diff --git a/src/attribute/attribute.c b/src/attribute/attribute.c
index 14517bc78b..52513e1ff4 100644
--- a/src/attribute/attribute.c
+++ b/src/attribute/attribute.c
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 #include "include/constants.h"
 
 /**
- * Macros - Lots of them!
+ * Macros
  */
 
 #define ATTR_TABLE_SIZE 10
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@
    here */
 
 #define MPI_DATATYPE_NULL_COPY_FN MPI_TYPE_NULL_COPY_FN
+#define attr_communicator_f c_f_to_c_index
+#define attr_datatype_f d_f_to_c_index
+#define attr_win_f w_f_to_c_index
 
 #define CREATE_KEY() ompi_bitmap_find_and_set_first_unset_bit(key_bitmap)
 
@@ -27,18 +30,33 @@
    MPI_SUCCESS */
 
 #define DELETE_ATTR_OBJECT(type, attribute) \
-    if ((err = (*((key_item->delete_attr_fn).attr_##type##_delete_fn)) \
-                                    ((ompi_##type##_t *)object, \
-				    key, attribute, \
-				    key_item->extra_state)) != MPI_SUCCESS) {\
-	return err;\
+    if((key_item->attr_flag & OMPI_KEYVAL_F77)) { \
+        (*((key_item->delete_attr_fn).attr_F_delete_fn)) \
+                            (&(((ompi_##type##_t *)object)->attr_##type##_f), \
+			    &key, (int *) &attribute, \
+			    (int *) &key_item->extra_state, &err); \
+    } else { \
+        if ((err = (*((key_item->delete_attr_fn).attr_##type##_delete_fn)) \
+                            ((ompi_##type##_t *)object, \
+			    key, attribute, \
+			    key_item->extra_state)) != MPI_SUCCESS) {\
+	    return err;\
+        } \
     }
 
 #define COPY_ATTR_OBJECT(type, old_object, hash_value) \
-    if ((err = (*((hash_value->copy_attr_fn).attr_##type##_copy_fn)) \
-          ((ompi_##type##_t *)old_object, key, hash_value->extra_state, \
-            old_attr, &new_attr, &flag)) != MPI_SUCCESS) { \
-        return err; \
+    if((hash_value->attr_flag & OMPI_KEYVAL_F77)) { \
+        (*((hash_value->copy_attr_fn).attr_F_copy_fn)) \
+                   (&(((ompi_##type##_t *)old_object)->attr_##type##_f),\
+		    (int *) &key, (int *) &hash_value->extra_state, \
+		    (int *) &old_attr, \
+		    (int *) &new_attr, &flag, &err); \
+    } else { \
+        if ((err = (*((hash_value->copy_attr_fn).attr_##type##_copy_fn)) \
+              ((ompi_##type##_t *)old_object, key, hash_value->extra_state, \
+               old_attr, &new_attr, &flag)) != MPI_SUCCESS) { \
+           return err; \
+        }\
     }
 
 
@@ -84,7 +102,6 @@ static ompi_bitmap_t *key_bitmap;
 static void 
 ompi_attribute_construct(ompi_attrkey_t *attribute) 
 {
-    attribute->a_fhandle = -1;
     OBJ_CONSTRUCT(&(attribute->super), ompi_hash_table_t);
 }
 
@@ -123,7 +140,7 @@ ompi_attrkey_item_destruct(ompi_attrkey_item_t *item)
  */
 
 int 
-ompi_attr_init(void)
+ompi_attr_init()
 {
     attr_hash = OBJ_NEW(ompi_attrkey_t);
     if (NULL == attr_hash) {
@@ -147,7 +164,7 @@ ompi_attr_init(void)
  */
 
 void 
-ompi_attr_destroy(void)
+ompi_attr_destroy()
 {
     OBJ_RELEASE(attr_hash);
     OBJ_RELEASE(key_bitmap);
@@ -156,9 +173,9 @@ ompi_attr_destroy(void)
 
 int 
 ompi_attr_create_keyval(ompi_attribute_type_t type,
-		       ompi_attribute_fn_ptr_union_t copy_attr_fn,
-		       ompi_attribute_fn_ptr_union_t delete_attr_fn,
-		       int *key, void *extra_state, int predefined)
+			ompi_attribute_fn_ptr_union_t copy_attr_fn,
+			ompi_attribute_fn_ptr_union_t delete_attr_fn,
+			int *key, void *extra_state, int flags)
 {
     ompi_attrkey_item_t *attr;
     int ret;
@@ -190,7 +207,7 @@ ompi_attr_create_keyval(ompi_attribute_type_t type,
     attr->extra_state = extra_state;
     attr->attr_type = type;
     attr->key = *key;
-    attr->attr_flag = (1 == predefined) ? OMPI_PREDEFINED : 0;
+    attr->attr_flag = flags;
 
     /* Bump up the reference count, since we want the object to be
        destroyed only when free_keyval is called and not when all
@@ -220,8 +237,8 @@ ompi_attr_free_keyval(ompi_attribute_type_t type, int *key, int predefined)
 	ompi_hash_table_get_value_uint32(&attr_hash->super, *key);
   
     if ((NULL == key_item) || (key_item->attr_type != type) ||
-	((!predefined) && (key_item->attr_flag & OMPI_PREDEFINED)))
-	return MPI_INVALID_ATTR_KEYVAL;
+	((!predefined) && (key_item->attr_flag & OMPI_KEYVAL_PREDEFINED)))
+	return OMPI_ERR_BAD_PARAM;
 
     /* Not releasing the object here, it will be done in MPI_*_attr_delete */
 
@@ -257,8 +274,8 @@ ompi_attr_delete(ompi_attribute_type_t type, void *object,
 	ompi_hash_table_get_value_uint32(&attr_hash->super, key);
   
     if ((NULL == key_item) || (key_item->attr_type!= type) ||
-	((!predefined) && (key_item->attr_flag & OMPI_PREDEFINED)))
-	return MPI_INVALID_ATTR_KEYVAL;
+	((!predefined) && (key_item->attr_flag & OMPI_KEYVAL_PREDEFINED)))
+	return OMPI_ERR_BAD_PARAM;
 
     /* Check if the key is valid for the communicator/window/dtype. If
        yes, then delete the attribute and key entry from the CWD hash */
@@ -321,9 +338,9 @@ ompi_attr_set(ompi_attribute_type_t type, void *object,
     /* If key not found */
 
     if ((NULL == key_item) || (key_item->attr_type != type) ||
-	((!predefined) && (key_item->attr_flag & OMPI_PREDEFINED))) {
+	((!predefined) && (key_item->attr_flag & OMPI_KEYVAL_PREDEFINED))) {
 	fprintf(stderr, "ompi_attribute: ompi_attr_set: key not found \n");
-	return MPI_INVALID_ATTR_KEYVAL;
+	return OMPI_ERR_BAD_PARAM;
     }
 
     /* Now see if the key is present in the CWD object. If so, delete
diff --git a/src/attribute/attribute.h b/src/attribute/attribute.h
index b7566473a4..489de3ed32 100644
--- a/src/attribute/attribute.h
+++ b/src/attribute/attribute.h
@@ -24,18 +24,10 @@
 
 #define ATTR_HASH_SIZE 10
 
-/* *******************************************************************  */
-/* VPS: These to be moved into mpi.h or mpisys.h later on. This is
-   just to make things compile now, should take other value in a
-   different enum later */
+/* Flags for attribute will contain these */
 
-enum ompi_consts{
-    OMPI_PREDEFINED = 1,
-    MPI_ERROR, 
-    MPI_INVALID_ATTR_KEYVAL
-};
-
-/* *******************************************************************  */
+#define OMPI_KEYVAL_PREDEFINED 1
+#define OMPI_KEYVAL_F77 2
 
 enum ompi_attribute_type_t{
     COMM_ATTR = 1, /**< The attribute belongs to a comm object. Starts
@@ -44,9 +36,17 @@ enum ompi_attribute_type_t{
     WIN_ATTR, /**< The attribute belongs to a win object */
     TYPE_ATTR /**< The attribute belongs to datatype object */
 };
-
 typedef enum ompi_attribute_type_t ompi_attribute_type_t;
 
+
+/* Fortran function pointer declarations for copy and delete. These
+   will only be used here and not in the front end functions */
+
+typedef void (MPI_F_copy_function)(int *, int *, int *, int *, int *,
+				   int *, int *);
+typedef void (MPI_F_delete_function)(int *, int *, int *, int *, int *);
+
+
 /* Union to take care of proper casting of the function pointers
    passed from the front end functions depending on the type. This
    will avoid casting function pointers to void*  */
@@ -55,10 +55,15 @@ union ompi_attribute_fn_ptr_union_t {
     MPI_Comm_delete_attr_function *attr_communicator_delete_fn;
     MPI_Type_delete_attr_function *attr_datatype_delete_fn;
     MPI_Win_delete_attr_function *attr_win_delete_fn;
-    
+
     MPI_Comm_copy_attr_function *attr_communicator_copy_fn;
     MPI_Type_copy_attr_function *attr_datatype_copy_fn;
     MPI_Win_copy_attr_function *attr_win_copy_fn;
+
+    /* For Fortran functions */
+    
+    MPI_F_delete_function *attr_F_delete_fn;
+    MPI_F_copy_function *attr_F_copy_fn;
 };
 
 typedef union ompi_attribute_fn_ptr_union_t ompi_attribute_fn_ptr_union_t;
@@ -67,7 +72,6 @@ typedef union ompi_attribute_fn_ptr_union_t ompi_attribute_fn_ptr_union_t;
 struct ompi_attrkey_t {
     ompi_hash_table_t super; /**< hash table pointer which will contain
 			       <key,attr_meta_data> pair */
-    int a_fhandle; /**<Fortran handle for language interoperability */
 };
 
 typedef struct ompi_attrkey_t ompi_attrkey_t;
@@ -79,7 +83,8 @@ struct ompi_attrkey_item_t {
 				       will be used to cast the
 				       copy/delete attribute functions
 				       properly and error checking */
-    int attr_flag; /**< flag field to denote if its predefined  */
+    int attr_flag; /**< flag field: contains "OMPI_KEYVAL_PREDEFINED",
+		      "OMPI_KEYVAL_F77"  */
     ompi_attribute_fn_ptr_union_t copy_attr_fn; /**< Copy function for the 
 					     attribute */
     ompi_attribute_fn_ptr_union_t delete_attr_fn; /**< Delete function for the
@@ -142,15 +147,14 @@ void ompi_attr_destroy(void);
  *                       attribute (IN)
  * @param key            The newly created key is returned here (OUT)
  * @param extra_state    Extra state to hang off/do some special things (IN)
- * @param predefined     Whether this key is should be treated as 
- *                       predefined (IN)
-
+ * @param flags          Flags for the key -- flags contain OMPI_KEYVAL_F77,
+ *                       OMPI_KEYVAL_PREDEFINED
  * NOTE: I have taken the assumption that user cannot modify/delete
  * any predefined keys or the attributes attached. To accomplish this,
- * all MPI* calls will have predefined argument set as 0. MPI
+ * all MPI* calls will have OMPI_KEYVAL_PREDEFINED set as 0. MPI
  * implementors who will need to play with the predefined keys and
  * attributes would call the ompi* functions here and not the MPI*
- * functions, with predefined argument set to 1. 
+ * functions, with OMPI_KEYVAL_PREDEFINED set to 1. 
  * END OF NOTE
  *
  * NOTE: For the function pointers, you need to create a variable of the 
@@ -166,7 +170,7 @@ void ompi_attr_destroy(void);
 int ompi_attr_create_keyval(ompi_attribute_type_t type, 
 			   ompi_attribute_fn_ptr_union_t copy_attr_fn, 
 			   ompi_attribute_fn_ptr_union_t delete_attr_fn,
-			   int *key, void *extra_state, int predefined);
+			   int *key, void *extra_state, int flags);
 
 /**
  * Free an attribute keyval