diff --git a/opal/mca/paffinity/test/paffinity_test.h b/opal/mca/paffinity/test/paffinity_test.h
index bdd9ec22fa..c007e599c6 100644
--- a/opal/mca/paffinity/test/paffinity_test.h
+++ b/opal/mca/paffinity/test/paffinity_test.h
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ OPAL_DECLSPEC extern const opal_paffinity_base_component_2_0_0_t mca_paffinity_t
 /* query function */
 int opal_paffinity_test_component_query(mca_base_module_t **module, int *priority);
 
+/* local value */
+OPAL_DECLSPEC extern bool opal_paffinity_test_bound;
+
 END_C_DECLS
 
 #endif /* MCA_PAFFINITY_TEST_EXPORT_H */
diff --git a/opal/mca/paffinity/test/paffinity_test_component.c b/opal/mca/paffinity/test/paffinity_test_component.c
index 9311ce2a87..ed0b33aa8a 100644
--- a/opal/mca/paffinity/test/paffinity_test_component.c
+++ b/opal/mca/paffinity/test/paffinity_test_component.c
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ static int test_open(void);
  * and pointers to our public functions in it
  */
 
+bool opal_paffinity_test_bound;
+
 const opal_paffinity_base_component_2_0_0_t mca_paffinity_test_component = {
 
     /* First, the mca_component_t struct containing meta information
@@ -79,5 +81,12 @@ const opal_paffinity_base_component_2_0_0_t mca_paffinity_test_component = {
 
 static int test_open(void)
 {
+    int tmp;
+    
+    mca_base_param_reg_int(&mca_paffinity_test_component.base_version, "bound",
+                           "Whether or not to test as if externally bound (default=0: no)",
+                           false, false, (int)false, &tmp);
+    opal_paffinity_test_bound = OPAL_INT_TO_BOOL(tmp);
+    
     return OPAL_SUCCESS;
 }
diff --git a/opal/mca/paffinity/test/paffinity_test_module.c b/opal/mca/paffinity/test/paffinity_test_module.c
index e82151b1ce..20356ad01b 100644
--- a/opal/mca/paffinity/test/paffinity_test_module.c
+++ b/opal/mca/paffinity/test/paffinity_test_module.c
@@ -98,12 +98,18 @@ static int get(opal_paffinity_base_cpu_set_t *cpumask)
     int i;
     
     OPAL_PAFFINITY_CPU_ZERO(*cpumask);
-    for (i=0; i < NUM_SOCKETS*NUM_CORES; i+=2) {
-        OPAL_PAFFINITY_CPU_SET(i, *cpumask);
-    }
-    /* assign all cores in the 2nd socket */
-    for (i=NUM_CORES; i < 2*NUM_CORES; i++) {
-        OPAL_PAFFINITY_CPU_SET(i, *cpumask);
+    if (opal_paffinity_test_bound) {
+        for (i=0; i < NUM_SOCKETS*NUM_CORES; i+=2) {
+            OPAL_PAFFINITY_CPU_SET(i, *cpumask);
+        }
+        /* assign all cores in the 2nd socket */
+        for (i=NUM_CORES; i < 2*NUM_CORES; i++) {
+            OPAL_PAFFINITY_CPU_SET(i, *cpumask);
+        }
+    } else {
+        for (i=0; i < NUM_SOCKETS*NUM_CORES; i++) {
+            OPAL_PAFFINITY_CPU_SET(i, *cpumask);
+        }
     }
     return OPAL_SUCCESS;
 }