diff --git a/src/communicator/comm.c b/src/communicator/comm.c
index 55d60eb70c..793c94084f 100644
--- a/src/communicator/comm.c
+++ b/src/communicator/comm.c
@@ -515,12 +515,16 @@ int ompi_comm_split ( ompi_communicator_t* comm, int color, int key,
 int ompi_comm_set_name (ompi_communicator_t *comm, char *name )
 {
 
+#ifdef USE_MUTEX_FOR_COMMS
     OMPI_THREAD_LOCK(&(comm->c_lock));
+#endif
     memset(comm->c_name, 0, MPI_MAX_OBJECT_NAME);
     strncpy(comm->c_name, name, MPI_MAX_OBJECT_NAME);
     comm->c_name[MPI_MAX_OBJECT_NAME - 1] = 0;
     comm->c_flags |= OMPI_COMM_NAMEISSET;
+#ifdef USE_MUTEX_FOR_COMMS
     OMPI_THREAD_UNLOCK(&(comm->c_lock));
+#endif
 
     return OMPI_SUCCESS;
 }
diff --git a/src/communicator/communicator.h b/src/communicator/communicator.h
index 8f110a521a..0783fdc9bd 100644
--- a/src/communicator/communicator.h
+++ b/src/communicator/communicator.h
@@ -50,7 +50,9 @@ extern ompi_pointer_array_t ompi_mpi_communicators;
 
 struct ompi_communicator_t {
     ompi_object_t              c_base; 
+#ifdef USE_MUTEX_FOR_COMMS
     ompi_mutex_t               c_lock; /* mutex for name and attributes */
+#endif
     char  c_name[MPI_MAX_OBJECT_NAME];
     uint32_t              c_contextid;
     int                     c_my_rank;
diff --git a/src/mpi/c/comm_get_name.c b/src/mpi/c/comm_get_name.c
index 7af65a5e64..6cb9e9e612 100644
--- a/src/mpi/c/comm_get_name.c
+++ b/src/mpi/c/comm_get_name.c
@@ -39,8 +39,9 @@ int MPI_Comm_get_name(MPI_Comm comm, char *name, int *length)
             return OMPI_ERRHANDLER_INVOKE ( comm, MPI_ERR_ARG, 
                                             FUNC_NAME);
     }
-
+#ifdef USE_MUTEX_FOR_COMMS
     OMPI_THREAD_LOCK(&(comm->c_lock));
+#endif
     if ( comm->c_flags & OMPI_COMM_NAMEISSET ) {
         strncpy ( name, comm->c_name, MPI_MAX_OBJECT_NAME );
         *length = strlen ( comm->c_name );
@@ -49,7 +50,9 @@ int MPI_Comm_get_name(MPI_Comm comm, char *name, int *length)
         memset ( name, 0, MPI_MAX_OBJECT_NAME );
         *length = 0;
     }
+#ifdef USE_MUTEX_FOR_COMMS
     OMPI_THREAD_UNLOCK(&(comm->c_lock));
+#endif
 
     return MPI_SUCCESS;
 }