diff --git a/ompi/mca/btl/btl.h b/ompi/mca/btl/btl.h
index b410449e58..7bdfae407a 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/btl/btl.h
+++ b/ompi/mca/btl/btl.h
@@ -133,8 +133,16 @@ typedef uint8_t mca_btl_base_tag_t;
 #define MCA_BTL_TAG_MAX  255 /* 1 + highest allowed tag num */
 
 /* prefered protocol */
-#define MCA_BTL_FLAGS_SEND  1
-#define MCA_BTL_FLAGS_RDMA  2
+#define MCA_BTL_FLAGS_SEND  0x1
+#define MCA_BTL_FLAGS_RDMA  0x2
+
+/* btl can send directly from user buffer w/out registration */
+#define MCA_BTL_FLAGS_SEND_INPLACE  0x10000000
+
+/* Default exclusivity levels */
+#define MCA_BTL_EXCLUSIVITY_HIGH     64*1024   /* internal loopback */
+#define MCA_BTL_EXCLUSIVITY_DEFAULT  1024      /* GM/IB/etc. */
+#define MCA_BTL_EXCLUSIVITY_LOW      0         /* TCP used as a last resort */
 
 
 /**
diff --git a/ompi/mca/btl/gm/btl_gm_component.c b/ompi/mca/btl/gm/btl_gm_component.c
index 68a03238f9..414385752f 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/btl/gm/btl_gm_component.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/btl/gm/btl_gm_component.c
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ int mca_btl_gm_component_open(void)
 
     /* register gm module parameters */
     mca_btl_gm_module.super.btl_exclusivity =
-        mca_btl_gm_param_register_int ("exclusivity", 0);
+        mca_btl_gm_param_register_int ("exclusivity", MCA_BTL_EXCLUSIVITY_DEFAULT);
     mca_btl_gm_module.super.btl_eager_limit = 
         mca_btl_gm_param_register_int ("eager_limit", 32*1024);
     mca_btl_gm_module.super.btl_min_send_size =
diff --git a/ompi/mca/btl/mvapi/btl_mvapi_component.c b/ompi/mca/btl/mvapi/btl_mvapi_component.c
index c83ce72fe7..0e3c3c1579 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/btl/mvapi/btl_mvapi_component.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/btl/mvapi/btl_mvapi_component.c
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ int mca_btl_mvapi_component_open(void)
 
     
     mca_btl_mvapi_module.super.btl_exclusivity =
-        mca_btl_mvapi_param_register_int ("exclusivity", 0);
+        mca_btl_mvapi_param_register_int ("exclusivity", MCA_BTL_EXCLUSIVITY_DEFAULT);
     mca_btl_mvapi_module.super.btl_eager_limit = 
         mca_btl_mvapi_param_register_int ("eager_limit", (64*1024)) 
         - sizeof(mca_btl_mvapi_header_t); 
diff --git a/ompi/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_component.c b/ompi/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_component.c
index 91b2ab74b1..d06d925970 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_component.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/btl/openib/btl_openib_component.c
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ int mca_btl_openib_component_open(void)
 
 
     mca_btl_openib_module.super.btl_exclusivity =
-        mca_btl_openib_param_register_int ("exclusivity", 0);
+        mca_btl_openib_param_register_int ("exclusivity", MCA_BTL_EXCLUSIVITY_DEFAULT);
     mca_btl_openib_module.super.btl_eager_limit = 
         mca_btl_openib_param_register_int ("eager_limit", (64*1024)) 
         - sizeof(mca_btl_openib_header_t); 
diff --git a/ompi/mca/btl/sm/btl_sm_component.c b/ompi/mca/btl/sm/btl_sm_component.c
index 337979c9fe..3b1e84f654 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/btl/sm/btl_sm_component.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/btl/sm/btl_sm_component.c
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ mca_btl_base_module_t** mca_btl_sm_component_init(
         mca_btl_sm[i].super.btl_max_send_size=mca_btl_sm_component.max_frag_size;
         mca_btl_sm[i].super.btl_min_rdma_size=mca_btl_sm_component.max_frag_size;
         mca_btl_sm[i].super.btl_max_rdma_size=mca_btl_sm_component.max_frag_size;
-        mca_btl_sm[i].super.btl_exclusivity=100;  /* always use this ptl */
+        mca_btl_sm[i].super.btl_exclusivity=MCA_BTL_EXCLUSIVITY_HIGH-1;  /* always use this ptl */
         mca_btl_sm[i].super.btl_latency=100;      /* lowest latency */
         mca_btl_sm[i].super.btl_bandwidth=900; /* not really used now since exclusivity is set to 100 */
     }
diff --git a/ompi/mca/btl/tcp/btl_tcp_component.c b/ompi/mca/btl/tcp/btl_tcp_component.c
index d90228f758..eed1bafd7a 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/btl/tcp/btl_tcp_component.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/btl/tcp/btl_tcp_component.c
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ int mca_btl_tcp_component_open(void)
     mca_btl_tcp_component.tcp_rcvbuf =
         mca_btl_tcp_param_register_int ("rcvbuf", 128*1024);
     mca_btl_tcp_module.super.btl_exclusivity =
-        mca_btl_tcp_param_register_int ("exclusivity", 0);
+        mca_btl_tcp_param_register_int ("exclusivity", MCA_BTL_EXCLUSIVITY_LOW);
     mca_btl_tcp_module.super.btl_eager_limit = 
         mca_btl_tcp_param_register_int ("eager_limit", 64*1024) - sizeof(mca_btl_base_header_t);
     mca_btl_tcp_module.super.btl_min_send_size =