diff --git a/opal/mca/base/base.h b/opal/mca/base/base.h
index 7177bd47e6..8a889c82be 100644
--- a/opal/mca/base/base.h
+++ b/opal/mca/base/base.h
@@ -107,6 +107,19 @@ OPAL_DECLSPEC int mca_base_select(const char *type_name, int output_id,
                                   mca_base_module_t **best_module,
                                   mca_base_component_t **best_component);
 
+/**
+ * A function for component query functions to discover if they have
+ * been explicitly required to or requested to be selected.
+ *
+ * exclusive: If the specified component is the only component that is
+ *            available for selection.
+ *
+ */
+OPAL_DECLSPEC int mca_base_is_component_required(opal_list_t *components_available,
+                                                 mca_base_component_t *component,
+                                                 bool exclusive,
+                                                 bool *is_required);
+
 /* mca_base_cmd_line.c */
 
 OPAL_DECLSPEC int mca_base_cmd_line_setup(opal_cmd_line_t *cmd);
diff --git a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_components_open.c b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_components_open.c
index 032bea7d0f..47de169008 100644
--- a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_components_open.c
+++ b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_components_open.c
@@ -229,6 +229,61 @@ int mca_base_components_open(const char *type_name, int output_id,
     return ret;
 }
 
+int mca_base_is_component_required(opal_list_t *components_available,
+                                   mca_base_component_t *component,
+                                   bool exclusive,
+                                   bool *is_required)
+{
+    opal_list_item_t *item = NULL;
+    mca_base_component_list_item_t *cli = NULL;
+    mca_base_component_t *comp = NULL;
+
+    /* Sanity check */
+    if( NULL == components_available ||
+        NULL == component) {
+        return OPAL_ERR_BAD_PARAM;
+    }
+
+    *is_required = false;
+
+    /*
+     * Look through the components available for opening
+     */
+    if( exclusive ) {
+        /* Must be the -only- component in the list */
+        if( 1 == opal_list_get_size(components_available) ) {
+            item  = opal_list_get_first(components_available);
+            cli   = (mca_base_component_list_item_t *) item;
+            comp  = (mca_base_component_t *) cli->cli_component;
+
+            if( 0 == strncmp(comp->mca_component_name,
+                             component->mca_component_name,
+                             strlen(component->mca_component_name)) ) {
+                *is_required = true;
+                return OPAL_SUCCESS;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    else {
+        /* Must be one of the components in the list */
+        for (item  = opal_list_get_first(components_available);
+             item != opal_list_get_end(components_available);
+             item  = opal_list_get_next(item) ) {
+            cli  = (mca_base_component_list_item_t *) item;
+            comp = (mca_base_component_t *) cli->cli_component;
+
+            if( 0 == strncmp(comp->mca_component_name,
+                             component->mca_component_name,
+                             strlen(component->mca_component_name)) ) {
+                *is_required = true;
+                return OPAL_SUCCESS;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    return OPAL_SUCCESS;
+}
+
 
 static int parse_requested(int mca_param, bool *include_mode,
                            char ***requested_component_names)
diff --git a/orte/mca/routed/cm/routed_cm_component.c b/orte/mca/routed/cm/routed_cm_component.c
index e58bf09c4b..77bc10b865 100644
--- a/orte/mca/routed/cm/routed_cm_component.c
+++ b/orte/mca/routed/cm/routed_cm_component.c
@@ -44,15 +44,16 @@ orte_routed_component_t mca_routed_cm_component = {
       }
 };
 
-static int is_component_requested(bool *is_req);
-
 static int orte_routed_cm_component_query(mca_base_module_t **module, int *priority)
 {
-    bool is_requested = false;
+    bool is_required = false;
 
-    is_component_requested(&is_requested);
+    mca_base_is_component_required(&orte_routed_base_components,
+                                   &mca_routed_cm_component.base_version,
+                                   true,
+                                   &is_required);
 
-    if( !is_requested ) {
+    if( !is_required ) {
         *priority = 0;
         *module = NULL;
         return ORTE_ERROR;
@@ -62,42 +63,3 @@ static int orte_routed_cm_component_query(mca_base_module_t **module, int *prior
     *module = (mca_base_module_t *)&orte_routed_cm_module;
     return ORTE_SUCCESS;
 }
-
-static int is_component_requested(bool *is_req)
-{
-    char *spec = NULL;
-    opal_list_item_t *item = NULL;
-    mca_base_component_list_item_t *cli = NULL;
-    mca_base_component_t *component = NULL;
-
-    /*
-     * Check the environment variable
-     */
-    *is_req = false;
-    spec = getenv("OMPI_MCA_routed");
-    if (NULL != spec && 0 == strcmp("cm", spec)) {
-        *is_req = true;
-        return ORTE_SUCCESS;
-    }
-
-    /*
-     * Otherwise look through the components available for opening
-     * Must be the -only- component in the list
-     */
-    *is_req = false;
-    if( 1 == opal_list_get_size(&orte_routed_base_components) ) {
-        item  = opal_list_get_first(&orte_routed_base_components);
-
-        cli = (mca_base_component_list_item_t *) item;
-        component = (mca_base_component_t *) cli->cli_component;
-
-        if( 0 == strncmp(component->mca_component_name,
-                         mca_routed_cm_component.base_version.mca_component_name,
-                         strlen(mca_routed_cm_component.base_version.mca_component_name)) ) {
-            *is_req = true;
-            return ORTE_SUCCESS;
-        }
-    }
-
-    return ORTE_SUCCESS;
-}