diff --git a/ompi/mca/bml/bml.h b/ompi/mca/bml/bml.h
index 109730fd87..82ba30388b 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/bml/bml.h
+++ b/ompi/mca/bml/bml.h
@@ -298,55 +298,59 @@ static inline void mca_bml_base_prepare_dst(mca_bml_base_btl_t* bml_btl,
     }
 }
 
-static inline mca_btl_base_descriptor_t*
-mca_bml_base_btl_des_alloc( mca_bml_base_btl_t* bml_btl,
-			    size_t alloc_size,
-			    size_t seg_size )
-{
-    mca_btl_base_descriptor_t* des;
-
-    if( NULL != (des = bml_btl->btl_cache) ) { 
 #if OMPI_HAVE_THREAD_SUPPORT
-        /* atomically acquire the cached descriptor */
-        if(opal_atomic_cmpset_ptr(&bml_btl->btl_cache, des, NULL) == 0) {
-            des = bml_btl->btl_alloc(bml_btl->btl, alloc_size);
-        }
+#define MCA_BML_BASE_BTL_DES_ALLOC(bml_btl, des, alloc_size, seg_size)  \
+    do {                                                                \
+        mca_btl_base_descriptor_t* des;                                 \
+                                                                        \
+        if( NULL != (des = bml_btl->btl_cache) ) {                      \
+            /* atomically acquire the cached descriptor */              \
+            if(opal_atomic_cmpset_ptr(&bml_btl->btl_cache,              \
+                                      des, NULL) == 0) {                \
+                des = bml_btl->btl_alloc(bml_btl->btl, alloc_size);     \
+            }                                                           \
+        } else {                                                        \
+            des = bml_btl->btl_alloc(bml_btl->btl, alloc_size);         \
+        }                                                               \
+        des->des_src->seg_len = seg_size;                               \
+        des->des_context = (void*) bml_btl;                             \
+    } while(0)
 #else
-        bml_btl->btl_cache = NULL;
-#endif
-    } else {
-        des = bml_btl->btl_alloc(bml_btl->btl, alloc_size);
-    }
-    des->des_src->seg_len = seg_size;
-    des->des_context = (void*) bml_btl;
-    return des;
-}
-#define MCA_BML_BASE_BTL_DES_ALLOC(bml_btl, des, alloc_size, seg_size)    \
-    des = mca_bml_base_btl_des_alloc( bml_btl, alloc_size, seg_size )
-
+#define MCA_BML_BASE_BTL_DES_ALLOC(bml_btl, des, alloc_size, seg_size)  \
+    do {                                                                \
+        mca_btl_base_descriptor_t* des;                                 \
+                                                                        \
+        if( NULL != (des = bml_btl->btl_cache) ) {                      \
+            bml_btl->btl_cache = NULL;                                  \
+        } else {                                                        \
+            des = bml_btl->btl_alloc(bml_btl->btl, alloc_size);         \
+        }                                                               \
+        des->des_src->seg_len = seg_size;                               \
+        des->des_context = (void*) bml_btl;                             \
+    } while(0)
+#endif  /* OMPI_HAVE_THREAD_SUPPORT */
 
 /**
  * Return a descriptor
  */
-
-static inline void mca_bml_base_btl_des_return( mca_bml_base_btl_t* bml_btl,
-						mca_btl_base_descriptor_t* des)
-{
 #if OMPI_HAVE_THREAD_SUPPORT
-    if( opal_atomic_cmpset_ptr(&bml_btl->btl_cache,NULL,des) == 0 ) {
+#define MCA_BML_BASE_BTL_DES_RETURN( bml_btl, descriptor )              \
+    do {                                                                \
+        if( opal_atomic_cmpset_ptr(&bml_btl->btl_cache,                 \
+                                   NULL,descriptor) == 0 ) {            \
+            bml_btl->btl_free( bml_btl->btl, descriptor );              \
+        }                                                               \
+    } while (0)
 #else
-    if( NULL == bml_btl->btl_cache ) {
-        bml_btl->btl_cache = des;
-    } else {
-#endif
-        bml_btl->btl_free( bml_btl->btl, des );
-    }
-}
 #define MCA_BML_BASE_BTL_DES_RETURN( bml_btl, descriptor ) \
-do { \
-    mca_bml_base_btl_des_return( bml_btl, descriptor ); \
-    descriptor = NULL; \
-} while(0)
+    do {                                                   \
+        if( NULL == bml_btl->btl_cache ) {                 \
+            bml_btl->btl_cache = descriptor;               \
+        } else {                                           \
+            bml_btl->btl_free( bml_btl->btl, descriptor ); \
+        }                                                  \
+    } while(0)
+#endif  /* OMPI_HAVE_THREAD_SUPPORT */
 
 /*
  *  BML component interface functions and datatype.