diff --git a/orte/mca/ess/base/ess_base_put.c b/orte/mca/ess/base/ess_base_put.c
index 98386d0e24..d77dbaad1f 100644
--- a/orte/mca/ess/base/ess_base_put.c
+++ b/orte/mca/ess/base/ess_base_put.c
@@ -39,12 +39,14 @@ int orte_ess_env_put(orte_std_cntr_t num_procs,
     char* param;
     char* value;
 
-    /* tell the ESS to select the env component */
+    /* tell the ESS to select the env component - but don't override
+     * anything that may have been provided elsewhere
+     */
     if(NULL == (param = mca_base_param_environ_variable("ess",NULL,NULL))) {
         ORTE_ERROR_LOG(ORTE_ERR_OUT_OF_RESOURCE);
         return ORTE_ERR_OUT_OF_RESOURCE;
     }
-    opal_setenv(param, "env", true, env);
+    opal_setenv(param, "env", false, env);
     free(param);
 
     /* since we want to pass the name as separate components, make sure
diff --git a/orte/mca/ess/cm/ess_cm_module.c b/orte/mca/ess/cm/ess_cm_module.c
index 8b3504ee26..1c9604e994 100644
--- a/orte/mca/ess/cm/ess_cm_module.c
+++ b/orte/mca/ess/cm/ess_cm_module.c
@@ -196,6 +196,38 @@ static int rte_init(void)
         }
         opal_argv_free(hosts);
     } else if (ORTE_PROC_IS_TOOL) {
+        /* if we were given a jobid, use it */
+        mca_base_param_reg_string_name("orte", "ess_jobid", "Process jobid",
+                                       true, false, NULL, &tmp);
+        if (NULL != tmp) {
+            if (ORTE_SUCCESS != (ret = orte_util_convert_string_to_jobid(&jobid, tmp))) {
+                ORTE_ERROR_LOG(ret);
+                error = "convert_jobid";
+                goto error;
+            }
+            free(tmp);
+            ORTE_PROC_MY_NAME->jobid = jobid;
+        }
+        
+        /* if we were given a vpid, use it */
+        mca_base_param_reg_string_name("orte", "ess_vpid", "Process vpid",
+                                       true, false, NULL, &tmp);
+        if (NULL != tmp) {
+            if (ORTE_SUCCESS != (ret = orte_util_convert_string_to_vpid(&vpid, tmp))) {
+                ORTE_ERROR_LOG(ret);
+                error = "convert_vpid";
+                goto error;
+            }
+            free(tmp);
+            ORTE_PROC_MY_NAME->vpid = vpid;
+        }
+        
+        /* if both were given, then we are done */
+        if (ORTE_JOBID_INVALID != jobid &&
+            ORTE_VPID_INVALID != vpid) {
+            goto tool_done;
+        }
+        
         /* create our own name */
         if (ORTE_SUCCESS != (ret = orte_plm_base_open())) {
             ORTE_ERROR_LOG(ret);
@@ -218,6 +250,7 @@ static int rte_init(void)
          */
         orte_plm_base_close();
         
+    tool_done:
         /* do the rest of the standard tool init */
         if (ORTE_SUCCESS != (ret = orte_ess_base_tool_setup())) {
             ORTE_ERROR_LOG(ret);
diff --git a/orte/orted/orted_main.c b/orte/orted/orted_main.c
index fc268bd48d..c36fb8fb55 100644
--- a/orte/orted/orted_main.c
+++ b/orte/orted/orted_main.c
@@ -301,6 +301,8 @@ int orte_daemon(int argc, char *argv[])
      */
     orte_launch_environ = opal_argv_copy(environ);
     
+    /* purge any ess flag set in the environ when we were launched */
+    opal_unsetenv("OMPI_MCA_ess", &orte_launch_environ);
     
     /* if orte_daemon_debug is set, let someone know we are alive right
      * away just in case we have a problem along the way
diff --git a/orte/tools/orterun/orterun.c b/orte/tools/orterun/orterun.c
index bb62b62943..682c3b9a7e 100644
--- a/orte/tools/orterun/orterun.c
+++ b/orte/tools/orterun/orterun.c
@@ -555,6 +555,9 @@ int orterun(int argc, char *argv[])
      */
     orte_launch_environ = opal_argv_copy(environ);
     
+    /* purge an ess flag set externally */
+    opal_unsetenv("OMPI_MCA_ess", &orte_launch_environ);
+    
 #if OPAL_ENABLE_FT_CR == 1
     /* Disable OPAL CR notifications for this tool */
     opal_cr_set_enabled(false);