diff --git a/orte/mca/plm/base/plm_base_receive.c b/orte/mca/plm/base/plm_base_receive.c
index 799d30fe3a..bc0b588f20 100644
--- a/orte/mca/plm/base/plm_base_receive.c
+++ b/orte/mca/plm/base/plm_base_receive.c
@@ -77,7 +77,14 @@ int orte_plm_base_comm_start(void)
     processing = false;
     OBJ_CONSTRUCT(&lock, opal_mutex_t);
     OBJ_CONSTRUCT(&recvs, opal_list_t);
+#ifndef __WINDOWS__
     pipe(ready_fd);
+#else
+    if (evutil_socketpair(AF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM, 0, ready_fd) == -1) {
+        return ORTE_ERROR;
+    }
+#endif
+
     opal_event_set(&ready, ready_fd[0], OPAL_EV_READ, process_msg, NULL);
     opal_event_add(&ready, 0);
     
@@ -102,7 +109,11 @@ int orte_plm_base_comm_stop(void)
     
     OBJ_DESTRUCT(&recvs);
     opal_event_del(&ready);
+#ifndef __WINDOWS__
     close(ready_fd[0]);
+#else
+    closesocket(ready_fd[0]);
+#endif
     processing = false;
     OBJ_DESTRUCT(&lock);
     
@@ -142,7 +153,11 @@ void process_msg(int fd, short event, void *data)
     processing = true;
 
     /* clear the file descriptor to stop the event from refiring */
+#ifndef __WINDOWS__
     read(fd, &dump, sizeof(dump));
+#else
+    recv(fd, (char *) &dump, sizeof(dump), 0);
+#endif
     
     while (NULL != (item = opal_list_remove_first(&recvs))) {
         msgpkt = (orte_msg_packet_t*)item;
diff --git a/orte/mca/rml/rml_types.h b/orte/mca/rml/rml_types.h
index 6122731c15..dcf5e6ee3e 100644
--- a/orte/mca/rml/rml_types.h
+++ b/orte/mca/rml/rml_types.h
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ typedef struct {
 } orte_msg_packet_t;
 ORTE_DECLSPEC OBJ_CLASS_DECLARATION(orte_msg_packet_t);
 
-
+#ifndef __WINDOWS__
 #define ORTE_PROCESS_MESSAGE(rlist, lck, flg, fd, crt, sndr, buf)   \
     do {                                                            \
         orte_msg_packet_t *pkt;                                     \
@@ -75,6 +75,29 @@ ORTE_DECLSPEC OBJ_CLASS_DECLARATION(orte_msg_packet_t);
         }                                                           \
         OPAL_THREAD_UNLOCK((lck));                                  \
     } while(0);
+#else
+#define ORTE_PROCESS_MESSAGE(rlist, lck, flg, fd, crt, sndr, buf)   \
+    do {                                                            \
+        orte_msg_packet_t *pkt;                                     \
+        int data=1;                                                 \
+        pkt = OBJ_NEW(orte_msg_packet_t);                           \
+        pkt->sender.jobid = (sndr)->jobid;                          \
+        pkt->sender.vpid = (sndr)->vpid;                            \
+        if ((crt)) {                                                \
+            pkt->buffer = OBJ_NEW(opal_buffer_t);                   \
+            opal_dss.copy_payload(pkt->buffer, *(buf));             \
+        } else {                                                    \
+            pkt->buffer = *(buf);                                   \
+            *(buf) = NULL;                                          \
+        }                                                           \
+        OPAL_THREAD_LOCK((lck));                                    \
+        opal_list_append((rlist), &pkt->super);                     \
+        if (!(flg)) {                                               \
+            send((fd), (const char*) &data, sizeof(data), 0);       \
+        }                                                           \
+        OPAL_THREAD_UNLOCK((lck));                                  \
+    } while(0);
+#endif
 
 
 /**