_base_components_available, 
diff --git a/ompi/mca/bml/r2/bml_r2.c b/ompi/mca/bml/r2/bml_r2.c
index c8f6bbe1fb..493c474b36 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/bml/r2/bml_r2.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/bml/r2/bml_r2.c
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
  *                         All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2007      Los Alamos National Security, LLC.  All rights
  *                         reserved. 
- * Copyright (c) 2008      Cisco Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2008-2009 Cisco Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  * 
  * Additional copyrights may follow
@@ -646,7 +646,8 @@ int mca_bml_r2_finalize( void )
         mca_bml_r2.btl_progress = NULL;
     }
 
-    mca_btl_base_close();
+    /* Do not close the BTL base here; the BML upper layer will take
+       care of that. */
 
     return OMPI_SUCCESS;
 } 
diff --git a/ompi/mca/btl/base/btl_base_close.c b/ompi/mca/btl/base/btl_base_close.c
index 09569eef63..cee6cb6154 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/btl/base/btl_base_close.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/btl/base/btl_base_close.c
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
  *                         University of Stuttgart.  All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2004-2005 The Regents of the University of California.
  *                         All rights reserved.
- * Copyright (c) 2008      Cisco Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2008-2009 Cisco Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  * 
  * Additional copyrights may follow
@@ -36,10 +36,8 @@ int mca_btl_base_close(void)
 
     if( mca_btl_base_already_opened <= 0 ) {
         return OMPI_ERROR;
-    } else {
-        if( --mca_btl_base_already_opened > 0 ) {
-            return OMPI_SUCCESS;
-        }
+    } else if (--mca_btl_base_already_opened > 0) {
+        return OMPI_SUCCESS;
     }
     /* disable event processing while cleaning up btls */
     opal_event_disable();