diff --git a/acinclude.m4 b/acinclude.m4
index 39dd1ec614..970d157d1a 100644
--- a/acinclude.m4
+++ b/acinclude.m4
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ sinclude(config/cxx_find_exception_flags.m4)
 sinclude(config/f77_check_type.m4)
 sinclude(config/f77_find_ext_symbol_convention.m4)
 sinclude(config/f77_get_alignment.m4)
+sinclude(config/f77_get_fortran_handle_max.m4)
 sinclude(config/f77_get_sizeof.m4)
 
 sinclude(config/ompi_case_sensitive_fs_setup.m4)
diff --git a/config/f77_get_fortran_handle_max.m4 b/config/f77_get_fortran_handle_max.m4
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c8a3cbaba4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/f77_get_fortran_handle_max.m4
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+dnl -*- shell-script -*-
+dnl
+dnl $HEADER$
+dnl
+
+AC_DEFUN([OMPI_F77_GET_FORTRAN_HANDLE_MAX],[
+# Find the maximum value of fortran integers, then calculate
+# min(INT_MAX, max fortran INTEGER).  This represents the maximum
+# number of fortran MPI handle index.
+
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([for max fortran MPI handle index])
+
+# Find max fortran INTEGER value.  Set to sentinel value if we don't
+# have a Fortran compiler (e.g., if --disable-f77 was given)
+
+if test "$OMPI_WANT_F77_BINDINGS" = "0" ; then
+    ompi_fint_max=-1
+else
+    ompi_sizeof_fint=`expr $OMPI_SIZEOF_FORTRAN_INT \* 8 - 1`
+    ompi_fint_max=1
+    while test "$ompi_sizeof_fint" != "0"; do
+        ompi_fint_max=`expr $ompi_fint_max \* 2`
+        ompi_sizeof_fint=`expr $ompi_sizeof_fint - 1`
+    done
+    ompi_fint_max=`expr $ompi_fint_max - 1`
+fi
+
+# Compare to C MAX_INT.
+
+rm -f conftest.out > /dev/null 2>&1
+AC_RUN_IFELSE(AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <limits.h>
+]],[[FILE *fp = fopen("conftest.out", "w");
+long fint = $ompi_fint_max;
+long cint = INT_MAX;
+if (-1 == fint) fint = cint;
+fprintf(fp, "%ld", (cint < fint) ? cint : fint);
+fclose(fp);]]), HAPPY=1, HAPPY=0)
+if test "$HAPPY" = "1"; then
+    OMPI_FORTRAN_HANDLE_MAX=`cat conftest.out`
+else
+    # Something went wrong, so be conservative
+    OMPI_FORTRAN_HANDLE_MAX=32767
+fi
+rm -f conftest.out > /dev/null 2>&1
+
+AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(OMPI_FORTRAN_HANDLE_MAX,
+    $OMPI_FORTRAN_HANDLE_MAX,
+    [Max handle value for fortran MPI handles, effectively min(INT_MAX, max fortran INTEGER value)])
+
+AC_MSG_RESULT([$OMPI_FORTRAN_HANDLE_MAX])
+])dnl
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 815de49803..09b5fe1e02 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -428,6 +428,12 @@ AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(OMPI_ALIGNMENT_FORTRAN_DBLCOMPLEX,
     $OMPI_ALIGNMENT_FORTRAN_DBLCOMPLEX,
     [Alignment of fortran double complex])
 
+# Regardless of whether we have fortran bindings, or even a fortran
+# compiler, get the max value for a fortran MPI handle (this macro
+# handles the case where we don't have a fortran compiler).
+
+OMPI_F77_GET_FORTRAN_HANDLE_MAX
+
 #
 # There are 2 layers to the MPI f77 layer. The only extra thing that
 # determine f77 bindings is that fortran can be disabled by user. In
diff --git a/src/class/ompi_bitmap.c b/src/class/ompi_bitmap.c
index 905261e740..f8f1b89fb8 100644
--- a/src/class/ompi_bitmap.c
+++ b/src/class/ompi_bitmap.c
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@
 #include "ompi_config.h"
 
 #include <stdio.h>
-#include <limits.h>
-#define OMPI_FORTRAN_HANDLE_MAX INT_MAX
 
 #include "include/constants.h"
 #include "class/ompi_bitmap.h"
diff --git a/src/class/ompi_pointer_array.c b/src/class/ompi_pointer_array.c
index a3489d9c37..5b115a5e6f 100644
--- a/src/class/ompi_pointer_array.c
+++ b/src/class/ompi_pointer_array.c
@@ -8,9 +8,6 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <assert.h>
 
-#include <limits.h>
-#define OMPI_FORTRAN_HANDLE_MAX INT_MAX
-
 #include "include/constants.h"
 #include "class/ompi_pointer_array.h"
 #include "util/output.h"