diff --git a/ompi/mca/pubsub/pmi/Makefile.am b/ompi/mca/pubsub/pmi/Makefile.am
index 7cb69d5230..f9426b137b 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/pubsub/pmi/Makefile.am
+++ b/ompi/mca/pubsub/pmi/Makefile.am
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ mcacomponentdir = $(pkglibdir)
 mcacomponent_LTLIBRARIES = $(component_install)
 mca_pubsub_pmi_la_SOURCES = $(local_sources)
 mca_pubsub_pmi_la_LDFLAGS = -module -avoid-version $(pubsub_pmi_LDFLAGS)
-mca_pubsub_pmi_la_LIBADD = $(pubsub_pmi_LIBS)
+mca_pubsub_pmi_la_LIBADD = $(pubsub_pmi_LIBS) \
+	$(top_ompi_builddir)/orte/mca/common/pmi/libmca_common_pmi.la
 
 noinst_LTLIBRARIES = $(component_noinst)
 libmca_pubsub_pmi_la_SOURCES = $(local_sources)
diff --git a/orte/mca/common/pmi/Makefile.am b/orte/mca/common/pmi/Makefile.am
index d1a06b728d..00a8ccf2d8 100644
--- a/orte/mca/common/pmi/Makefile.am
+++ b/orte/mca/common/pmi/Makefile.am
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #
 # Copyright (c) 2011      Cisco Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
+# Copyright (c) 2012      Sandia National Laboratories. All rights reserved.
 # $COPYRIGHT$
 # 
 # Additional copyrights may follow
@@ -7,29 +8,32 @@
 # $HEADER$
 #
 
+# This library is shared among all the consumers of PMI to provide a
+# single point for initializing and shutting down PMI.
+#
+# This is not a component in the traditional sense.  It is a library
+# (either rolled into libmpi if the components are rolled into libmpi
+# or a stand-alone library).  Users of this "component" must
+# explicitly link against libmca_common_pmi.la when building
+# stand-alone libraries (it won't hurt to do so in all cases).
+#
+# Note that building this common component statically and linking
+# against other dynamic components is *not* supported!
+
 AM_CPPFLAGS = $(common_pmi_CPPFLAGS)
 
-sources = common_pmi.h common_pmi.c
-
-# Make the output library in this directory, and name it either
-# mca_<type>_<name>.la (for DSO builds) or libmca_<type>_<name>.la
-# (for static builds).
-
+# control whether building an installed library or a convenience
+# (noinst) library
 if MCA_BUILD_orte_common_pmi_DSO
 component_noinst =
-component_install = mca_common_pmi.la
+component_install = libmca_common_pmi.la
 else
 component_noinst = libmca_common_pmi.la
 component_install =
 endif
 
-mcacomponentdir = $(pkglibdir)
-mcacomponent_LTLIBRARIES = $(component_install)
-mca_common_pmi_la_SOURCES = $(sources)
-mca_common_pmi_la_LDFLAGS = -module -avoid-version $(common_pmi_LDFLAGS)
-mca_common_pmi_la_LIBADD = $(common_pmi_LIBS)
-
+lib_LTLIBRARIES = $(component_install)
 noinst_LTLIBRARIES = $(component_noinst)
-libmca_common_pmi_la_SOURCES =$(sources)
+libmca_common_pmi_la_SOURCES = common_pmi.h common_pmi.c
 libmca_common_pmi_la_LDFLAGS = -module -avoid-version $(common_pmi_LDFLAGS)
 libmca_common_pmi_la_LIBADD = $(common_pmi_LIBS)
diff --git a/orte/mca/ess/pmi/Makefile.am b/orte/mca/ess/pmi/Makefile.am
index 2233cd0e0b..f1ab2e5084 100644
--- a/orte/mca/ess/pmi/Makefile.am
+++ b/orte/mca/ess/pmi/Makefile.am
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ mcacomponentdir = $(pkglibdir)
 mcacomponent_LTLIBRARIES = $(component_install)
 mca_ess_pmi_la_SOURCES = $(sources)
 mca_ess_pmi_la_LDFLAGS = -module -avoid-version $(ess_pmi_LDFLAGS)
-mca_ess_pmi_la_LIBADD = $(ess_pmi_LIBS)
+mca_ess_pmi_la_LIBADD = $(ess_pmi_LIBS) \
+	$(top_ompi_builddir)/orte/mca/common/pmi/libmca_common_pmi.la
 
 noinst_LTLIBRARIES = $(component_noinst)
 libmca_ess_pmi_la_SOURCES =$(sources)
diff --git a/orte/mca/grpcomm/pmi/Makefile.am b/orte/mca/grpcomm/pmi/Makefile.am
index 0a18f311ff..0ad79abf93 100644
--- a/orte/mca/grpcomm/pmi/Makefile.am
+++ b/orte/mca/grpcomm/pmi/Makefile.am
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ mcacomponentdir = $(pkglibdir)
 mcacomponent_LTLIBRARIES = $(component_install)
 mca_grpcomm_pmi_la_SOURCES = $(sources)
 mca_grpcomm_pmi_la_LDFLAGS = -module -avoid-version $(grpcomm_pmi_LDFLAGS)
-mca_grpcomm_pmi_la_LIBADD = $(grpcomm_pmi_LIBS)
+mca_grpcomm_pmi_la_LIBADD = $(grpcomm_pmi_LIBS) \
+	$(top_ompi_builddir)/orte/mca/common/pmi/libmca_common_pmi.la
 
 noinst_LTLIBRARIES = $(component_noinst)
 libmca_grpcomm_pmi_la_SOURCES =$(sources)