diff --git a/ompi/mpi/c/init_thread.c b/ompi/mpi/c/init_thread.c
index 25adfe999e..b046ed0912 100644
--- a/ompi/mpi/c/init_thread.c
+++ b/ompi/mpi/c/init_thread.c
@@ -33,27 +33,39 @@ static const char FUNC_NAME[] = "MPI_Init_thread";
 int MPI_Init_thread(int *argc, char ***argv, int required,
                     int *provided) 
 {
-  int err;
-  MPI_Comm null = NULL;
+    int err;
+    MPI_Comm null = NULL;
 
-  /* Ensure that we were not already initialized or finalized */
+    /*
+     *   A thread compliant MPI implementation will be able to return provided
+     *   = MPI_THREAD_MULTIPLE. Such an implementation may always return provided
+     *   = MPI_THREAD_MULTIPLE, irrespective of the value of required.
+     */
+#if OMPI_ENABLE_MPI_THREADS
+    *provided = MPI_THREAD_MULTIPLE;
+#else
+    *provided = MPI_THREAD_SINGLE;
+#endif
 
-  if (ompi_mpi_finalized) {
-    /* JMS show_help */
-    return OMPI_ERRHANDLER_INVOKE(null, MPI_ERR_OTHER, FUNC_NAME);
-  } else if (ompi_mpi_initialized) {
-    /* JMS show_help */
-    return OMPI_ERRHANDLER_INVOKE(MPI_COMM_WORLD, MPI_ERR_OTHER, FUNC_NAME);
-  }
+    /* Ensure that we were not already initialized or finalized */
 
-  /* Call the back-end initialization function (we need to put as
-     little in this function as possible so that if it's profiled, we
-     don't lose anything) */
+    if (ompi_mpi_finalized) {
+        /* JMS show_help */
+        return OMPI_ERRHANDLER_INVOKE(null, MPI_ERR_OTHER, FUNC_NAME);
+    } else if (ompi_mpi_initialized) {
+        /* JMS show_help */
+        return OMPI_ERRHANDLER_INVOKE(MPI_COMM_WORLD, MPI_ERR_OTHER, FUNC_NAME);
+    }
 
-  if (NULL != argc && NULL != argv) {
-      err = ompi_mpi_init(*argc, *argv, required, provided);
-  } else {
-      err = ompi_mpi_init(0, NULL, required, provided);
-  }
-  OMPI_ERRHANDLER_RETURN(err, null, err, FUNC_NAME);
+    /* Call the back-end initialization function (we need to put as
+       little in this function as possible so that if it's profiled, we
+       don't lose anything) */
+
+    if (NULL != argc && NULL != argv) {
+        err = ompi_mpi_init(*argc, *argv, required, provided);
+    } else {
+        err = ompi_mpi_init(0, NULL, required, provided);
+    }
+    
+    OMPI_ERRHANDLER_RETURN(err, null, err, FUNC_NAME);
 }