diff --git a/config/ompi_check_mvapi.m4 b/config/ompi_check_mvapi.m4
index d89494f7cc..e140149674 100644
--- a/config/ompi_check_mvapi.m4
+++ b/config/ompi_check_mvapi.m4
@@ -74,6 +74,10 @@ AC_DEFUN([OMPI_CHECK_MVAPI],[
                         [ompi_check_mvapi_happy="yes"],
                         [ompi_check_mvapi_happy="no"])])
 
+           AS_IF([test "$ompi_check_mvapi_happy" = "yes" -a "$enable_progress_threads" = "yes"],
+                 [AC_MSG_WARN([MVAPI driver does not currently support progress threads.  Disabling BTL.])
+                  ompi_check_mvapi_happy="no"])
+
            CPPFLAGS="$ompi_check_mvapi$1_save_CPPFLAGS"],
           [ompi_check_mvapi_happy="no"])
 
diff --git a/config/ompi_check_mx.m4 b/config/ompi_check_mx.m4
index de723c4215..477f2b3ce5 100644
--- a/config/ompi_check_mx.m4
+++ b/config/ompi_check_mx.m4
@@ -114,6 +114,10 @@ AC_DEFUN([OMPI_CHECK_MX],[
     LDFLAGS="$ompi_check_mx_$1_save_LDFLAGS"
     LIBS="$ompi_check_mx_$1_save_LIBS"
 
+    AS_IF([test "$ompi_check_mx_happy" = "yes" -a "$enable_progress_threads" = "yes"],
+          [AC_MSG_WARN([MX driver does not currently support progress threads.  Disabling BTL.])
+           ompi_check_mx_happy="no"])
+
     AS_IF([test "$ompi_check_mx_happy" = "yes"],
           [$2],
           [AS_IF([test ! -z "$with_mx" -a "$with_mx" != "no"],
diff --git a/config/ompi_check_openib.m4 b/config/ompi_check_openib.m4
index 6335154bd9..0398ecd4e1 100644
--- a/config/ompi_check_openib.m4
+++ b/config/ompi_check_openib.m4
@@ -131,6 +131,10 @@ AC_DEFUN([OMPI_CHECK_OPENIB],[
          LIBS="$ompi_check_openib_$1_save_LIBS"],
         [ompi_check_openib_happy="no"])  
 
+    AS_IF([test "$ompi_check_openib_happy" = "yes" -a "$enable_progress_threads" = "yes"],
+          [AC_MSG_WARN([OpenIB driver does not currently support progress threads.  Disabling BTL.])
+           ompi_check_openib_happy="no"])
+
     AS_IF([test "$ompi_check_openib_happy" = "yes"],
           [$2],
           [AS_IF([test ! -z "$with_openib" -a "$with_openib" != "no"],
diff --git a/ompi/mca/btl/mvapi/btl_mvapi_component.c b/ompi/mca/btl/mvapi/btl_mvapi_component.c
index dc33f318bf..d40047e98d 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/btl/mvapi/btl_mvapi_component.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/btl/mvapi/btl_mvapi_component.c
@@ -353,6 +353,15 @@ mca_btl_base_module_t** mca_btl_mvapi_component_init(int *num_btl_modules,
     /* initialization */
     *num_btl_modules = 0;
 
+    /* mvapi BTL does not currently support progress threads, so
+       disable the component if they were requested */
+    if (enable_progress_threads) {
+        mca_btl_base_error_no_nics("MVAPI", "HCA");
+        mca_btl_mvapi_component.ib_num_btls = 0;
+        mca_btl_mvapi_modex_send();
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
     /* Determine the number of hca's available on the host */
     vapi_ret=EVAPI_list_hcas(0, &num_hcas, NULL);
     if( VAPI_EAGAIN != vapi_ret || 0 == num_hcas ) {
diff --git a/ompi/mca/btl/mx/btl_mx_component.c b/ompi/mca/btl/mx/btl_mx_component.c
index 262ff3dd28..e0ab22c390 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/btl/mx/btl_mx_component.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/btl/mx/btl_mx_component.c
@@ -230,6 +230,11 @@ mca_btl_base_module_t** mca_btl_mx_component_init(int *num_btl_modules,
 
     *num_btl_modules = 0;
 
+    if (enable_progress_threads) { 
+        opal_output( 0, "mca_btl_mx_component_init: progress threads requested but not supported");
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
     /* set the MX error handle to always return. This function is the only MX function
      * allowed to be called before mx_init in order to make sure that if the MX is not
      * up and running the MX library does not exit the application.
diff --git a/ompi/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_component.c b/ompi/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_component.c
index 25a78bd32b..afef8ae65e 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_component.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_component.c
@@ -339,6 +339,15 @@ mca_btl_base_module_t** mca_btl_openib_component_init(int *num_btl_modules,
     *num_btl_modules = 0;
     num_devs = 0; 
 
+    /* openib BTL does not currently support progress threads, so
+       disable the component if they were requested */
+    if (enable_progress_threads) {
+        mca_btl_base_error_no_nics("OpenIB", "HCA");
+        mca_btl_openib_component.ib_num_btls = 0;
+        mca_btl_openib_modex_send();
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
     seedv[0] = orte_process_info.my_name->vpid;
     seedv[1] = opal_sys_timer_get_cycles();
     seedv[2] = opal_sys_timer_get_cycles();