diff --git a/src/mca/io/base/io_base_component_list.c b/src/mca/io/base/io_base_component_list.c
index 12a8d836a6..3db2a3a3a5 100644
--- a/src/mca/io/base/io_base_component_list.c
+++ b/src/mca/io/base/io_base_component_list.c
@@ -157,9 +157,9 @@ int mca_io_base_component_del(mca_io_base_components_t *comp)
 }
 
 
-int mca_io_base_progress(void)
+int mca_io_base_progress(int *num_pending)
 {
-    int ret, count = 0;
+    int ret;
     ompi_list_item_t *item;
     component_item_t *citem;
 
@@ -173,25 +173,23 @@ int mca_io_base_progress(void)
          item = ompi_list_get_next(item)) {
         citem = (component_item_t *) item;
 
-        switch(citem->version) {
+        switch (citem->version) {
         case MCA_IO_BASE_V_1_0_0:
-            ret = citem->component.v1_0_0.io_progress();
+            ret = citem->component.v1_0_0.io_progress(num_pending);
+            if (OMPI_SUCCESS != ret) {
+                OMPI_THREAD_UNLOCK(&mutex);
+                return ret;
+            }
             break;
-        default:
-            ret = -1;
-            break;
-        }
 
-        if (ret > 0) {
-            count += ret;
-        } else {
-            return ret;
+        default:
+            break;
         }
     }
 
     OMPI_THREAD_UNLOCK(&mutex);
 
-    return count;
+    return OMPI_SUCCESS;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/mca/io/io.h b/src/mca/io/io.h
index 1ab8437b43..9ad1d54463 100644
--- a/src/mca/io/io.h
+++ b/src/mca/io/io.h
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ union mca_io_base_modules_t;
 /**
  * External progress function; invoked from ompi_progress()
  */
-int mca_io_base_progress(void);
+int mca_io_base_progress(int *num_requests);
 
 
 /**
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ typedef int (*mca_io_base_component_file_delete_unselect_fn_t)
     (char *filename, struct ompi_info_t *info,
      struct mca_io_base_delete_t *private_data);
 
-typedef int (*mca_io_base_component_progress_fn_t)(void);
+typedef int (*mca_io_base_component_progress_fn_t)(int *num_pending);
 
 /* IO component version and interface functions. */
 struct mca_io_base_component_1_0_0_t {
diff --git a/src/runtime/ompi_progress.c b/src/runtime/ompi_progress.c
index 741fe69f04..4b204aca6c 100644
--- a/src/runtime/ompi_progress.c
+++ b/src/runtime/ompi_progress.c
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ void ompi_progress_events(int flag)
 void ompi_progress(void)
 {
     /* progress any outstanding communications */
-    int ret, events = 0;
+    int ret, temp, events = 0;
 #if OMPI_HAVE_THREADS == 0
     if (ompi_progress_event_flag != 0) {
         ret = ompi_event_loop(ompi_progress_event_flag);
@@ -52,11 +52,9 @@ void ompi_progress(void)
     /* Progress IO requests, if there are any */
 
     if (ompi_progress_pending_io_reqs > 0) {
-        ret = mca_io_base_progress();
-        if (ret > 0) {
-            events += ret;
-            ompi_progress_pending_io_reqs -= ret;
-        }
+        temp = ompi_progress_pending_io_reqs;
+        mca_io_base_progress(&ompi_progress_pending_io_reqs);
+        events += (temp - ompi_progress_pending_io_reqs);
     }
 
 #if 1