diff --git a/opal/tools/opal-checkpoint/opal-checkpoint.c b/opal/tools/opal-checkpoint/opal-checkpoint.c
index e104d34389..c9d27efdf5 100644
--- a/opal/tools/opal-checkpoint/opal-checkpoint.c
+++ b/opal/tools/opal-checkpoint/opal-checkpoint.c
@@ -195,6 +195,15 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 static int initialize(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     int ret, exit_status = OPAL_SUCCESS;
 
+    /*
+     * Make sure to init util before parse_args
+     * to ensure installdirs is setup properly
+     * before calling mca_base_open();
+     */
+    if( OPAL_SUCCESS != (ret = opal_init_util()) ) {
+        return ret;
+    }
+
     /*
      * Parse Command Line Arguments
      */
diff --git a/opal/tools/opal-restart/opal-restart.c b/opal/tools/opal-restart/opal-restart.c
index 6fb1dd962d..af0c223972 100644
--- a/opal/tools/opal-restart/opal-restart.c
+++ b/opal/tools/opal-restart/opal-restart.c
@@ -293,6 +293,15 @@ static int initialize(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
     int ret, exit_status = OPAL_SUCCESS;
 
+    /*
+     * Make sure to init util before parse_args
+     * to ensure installdirs is setup properly
+     * before calling mca_base_open();
+     */
+    if( OPAL_SUCCESS != (ret = opal_init_util()) ) {
+        return ret;
+    }
+
     /*
      * Parse Command line arguments
      */
diff --git a/orte/tools/orte-checkpoint/orte-checkpoint.c b/orte/tools/orte-checkpoint/orte-checkpoint.c
index 25664424ac..d1c2db10ef 100644
--- a/orte/tools/orte-checkpoint/orte-checkpoint.c
+++ b/orte/tools/orte-checkpoint/orte-checkpoint.c
@@ -484,6 +484,15 @@ static int find_universe(void) {
 static int ckpt_init(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     int exit_status = ORTE_SUCCESS, ret;
 
+    /*
+     * Make sure to init util before parse_args
+     * to ensure installdirs is setup properly
+     * before calling mca_base_open();
+     */
+    if( ORTE_SUCCESS != (ret = opal_init_util()) ) {
+        return ret;
+    }
+
     /*
      * Parse Command Line Arguments
      */
diff --git a/orte/tools/orte-ps/orte-ps.c b/orte/tools/orte-ps/orte-ps.c
index 288febbb1e..8d531e192a 100644
--- a/orte/tools/orte-ps/orte-ps.c
+++ b/orte/tools/orte-ps/orte-ps.c
@@ -500,6 +500,15 @@ static int parse_args(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 static int orte_ps_init(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     int exit_status = ORTE_SUCCESS, ret;
 
+    /*
+     * Make sure to init util before parse_args
+     * to ensure installdirs is setup properly
+     * before calling mca_base_open();
+     */
+    if( ORTE_SUCCESS != (ret = opal_init_util()) ) {
+        return ret;
+    }
+
     /*
      * Parse Command Line Arguments
      */
diff --git a/orte/tools/orte-restart/orte-restart.c b/orte/tools/orte-restart/orte-restart.c
index 3b16e24e53..18c29e22f1 100644
--- a/orte/tools/orte-restart/orte-restart.c
+++ b/orte/tools/orte-restart/orte-restart.c
@@ -236,6 +236,15 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 static int initialize(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     int ret, exit_status = ORTE_SUCCESS;
 
+    /*
+     * Make sure to init util before parse_args
+     * to ensure installdirs is setup properly
+     * before calling mca_base_open();
+     */
+    if( ORTE_SUCCESS != (ret = opal_init_util()) ) {
+        return ret;
+    }
+
     /*
      * Parse command line arguments
      */