diff --git a/ompi/mpi/c/iprobe.c b/ompi/mpi/c/iprobe.c
index d51274b2c0..a256ac6028 100644
--- a/ompi/mpi/c/iprobe.c
+++ b/ompi/mpi/c/iprobe.c
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 
 #include "ompi/mpi/c/bindings.h"
 #include "ompi/mca/pml/pml.h"
+#include "ompi/request/request.h"
 
 #if OMPI_HAVE_WEAK_SYMBOLS && OMPI_PROFILING_DEFINES
 #pragma weak MPI_Iprobe = PMPI_Iprobe
@@ -32,7 +33,7 @@
 static const char FUNC_NAME[] = "MPI_Iprobe";
 
 
-int MPI_Iprobe(int source, int tag, MPI_Comm comm, int *flag, MPI_Status *status) 
+int MPI_Iprobe(int source, int tag, MPI_Comm comm, int *flag, MPI_Status *status)
 {
     int rc;
 
@@ -54,12 +55,8 @@ int MPI_Iprobe(int source, int tag, MPI_Comm comm, int *flag, MPI_Status *status
     }
 
     if (MPI_PROC_NULL == source) {
-        if (status) {
-            status->MPI_SOURCE = MPI_PROC_NULL;
-            status->MPI_TAG = MPI_ANY_TAG;
-            status->MPI_ERROR = MPI_SUCCESS;
-            status->_count = 0;
-            status->_cancelled = 0;
+        if (MPI_STATUS_IGNORE != status) {
+            *status = ompi_request_empty.req_status;
         }
         return MPI_SUCCESS;
     }
diff --git a/ompi/mpi/c/probe.c b/ompi/mpi/c/probe.c
index 484db3637b..4cae00c67b 100644
--- a/ompi/mpi/c/probe.c
+++ b/ompi/mpi/c/probe.c
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 
 #include "ompi/mpi/c/bindings.h"
 #include "ompi/mca/pml/pml.h"
+#include "ompi/request/request.h"
 
 #if OMPI_HAVE_WEAK_SYMBOLS && OMPI_PROFILING_DEFINES
 #pragma weak MPI_Probe = PMPI_Probe
@@ -54,12 +55,8 @@ int MPI_Probe(int source, int tag, MPI_Comm comm, MPI_Status *status)
     }
 
     if (MPI_PROC_NULL == source) {
-        if (status) {
-            status->MPI_SOURCE = MPI_PROC_NULL;
-            status->MPI_TAG = MPI_ANY_TAG;
-            status->MPI_ERROR = MPI_SUCCESS;
-            status->_count = 0;
-            status->_cancelled = 0;
+        if (MPI_STATUS_IGNORE != status) {
+            *status = ompi_request_empty.req_status;
         }
         return MPI_SUCCESS;
     }
diff --git a/ompi/mpi/c/recv.c b/ompi/mpi/c/recv.c
index adfd3b30db..ac0fc378be 100644
--- a/ompi/mpi/c/recv.c
+++ b/ompi/mpi/c/recv.c
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 
 #include "ompi/mpi/c/bindings.h"
 #include "ompi/mca/pml/pml.h"
+#include "ompi/request/request.h"
 
 #if OMPI_HAVE_WEAK_SYMBOLS && OMPI_PROFILING_DEFINES
 #pragma weak MPI_Recv = PMPI_Recv
@@ -59,11 +60,7 @@ int MPI_Recv(void *buf, int count, MPI_Datatype type, int source,
 
     if (MPI_PROC_NULL == source) {
         if (MPI_STATUS_IGNORE != status) {
-            status->MPI_SOURCE = MPI_PROC_NULL;
-            status->MPI_TAG = MPI_ANY_TAG;
-            status->MPI_ERROR = MPI_SUCCESS;
-            status->_count = 0;
-            status->_cancelled = 0;
+            *status = ompi_request_empty.req_status;
         }
         return MPI_SUCCESS;
     }
diff --git a/ompi/mpi/c/sendrecv.c b/ompi/mpi/c/sendrecv.c
index 494a10f085..a5d4a49234 100644
--- a/ompi/mpi/c/sendrecv.c
+++ b/ompi/mpi/c/sendrecv.c
@@ -79,11 +79,7 @@ int MPI_Sendrecv(void *sendbuf, int sendcount, MPI_Datatype sendtype,
         rc = ompi_request_wait(&req, status);
     } else {
         if (MPI_STATUS_IGNORE != status) {
-            status->MPI_SOURCE = MPI_PROC_NULL;
-            status->MPI_TAG = MPI_ANY_TAG;
-            status->MPI_ERROR = MPI_SUCCESS;
-            status->_count = 0;
-            status->_cancelled = 0;
+            *status = ompi_request_empty.req_status;
         }
         rc = MPI_SUCCESS;
     }
diff --git a/ompi/mpi/c/wait.c b/ompi/mpi/c/wait.c
index 8b2d0d5f24..4b5d186d5c 100644
--- a/ompi/mpi/c/wait.c
+++ b/ompi/mpi/c/wait.c
@@ -50,11 +50,7 @@ int MPI_Wait(MPI_Request *request, MPI_Status *status)
 
     if (MPI_REQUEST_NULL == *request) {
         if (MPI_STATUS_IGNORE != status) {
-            status->MPI_SOURCE = MPI_PROC_NULL;
-            status->MPI_TAG = MPI_ANY_TAG;
-            status->MPI_ERROR = MPI_SUCCESS;
-            status->_count = 0;
-            status->_cancelled = 0;
+            *status = ompi_request_empty.req_status;
         }
         return MPI_SUCCESS;
     }