diff --git a/opal/mca/paffinity/base/paffinity_base_open.c b/opal/mca/paffinity/base/paffinity_base_open.c
index e6bc5f4d0a..402d5ae75f 100644
--- a/opal/mca/paffinity/base/paffinity_base_open.c
+++ b/opal/mca/paffinity/base/paffinity_base_open.c
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
 
 #include "opal/constants.h"
 #include "opal/util/output.h"
+#include "opal/util/show_help.h"
+
 #include "opal/mca/mca.h"
 #include "opal/mca/base/base.h"
 #include "opal/mca/base/mca_base_param.h"
@@ -73,10 +75,13 @@ int opal_paffinity_base_register_params(void)
         opal_paffinity_base_output = -1;
     }
 
+    /***   DEPRECATED - NO LONGER FUNCTIONAL, BUT MPIRUN
+     * WILL OUTPUT WARNING FOR NOW
+     ***/
     id = mca_base_param_reg_int_name("opal", "paffinity_alone", 
                                 "If nonzero, assume that this job is the only (set of) process(es) running on each node and bind processes to processors, starting with processor ID 0",
                                 false, false,
-                                0, NULL);
+                                -1, NULL);
     /* register the historical mpi_paffinity_alone synonym, but don't
      * declare it deprecated so we don't scare the users.
      *
@@ -85,7 +90,12 @@ int opal_paffinity_base_register_params(void)
      */
     mca_base_param_reg_syn_name(id, "mpi", "paffinity_alone", false);
     mca_base_param_lookup_int(id, &value);
-    opal_paffinity_alone = OPAL_INT_TO_BOOL(value);
+    /* we just want to know if someone set it */
+    if (-1 != value) {
+        opal_paffinity_alone = true;
+    } else {
+        opal_paffinity_alone = false;
+    }
 
     mca_base_param_reg_int_name("paffinity", "base_bound", 
                                 "Process affinity was set by an external entity",
diff --git a/opal/runtime/help-opal-runtime.txt b/opal/runtime/help-opal-runtime.txt
index d7cc9903a2..eaff30a109 100644
--- a/opal/runtime/help-opal-runtime.txt
+++ b/opal/runtime/help-opal-runtime.txt
@@ -28,3 +28,11 @@ Open MPI developer):
 
   %s failed
   --> Returned value %d instead of OPAL_SUCCESS
+#
+[opal_paffinity_alone:deprecated]
+The [opal | mpi]_paffinity_alone MCA params are now deprecated
+and do not do anything.  Meaning: your job may be running without
+processor affinity support (!).  
+
+You should probably be using the --bind-to option to
+mpirun instead.  
diff --git a/orte/tools/orterun/orterun.c b/orte/tools/orterun/orterun.c
index 1cac5995c9..efa3a02ce4 100644
--- a/orte/tools/orterun/orterun.c
+++ b/orte/tools/orterun/orterun.c
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@
 
 #include "opal/mca/event/event.h"
 #include "opal/mca/installdirs/installdirs.h"
+#include "opal/mca/paffinity/base/base.h"
 #include "opal/mca/base/base.h"
 #include "opal/util/argv.h"
 #include "opal/util/output.h"
@@ -543,6 +544,13 @@ int orterun(int argc, char *argv[])
     /* Setup MCA params */
     orte_register_params();
 
+    /***    NOTIFY IF DEPRECATED OPAL_PAFFINITY_ALONE WAS SET   ***/
+    if (opal_paffinity_alone) {
+        orte_show_help("help-opal-runtime.txt",
+                       "opal_paffinity_alone:deprecated",
+                       true);
+    }
+
     /* force the debugger symbols to be included in orterun.
      * this is required since the symbols are instantiated in
      * the orte library, yet they need to be accessed