diff --git a/src/mca/llm/hostfile/src/llm_hostfile_component.c b/src/mca/llm/hostfile/src/llm_hostfile_component.c
index 73fe619842..1983a74c42 100644
--- a/src/mca/llm/hostfile/src/llm_hostfile_component.c
+++ b/src/mca/llm/hostfile/src/llm_hostfile_component.c
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ const mca_llm_base_component_1_0_0_t mca_llm_hostfile_component = {
  * component variables handles
  */
 static int param_filename;
+static int param_filename_deprecated;
 static int param_priority;
 
 int
@@ -58,10 +59,12 @@ mca_llm_hostfile_component_open(void)
 {
     char *default_path = ompi_os_path(false, OMPI_SYSCONFDIR, 
                                       "openmpi-default-hostfile", NULL);
+    /* accept either OMPI_MCA_llm_hostfile_hostfile or
+       OMPI_MCA_hostfile */
     param_filename = mca_base_param_register_string("llm",
                                                     "hostfile",
                                                     "hostfile",
-                                                    NULL,
+                                                    "hostfile",
                                                     default_path);
     if (NULL != default_path) free(default_path);
 
diff --git a/src/tools/mpirun/mpirun.c b/src/tools/mpirun/mpirun.c
index a4dfbc0a42..7293f69294 100644
--- a/src/tools/mpirun/mpirun.c
+++ b/src/tools/mpirun/mpirun.c
@@ -151,6 +151,18 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
         return ret;
     }
 
+    /* get our hostfile, if we have one */
+    if (ompi_cmd_line_is_taken(cmd_line, "hostfile")) {
+        /* BWB - XXX - fix me.  We really should be setting this via
+         * an API rather than setenv.  But we don't have such an API just
+         * yet. */
+        char *buf = NULL;
+        asprintf(&buf, "OMPI_MCA_hostfile=%s", 
+                 ompi_cmd_line_get_param(cmd_line, "hostfile", 0, 0));
+        /* yeah, it leaks.  Can't do nothin' about that */
+        putenv(buf);
+   }
+
     /* get our numprocs */
     if (ompi_cmd_line_is_taken(cmd_line, "np")) {
         num_procs = atoi(ompi_cmd_line_get_param(cmd_line, "np", 0, 0));