diff --git a/opal/mca/base/base.h b/opal/mca/base/base.h
index 52d4acc0fd..7177bd47e6 100644
--- a/opal/mca/base/base.h
+++ b/opal/mca/base/base.h
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ OPAL_DECLSPEC OBJ_CLASS_DECLARATION(mca_base_component_priority_list_item_t);
  * Public variables
  */
 OPAL_DECLSPEC extern int mca_base_param_component_path;
+OPAL_DECLSPEC extern char *mca_base_system_default_path;
+OPAL_DECLSPEC extern char *mca_base_user_default_path;
 
 /*
  * Public functions
diff --git a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_close.c b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_close.c
index fc31103927..362a2d64c7 100644
--- a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_close.c
+++ b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_close.c
@@ -33,6 +33,14 @@ int mca_base_close(void)
   extern bool mca_base_opened;
   if (mca_base_opened) {
 
+      /* release the default paths */
+      if (NULL != mca_base_system_default_path) {
+          free(mca_base_system_default_path);
+      }
+      if (NULL != mca_base_user_default_path) {
+          free(mca_base_user_default_path);
+      }
+      
     /* Close down the component repository */
     mca_base_component_repository_finalize();
 
diff --git a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_component_find.c b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_component_find.c
index 404e24cb33..3ce3391511 100644
--- a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_component_find.c
+++ b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_component_find.c
@@ -250,20 +250,6 @@ static void find_dyn_components(const char *path, const char *type_name,
     component_file_item_t *file;
     opal_list_item_t *cur;
     char prefix[32 + MCA_BASE_MAX_TYPE_NAME_LEN], *basename;
-    char *system_default;
-    char *user_default=NULL;
-    
-    /* copy the default location definitions */
-#if OPAL_WANT_HOME_CONFIG_FILES
-    system_default = strdup(opal_install_dirs.pkglibdir);
-    asprintf(&user_default, "%s"OPAL_PATH_SEP".openmpi"OPAL_PATH_SEP"components", opal_home_directory());
-#else
-# if defined(__WINDOWS__) && defined(_DEBUG)
-    asprintf(&system_default, "%s/debug", opal_install_dirs.pkglibdir); 
-# else
-    asprintf(&system_default, "%s", opal_install_dirs.pkglibdir); 
-# endif
-#endif
     
     /* If path is NULL, iterate over the set of directories specified by
        the MCA param mca_base_component_path.  If path is not NULL, then
@@ -295,13 +281,15 @@ static void find_dyn_components(const char *path, const char *type_name,
                 }
                 if ((0 == strcmp(dir, "USER_DEFAULT") ||
                      0 == strcmp(dir, "USR_DEFAULT"))
-                    && NULL != user_default) {
-                    if (0 != lt_dlforeachfile(user_default, save_filename, NULL)) {
+                    && NULL != mca_base_user_default_path) {
+                    if (0 != lt_dlforeachfile(mca_base_user_default_path,
+                                              save_filename, NULL)) {
                         break;
                     }
                 } else if (0 == strcmp(dir, "SYS_DEFAULT") ||
                            0 == strcmp(dir, "SYSTEM_DEFAULT")) {
-                    if (0 != lt_dlforeachfile(system_default, save_filename, NULL)) {
+                    if (0 != lt_dlforeachfile(mca_base_system_default_path,
+                                              save_filename, NULL)) {
                         break;
                     }                    
                 } else {
@@ -313,10 +301,6 @@ static void find_dyn_components(const char *path, const char *type_name,
             } while (NULL != end);
         }
     }
-    free(system_default);
-    if (NULL != user_default) {
-        free(user_default);
-    }
     
     /* Look through the list of found files and find those that match
        the desired framework name */
diff --git a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_open.c b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_open.c
index 17a239a705..975958eb58 100644
--- a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_open.c
+++ b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_open.c
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@
  */
 int mca_base_param_component_path = -1;
 bool mca_base_opened = false;
+char *mca_base_system_default_path=NULL;
+char *mca_base_user_default_path=NULL;
 
 /*
  * Private functions
@@ -65,11 +67,29 @@ int mca_base_open(void)
     return OPAL_SUCCESS;
   }
 
-    /* the system and user default paths will be defined in component_find */
+    /* define the system and user default paths */
+#if OPAL_WANT_HOME_CONFIG_FILES
+    mca_base_system_default_path = strdup(opal_install_dirs.pkglibdir);
+    asprintf(&mca_base_user_default_path, "%s"OPAL_PATH_SEP".openmpi"OPAL_PATH_SEP"components", opal_home_directory());
+#else
+# if defined(__WINDOWS__) && defined(_DEBUG)
+    asprintf(&mca_base_system_default_path, "%s/debug", opal_install_dirs.pkglibdir); 
+# else
+    asprintf(&mca_base_system_default_path, "%s", opal_install_dirs.pkglibdir); 
+# endif
+#endif
+
+    /* see if the user wants to override the defaults */
+    if (NULL == mca_base_user_default_path) {
+        value = strdup(mca_base_system_default_path);
+    } else {
+        asprintf(&value, "%s%c%s", mca_base_system_default_path,
+                 OPAL_ENV_SEP, mca_base_user_default_path);
+    }
   mca_base_param_component_path = 
     mca_base_param_reg_string_name("mca", "component_path",
                                    "Path where to look for Open MPI and ORTE components", 
-                                   false, false, "SYSTEM_DEFAULT:USER_DEFAULT", NULL);
+                                   false, false, value, NULL);
   free(value);
   param_index = mca_base_param_reg_string_name("mca", "verbose", 
                                                "Top-level verbosity parameter",