diff --git a/ompi/errhandler/errcode.h b/ompi/errhandler/errcode.h
index b1246a1556..f6111069c2 100644
--- a/ompi/errhandler/errcode.h
+++ b/ompi/errhandler/errcode.h
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* -*- Mode: C; c-basic-offset:4 ; -*- */
+/* -*- Mode: C; c-basic-offset:4 ; indent-tabs-mode:nil -*- */
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 2004-2005 The Trustees of Indiana University and Indiana
  *                         University Research and Technology
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
  *                         All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2006      University of Houston. All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2007      Cisco Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2015      Los Alamos National Security, LLC.  All rights
+ *                         reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  * 
  * Additional copyrights may follow
@@ -69,10 +71,13 @@ static inline bool ompi_mpi_errcode_is_invalid(int errcode)
  */
 static inline int ompi_mpi_errcode_get_class (int errcode)
 {
-    ompi_mpi_errcode_t *err;
+    ompi_mpi_errcode_t *err = NULL;
+
+    if (errcode >= 0) {
+        err = (ompi_mpi_errcode_t *)opal_pointer_array_get_item(&ompi_mpi_errcodes, errcode);
+        /* If we get a bogus errcode, return MPI_ERR_UNKNOWN */
+    }
 
-    err = (ompi_mpi_errcode_t *)opal_pointer_array_get_item(&ompi_mpi_errcodes, errcode);
-    /* If we get a bogus errcode, return MPI_ERR_UNKNOWN */
     if (NULL != err) {
 	if ( err->code != MPI_UNDEFINED ) { 
 	    return err->cls;
@@ -93,6 +98,10 @@ static inline int ompi_mpi_errnum_is_class ( int errnum )
 {
     ompi_mpi_errcode_t *err;
 
+    if (errno < 0) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
     if ( errnum <= ompi_mpi_errcode_lastpredefined ) {
 	/* Predefined error values represent an error code and 
 	   an error class at the same time */
@@ -117,11 +126,14 @@ static inline int ompi_mpi_errnum_is_class ( int errnum )
  */
 static inline char* ompi_mpi_errnum_get_string (int errnum)
 {
-    ompi_mpi_errcode_t *err;
-    
-    err = (ompi_mpi_errcode_t *)opal_pointer_array_get_item(&ompi_mpi_errcodes, errnum);
-    /* If we get a bogus errcode, return a string indicating that this
-       truly should not happen */
+    ompi_mpi_errcode_t *err = NULL;
+
+    if (errnum >= 0) {
+        err = (ompi_mpi_errcode_t *)opal_pointer_array_get_item(&ompi_mpi_errcodes, errnum);
+        /* If we get a bogus errcode, return a string indicating that this
+           truly should not happen */
+    }
+
     if (NULL != err) {
         return err->errstring;
     } else {
diff --git a/ompi/mpi/java/c/mpi_MPI.c b/ompi/mpi/java/c/mpi_MPI.c
index 7036c19e46..761704a731 100644
--- a/ompi/mpi/java/c/mpi_MPI.c
+++ b/ompi/mpi/java/c/mpi_MPI.c
@@ -531,8 +531,11 @@ static void* getBuffer(JNIEnv *env, ompi_java_buffer_t **item, int size)
         opal_free_list_item_t *freeListItem;
         freeListItem = opal_free_list_get (&ompi_java_buffers);
 
-        ompi_java_exceptionCheck(env, NULL == freeListItem ? OMPI_ERROR :
-                                 OMPI_SUCCESS);
+        ompi_java_exceptionCheck(env, NULL == freeListItem ? MPI_ERR_NO_MEM :
+                                 MPI_SUCCESS);
+        if (NULL == freeListItem) {
+            return NULL;
+        }
 
         *item = (ompi_java_buffer_t*)freeListItem;
         return (*item)->buffer;
@@ -1049,6 +1052,14 @@ void ompi_java_releasePtrArray(JNIEnv *env, jlongArray array,
 
 jboolean ompi_java_exceptionCheck(JNIEnv *env, int rc)
 {
+    if (rc < 0) {
+        /* handle ompi error code */
+        rc = ompi_errcode_get_mpi_code (rc);
+        /* ompi_mpi_errcode_get_class CAN NOT handle negative error codes.
+         * all Open MPI MPI error codes should be > 0. */
+        assert (rc >= 0);
+    }
+
     if(MPI_SUCCESS == rc)
     {
         return JNI_FALSE;