diff --git a/orte/mca/state/novm/state_novm_component.c b/orte/mca/state/novm/state_novm_component.c
index 33b887c6ff..36293dc5df 100644
--- a/orte/mca/state/novm/state_novm_component.c
+++ b/orte/mca/state/novm/state_novm_component.c
@@ -57,15 +57,17 @@ orte_state_base_component_t mca_state_novm_component =
     },
 };
 
-static int my_priority;
+static bool select_me = false;
 
 static int state_novm_open(void) 
 {
+    int tmp;
     mca_base_component_t *c=&mca_state_novm_component.base_version;
 
-    mca_base_param_reg_int(c, "priority",
-                           "Selection priority",
-                           false, false, 50, &my_priority);
+    mca_base_param_reg_int(c, "select",
+                           "Use this component",
+                           false, false, (int)false, &tmp);
+    select_me = OPAL_INT_TO_BOOL(tmp);
     return ORTE_SUCCESS;
 }
 
@@ -76,9 +78,9 @@ static int state_novm_close(void)
 
 static int state_novm_component_query(mca_base_module_t **module, int *priority)
 {
-    if (ORTE_PROC_IS_HNP) {
-        /* set our priority mid-range so we'll be selected if user desires */
-        *priority = my_priority;
+    if (ORTE_PROC_IS_HNP && select_me) {
+        /* set our priority high so we'll be selected if user desires */
+        *priority = 1000;
         *module = (mca_base_module_t *)&orte_state_novm_module;
         return ORTE_SUCCESS;        
     }
diff --git a/orte/tools/orterun/orterun.c b/orte/tools/orterun/orterun.c
index be9deb790c..d2fd477b9f 100644
--- a/orte/tools/orterun/orterun.c
+++ b/orte/tools/orterun/orterun.c
@@ -519,6 +519,10 @@ static opal_cmd_line_init_t cmd_line_init[] = {
       &orterun_globals.disable_recovery, OPAL_CMD_LINE_TYPE_BOOL,
       "Disable recovery (resets all recovery options to off)" },
 
+    { "state", "novm", "select", '\0', "novm", "novm", 0,
+      NULL, OPAL_CMD_LINE_TYPE_BOOL,
+      "Execute without creating an allocation-spanning virtual machine (only start daemons on nodes hosting application procs)" },
+
     /* End of list */
     { NULL, NULL, NULL, '\0', NULL, NULL, 0,
       NULL, OPAL_CMD_LINE_TYPE_NULL, NULL }