diff --git a/ompi/group/group.c b/ompi/group/group.c
index 6b52d0d3ae..53ab156ca2 100644
--- a/ompi/group/group.c
+++ b/ompi/group/group.c
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
  *                         All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2006-2007 University of Houston. All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2007      Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2012      Oak Ridge National Labs.  All rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  * 
  * Additional copyrights may follow
@@ -506,3 +507,73 @@ int ompi_group_intersection(ompi_group_t* group1,ompi_group_t* group2,
 
     return result;
 }
+
+int ompi_group_compare(ompi_group_t *group1,
+                       ompi_group_t *group2,
+                       int *result)
+{
+    int return_value = OMPI_SUCCESS;
+    int proc1, proc2, match;
+    bool similar, identical;
+    ompi_group_t *group1_pointer, *group2_pointer;
+    ompi_proc_t *proc1_pointer, *proc2_pointer;
+
+    /* check for same groups */
+    if( group1 == group2 ) {
+        *result=MPI_IDENT;
+        return return_value;
+    }
+
+    /* check to see if either is MPI_GROUP_NULL or MPI_GROUP_EMPTY */
+    if( ( MPI_GROUP_EMPTY == group1 ) || ( MPI_GROUP_EMPTY == group2 ) ) {
+        *result=MPI_UNEQUAL;
+        return return_value;
+    }
+
+    /* get group pointers */
+    group1_pointer = (ompi_group_t *)group1;
+    group2_pointer = (ompi_group_t *)group2;
+
+    /* compare sizes */
+    if( group1_pointer->grp_proc_count != group2_pointer->grp_proc_count ) {
+        /* if not same size - return */
+        *result=MPI_UNEQUAL;
+        return return_value;
+    }
+
+    /* check for similarity */
+    /* loop over group1 processes */
+    similar=true;
+    identical=true;
+    for(proc1=0 ; proc1 < group1_pointer->grp_proc_count ; proc1++ ) {
+        proc1_pointer= ompi_group_peer_lookup(group1_pointer,proc1);
+        /* loop over group2 processes to find "match" */
+        match=-1;
+        for(proc2=0 ; proc2 < group2_pointer->grp_proc_count ; proc2++ ) {
+            proc2_pointer=ompi_group_peer_lookup(group2_pointer,proc2);
+            if( proc1_pointer == proc2_pointer ) {
+                if(proc1 != proc2 ) {
+                    identical=false;
+                }
+                match=proc2;
+                break;
+            }
+        } /* end proc2 loop */
+        if( match== -1 ) {
+            similar=false;
+            identical=false;
+            break;
+        }
+    } /* end proc1 loop */
+
+    /* set comparison result */
+    if( identical ) {
+        *result=MPI_IDENT;
+    } else if( similar ) {
+        *result=MPI_SIMILAR;
+    } else {
+        *result=MPI_UNEQUAL;
+    }
+
+    return return_value;
+}
diff --git a/ompi/group/group.h b/ompi/group/group.h
index c1409a193f..6dc0a353bf 100644
--- a/ompi/group/group.h
+++ b/ompi/group/group.h
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
  * Copyright (c) 2006-2007 University of Houston. All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2007      Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2009      Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2012      Oak Ridge National Labs.  All rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  * 
  * Additional copyrights may follow
@@ -233,6 +234,12 @@ OMPI_DECLSPEC int ompi_group_translate_ranks ( ompi_group_t *group1,
                                  ompi_group_t *group2, 
                                  int *ranks2);
 
+/**
+ * Abstracting MPI_Group_compare to an ompi function for internal use
+ */
+OMPI_DECLSPEC int ompi_group_compare(ompi_group_t *group1,
+                                     ompi_group_t *group2,
+                                     int *result);
 
 /** 
  * Abstracting MPI_Group_free, since it is required by some internal functions...
diff --git a/ompi/group/group_init.c b/ompi/group/group_init.c
index 851342056e..ec6bc1706c 100644
--- a/ompi/group/group_init.c
+++ b/ompi/group/group_init.c
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
  * Copyright (c) 2006-2007 University of Houston. All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2007      Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2009      Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2012      Oak Ridge National Labs.  All rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  * 
  * Additional copyrights may follow
@@ -321,7 +322,7 @@ int ompi_group_init(void)
     ompi_mpi_group_null.group.grp_flags            |= OMPI_GROUP_DENSE;
     ompi_mpi_group_null.group.grp_flags            |= OMPI_GROUP_INTRINSIC;
         
-    /* add MPI_GROUP_EMPTRY to table */
+    /* add MPI_GROUP_EMPTY to table */
     OBJ_CONSTRUCT(&ompi_mpi_group_empty, ompi_group_t);
     ompi_mpi_group_empty.group.grp_proc_count        = 0;
     ompi_mpi_group_empty.group.grp_my_rank           = MPI_UNDEFINED;
diff --git a/ompi/mpi/c/group_compare.c b/ompi/mpi/c/group_compare.c
index 124c05737f..164b4d5a0b 100644
--- a/ompi/mpi/c/group_compare.c
+++ b/ompi/mpi/c/group_compare.c
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
  *                         All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2006      Cisco Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2009      University of Houston. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2012      Oak Ridge National Labs.  All rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  * 
  * Additional copyrights may follow
@@ -39,17 +40,7 @@ static const char FUNC_NAME[] = "MPI_Group_compare";
 
 
 int MPI_Group_compare(MPI_Group group1, MPI_Group group2, int *result) {
-
-    /* local variables */
-    int return_value, proc1, proc2, match;
-    bool similar, identical;
-    ompi_group_t *group1_pointer, *group2_pointer;
-    ompi_proc_t *proc1_pointer, *proc2_pointer;
-
-    OPAL_CR_NOOP_PROGRESS();
-
-    /* initialization */
-    return_value=MPI_SUCCESS;
+    int return_value = MPI_SUCCESS;
 
     /* check for errors */
     if( MPI_PARAM_CHECK ) {
@@ -65,62 +56,9 @@ int MPI_Group_compare(MPI_Group group1, MPI_Group group2, int *result) {
         }
     }
 
-    /* check for same groups */
-    if( group1 == group2 ) {
-        *result=MPI_IDENT;
-        return return_value;
-    }
+    OPAL_CR_NOOP_PROGRESS();
 
-    /* check to see if either is MPI_GROUP_NULL or MPI_GROUP_EMPTY */
-    if( ( MPI_GROUP_EMPTY == group1 ) || ( MPI_GROUP_EMPTY == group2 ) ) {
-        *result=MPI_UNEQUAL;
-        return return_value;
-    }
-
-    /* get group pointers */
-    group1_pointer = (ompi_group_t *)group1;
-    group2_pointer = (ompi_group_t *)group2;
-
-    /* compare sizes */
-    if( group1_pointer->grp_proc_count != group2_pointer->grp_proc_count ) {
-        /* if not same size - return */
-        *result=MPI_UNEQUAL;
-        return return_value;
-    }
-
-    /* check for similarity */
-    /* loop over group1 processes */
-    similar=true;
-    identical=true;
-    for(proc1=0 ; proc1 < group1_pointer->grp_proc_count ; proc1++ ) {
-        proc1_pointer= ompi_group_peer_lookup(group1_pointer,proc1);
-        /* loop over group2 processes to find "match" */
-        match=-1;
-        for(proc2=0 ; proc2 < group2_pointer->grp_proc_count ; proc2++ ) {
-            proc2_pointer=ompi_group_peer_lookup(group2_pointer,proc2);
-            if( proc1_pointer == proc2_pointer ) {
-                if(proc1 != proc2 ) {
-                    identical=false;
-                }
-                match=proc2;
-                break;
-            }
-        } /* end proc2 loop */
-        if( match== -1 ) {
-            similar=false;
-            identical=false;
-            break;
-        }
-    } /* end proc1 loop */
-
-    /* set comparison result */
-    if( identical ) {
-        *result=MPI_IDENT;
-    } else if( similar ) {
-        *result=MPI_SIMILAR;
-    } else {
-        *result=MPI_UNEQUAL;
-    }
+    return_value = ompi_group_compare((ompi_group_t *)group1, (ompi_group_t *)group2, result);
 
     return return_value;
 }