diff --git a/opal/mca/base/base.h b/opal/mca/base/base.h
index f7d9e3d34f..04feff4037 100644
--- a/opal/mca/base/base.h
+++ b/opal/mca/base/base.h
@@ -151,6 +151,13 @@ OPAL_DECLSPEC int mca_base_component_find(const char *directory, const char *typ
                                           opal_list_t *found_components,
                                           bool open_dso_components);
 
+/**
+ * Parse the requested component string and return an opal_argv of the requested
+ * (or not requested) components.
+ */
+int mca_base_component_parse_requested (const char *requested, bool *include_mode,
+                                        char ***requested_component_names);
+
 /**
  * Filter a list of components based on a comma-delimted list of names and/or
  * a set of meta-data flags.
diff --git a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_component_find.c b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_component_find.c
index 2af9f5f852..b96f291c2d 100644
--- a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_component_find.c
+++ b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_component_find.c
@@ -150,9 +150,6 @@ static bool use_component(const bool include_mode,
                           const char **requested_component_names,
                           const char *component_name);
 
-static int parse_requested (const char *requested, bool *include_mode,
-                            char ***requested_component_names);
-
 
 /*
  * Function to find as many components of a given type as possible.  This
@@ -174,7 +171,7 @@ int mca_base_component_find(const char *directory, const char *type,
     bool include_mode;
     int i, ret;
 
-    ret = parse_requested (requested_components, &include_mode,
+    ret = mca_base_component_parse_requested (requested_components, &include_mode,
                            &requested_component_names);
     if (OPAL_SUCCESS != ret) {
         return ret;
@@ -259,7 +256,7 @@ int mca_base_components_filter (const char *framework_name, opal_list_t *compone
         return OPAL_SUCCESS;
     }
 
-    ret = parse_requested (filter_names, &include_mode,
+    ret = mca_base_component_parse_requested (filter_names, &include_mode,
                            &requested_component_names);
     if (OPAL_SUCCESS != ret) {
         return ret;
@@ -1022,8 +1019,8 @@ static int component_find_check (const char *framework_name, char **requested_co
     return OPAL_SUCCESS;
 }
 
-static int parse_requested (const char *requested, bool *include_mode,
-                            char ***requested_component_names)
+int mca_base_component_parse_requested (const char *requested, bool *include_mode,
+                                        char ***requested_component_names)
 {
     const char *requested_orig = requested;
 
diff --git a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_pvar.c b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_pvar.c
index 6f1a0b98ad..5aeb9f5bd3 100644
--- a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_pvar.c
+++ b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_pvar.c
@@ -784,7 +784,7 @@ int mca_base_pvar_dump(int index, char ***out, mca_base_var_dump_type_t output_t
     mca_base_var_group_t *group;
     int line = 0, line_count, i;
     const mca_base_pvar_t *pvar;
-    int ret, enum_count;
+    int ret, enum_count = 0;
     char *tmp;
 
     ret = mca_base_pvar_get (index, &pvar);
diff --git a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_pvar.h b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_pvar.h
index 39bf090733..a935228428 100644
--- a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_pvar.h
+++ b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_pvar.h
@@ -166,9 +166,6 @@ typedef struct mca_base_pvar_t {
     int pvar_index;
 
     /** Full name of the variable: form is framework_component_name */
-    char *full_name;
-
-    /** Short name of the variable */
     char *name;
 
     /** Description of this performance variable */
diff --git a/opal/runtime/opal_info_support.c b/opal/runtime/opal_info_support.c
index eb18148252..6fc9a722a3 100644
--- a/opal/runtime/opal_info_support.c
+++ b/opal/runtime/opal_info_support.c
@@ -532,15 +532,48 @@ void opal_info_err_params(opal_pointer_array_t *component_map)
 
 static void opal_info_show_mca_group_params(const mca_base_var_group_t *group, mca_base_var_info_lvl_t max_level, bool want_internal)
 {
+    const int *variables, *groups;
+    const mca_base_pvar_t *pvar;
+    const char *group_component;
     const mca_base_var_t *var;
-    const int *variables;
+    char **strings, *message;
+    bool requested = true;
     int ret, i, j, count;
-    const int *groups;
-    char **strings;
 
     variables = OPAL_VALUE_ARRAY_GET_BASE(&group->group_vars, const int);
     count = opal_value_array_get_size((opal_value_array_t *)&group->group_vars);
 
+    /* the default component name is "base". depending on how the
+     * group was registered the group may or not have this set.  */
+    group_component = group->group_component ? group->group_component : "base";
+
+    /* check if this group may be disabled due to a selection variable */
+    if (0 != strcmp (group_component, "base")) {
+        int var_id;
+
+        /* read the selection parameter */
+        var_id = mca_base_var_find (group->group_project, group->group_framework, NULL, NULL);
+        if (0 <= var_id) {
+            const mca_base_var_storage_t *value;
+            char **requested_components;
+            bool include_mode;
+
+            mca_base_var_get_value (var_id, &value, NULL, NULL);
+            if (NULL != value->stringval && '\0' != value->stringval[0]) {
+                mca_base_component_parse_requested (value->stringval, &include_mode, &requested_components);
+
+                for (i = 0, requested = !include_mode ; requested_components[i] ; ++i) {
+                    if (0 == strcmp (requested_components[i], group->group_component)) {
+                        requested = include_mode;
+                        break;
+                    }
+                }
+
+                opal_argv_free (requested_components);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     for (i = 0 ; i < count ; ++i) {
         ret = mca_base_var_get(variables[i], &var);
         if (OPAL_SUCCESS != ret || ((var->mbv_flags & MCA_BASE_VAR_FLAG_INTERNAL) &&
@@ -556,9 +589,7 @@ static void opal_info_show_mca_group_params(const mca_base_var_group_t *group, m
 
         for (j = 0 ; strings[j] ; ++j) {
             if (0 == j && opal_info_pretty) {
-                char *message;
-
-                asprintf (&message, "MCA %s", group->group_framework);
+                asprintf (&message, "MCA%s %s", requested ? "" : " (disabled)", group->group_framework);
                 opal_info_out(message, message, strings[j]);
                 free(message);
             } else {
@@ -566,6 +597,14 @@ static void opal_info_show_mca_group_params(const mca_base_var_group_t *group, m
             }
             free(strings[j]);
         }
+        if (!opal_info_pretty) {
+            /* generate an entry indicating whether this variable is disabled or not. if the
+             * format in mca_base_var/pvar.c changes this needs to be changed as well */
+            asprintf (&message, "mca:%s:%s:param:%s:disabled:%s", group->group_framework,
+                      group_component, var->mbv_full_name, requested ? "false" : "true");
+            opal_info_out("", "", message);
+            free (message);
+        }
         free(strings);
     }
 
@@ -573,6 +612,11 @@ static void opal_info_show_mca_group_params(const mca_base_var_group_t *group, m
     count = opal_value_array_get_size((opal_value_array_t *)&group->group_pvars);
 
     for (i = 0 ; i < count ; ++i) {
+        ret = mca_base_pvar_get(variables[i], &pvar);
+        if (OPAL_SUCCESS != ret || max_level < pvar->verbosity) {
+            continue;
+        }
+
         ret = mca_base_pvar_dump (variables[i], &strings, !opal_info_pretty ? MCA_BASE_VAR_DUMP_PARSABLE : MCA_BASE_VAR_DUMP_READABLE);
         if (OPAL_SUCCESS != ret) {
             continue;
@@ -580,9 +624,7 @@ static void opal_info_show_mca_group_params(const mca_base_var_group_t *group, m
 
         for (j = 0 ; strings[j] ; ++j) {
             if (0 == j && opal_info_pretty) {
-                char *message;
-
-                asprintf (&message, "MCA %s", group->group_framework);
+                asprintf (&message, "MCA%s %s", requested ? "" : " (disabled)", group->group_framework);
                 opal_info_out(message, message, strings[j]);
                 free(message);
             } else {
@@ -590,6 +632,14 @@ static void opal_info_show_mca_group_params(const mca_base_var_group_t *group, m
             }
             free(strings[j]);
         }
+        if (!opal_info_pretty) {
+            /* generate an entry indicating whether this variable is disabled or not. if the
+             * format in mca_base_var/pvar.c changes this needs to be changed as well */
+            asprintf (&message, "mca:%s:%s:pvar:%s:disabled:%s", group->group_framework,
+                      group_component, pvar->name, requested ? "false" : "true");
+            opal_info_out("", "", message);
+            free (message);
+        }
         free(strings);      
     }