diff --git a/orte/mca/ess/pmi/ess_pmi_module.c b/orte/mca/ess/pmi/ess_pmi_module.c
index 25a62f3a0d..6b54aeb8e8 100644
--- a/orte/mca/ess/pmi/ess_pmi_module.c
+++ b/orte/mca/ess/pmi/ess_pmi_module.c
@@ -89,7 +89,6 @@ static int rte_init(void)
     char *cs_env, *string_key;
     char *pmi_id=NULL;
     int *ranks;
-    char *tmp;
     orte_jobid_t jobid;
     orte_process_name_t proc;
     orte_local_rank_t local_rank;
diff --git a/orte/runtime/orte_info_support.c b/orte/runtime/orte_info_support.c
index 7ad1f49e6c..57aaa6964d 100644
--- a/orte/runtime/orte_info_support.c
+++ b/orte/runtime/orte_info_support.c
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ static int info_register_framework (mca_base_framework_t *framework, opal_pointe
 
 int orte_info_register_framework_params(opal_pointer_array_t *component_map)
 {
-    char *str;
+    char *str=NULL;
     int i, rc;
 
     /* Register the ORTE layer's MCA parameters */
@@ -89,7 +89,8 @@ int orte_info_register_framework_params(opal_pointer_array_t *component_map)
     }
 
     if (ORTE_ERR_BAD_PARAM == rc) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "\nA \"bad parameter\" error was encountered when opening the ORTE %s framework\n", str);
+        fprintf(stderr, "\nA \"bad parameter\" error was encountered when opening the ORTE %s framework\n",
+                (NULL == str) ? "NULL" : str);
         fprintf(stderr, "The output received from that framework includes the following parameters:\n\n");
     }