diff --git a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_param.c b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_param.c
index 124d415ca2..ecebf7a4de 100644
--- a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_param.c
+++ b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_param.c
@@ -35,11 +35,6 @@
 #include "opal/class/opal_value_array.h"
 #include "opal/util/show_help.h"
 #include "opal/class/opal_hash_table.h"
-#if 0
-/* JMS commented out for now -- see lookup_keyvals() below for an
-   explanation */
-#include "ompi/attribute/attribute.h"
-#endif
 #include "opal/util/printf.h"
 #include "opal/util/argv.h"
 #include "opal/mca/mca.h"
@@ -124,9 +119,6 @@ static bool param_set_override(size_t index,
                                mca_base_param_type_t type);
 static bool lookup_override(mca_base_param_t *param,
                             mca_base_param_storage_t *storage);
-static bool lookup_keyvals(mca_base_param_t *param,
-                           mca_base_param_storage_t *storage,
-                           opal_hash_table_t *attrs);
 static bool lookup_env(mca_base_param_t *param,
                        mca_base_param_storage_t *storage);
 static bool lookup_file(mca_base_param_t *param,
@@ -481,36 +473,6 @@ int mca_base_param_reg_syn_name(int index_orig,
                         syn_param_name, deprecated);
 }
 
-/*
- * Associate a keyval with a parameter index
- */
-int mca_base_param_kv_associate(int index, int keyval)
-{
-  size_t len;
-  mca_base_param_t *array;
-
-  if (!initialized) {
-    return OPAL_ERROR;
-  }
-
-  len = opal_value_array_get_size(&mca_base_params);
-  if (((size_t) index) > len) {
-    return OPAL_ERROR;
-  }
-
-  /* We have a valid entry (remember that we never delete MCA
-     parameters, so if the index is >0 and <len, it must be good), so
-     save the keyval */
-
-  array = OPAL_VALUE_ARRAY_GET_BASE(&mca_base_params, mca_base_param_t);
-  array[index].mbp_keyval = keyval;
-
-  /* All done */
-
-  return OPAL_SUCCESS;
-}
-
-
 /*
  * Look up an integer MCA parameter.
  */
@@ -526,22 +488,6 @@ int mca_base_param_lookup_int(int index, int *value)
 }
 
 
-/*
- * Look up an integer MCA parameter, including in attributes
- */
-int mca_base_param_kv_lookup_int(int index, opal_hash_table_t *attrs, 
-                                 int *value)
-{
-  mca_base_param_storage_t storage;
-  
-  if (param_lookup(index, &storage, attrs, NULL)) {
-    *value = storage.intval;
-    return OPAL_SUCCESS;
-  }
-  return OPAL_ERROR;
-}
-
-
 /*
  * Set an integer parameter
  */
@@ -571,22 +517,6 @@ int mca_base_param_lookup_string(int index, char **value)
 }
 
 
-/*
- * Look up a string MCA parameter, including in attributes.
- */
-int mca_base_param_kv_lookup_string(int index, opal_hash_table_t *attrs, 
-                                    char **value)
-{
-  mca_base_param_storage_t storage;
-  
-  if (param_lookup(index, &storage, attrs, NULL)) {
-    *value = storage.stringval;
-    return OPAL_SUCCESS;
-  }
-  return OPAL_ERROR;
-}
-
-
 /*
  * Set an string parameter
  */
@@ -1303,12 +1233,10 @@ static int param_register(const char *type_name,
       mca_base_param_init();
   }
 
-  /* Create a parameter entry.  If a keyval is to be used, it will be
-     registered elsewhere.  We simply assign -1 here. */
+  /* Create a parameter entry */
 
   OBJ_CONSTRUCT(&param, mca_base_param_t);
   param.mbp_type = type;
-  param.mbp_keyval = -1;
   param.mbp_internal = internal;
   param.mbp_read_only = read_only;
   if (NULL != help_msg) {
@@ -1793,7 +1721,6 @@ static bool param_lookup(size_t index, mca_base_param_storage_t *storage,
 
     if (array[index].mbp_read_only) {
         if (lookup_override(&array[index], storage) ||
-             lookup_keyvals(&array[index], storage, attrs) ||
              lookup_env(&array[index], storage) ||
              lookup_file(&array[index], storage)) {
             opal_show_help("help-mca-param.txt", "read-only-param-set",
@@ -1807,8 +1734,6 @@ static bool param_lookup(size_t index, mca_base_param_storage_t *storage,
     } else {
         if (lookup_override(&array[index], storage)) {
             source = MCA_BASE_PARAM_SOURCE_OVERRIDE;
-        } else if (lookup_keyvals(&array[index], storage, attrs)) {
-            source = MCA_BASE_PARAM_SOURCE_KEYVAL;
         } else if (lookup_env(&array[index], storage)) {
             source = MCA_BASE_PARAM_SOURCE_ENV;
         } else if (lookup_file(&array[index], storage)) {
@@ -1882,57 +1807,6 @@ static bool lookup_override(mca_base_param_t *param,
 }
 
 
-/*
- * Lookup a param in the set of attributes/keyvals
- */
-static bool lookup_keyvals(mca_base_param_t *param,
-                           mca_base_param_storage_t *storage,
-                           opal_hash_table_t *attrs)
-{
-#if 1
-    /* JMS: Comment this out for now, because it drags in all of
-       libmpi.  This is undesirable for programs like mpirun, etc.
-       Need a better solution for this -- perhaps a registration kind
-       of thing...? */
-    return false;
-#else
-  int err, flag;
-
-  /* If this param has a keyval and we were provided with a hash
-     table, look it up and see if we can find a value */
-
-  if (-1 != param->mbp_keyval) {
-
-    /* Use the stringval member of the union because it's definitely
-       big enough to handle both (int) and (char*) */
-
-    err = ompi_attr_get(attrs, param->mbp_keyval, 
-                        &storage->stringval, &flag);
-    if (OPAL_SUCCESS == err && 1 == flag) {
-
-      /* Because of alignment weirdness between (void*) and int, we
-         must grab the lower sizeof(int) bytes from the (char*) in
-         stringval, in case sizeof(int) != sizeof(char*). */
-
-      if (MCA_BASE_PARAM_TYPE_INT == param->mbp_type) {
-        storage->intval = *((int *) (storage->stringval +
-                                     sizeof(void *) - sizeof(int)));
-      }
-
-      /* Nothing to do for string -- we already have the value loaded
-         in the right place */
-
-      return true;
-    }
-  }
-
-  /* Either this param has not keyval or we didn't find the keyval */
-
-  return false;
-#endif
-}
-
-
 /*
  * Lookup a param in the environment
  */
@@ -2150,7 +2024,6 @@ static void param_constructor(mca_base_param_t *p)
     p->mbp_full_name = NULL;
     p->mbp_help_msg = NULL;
 
-    p->mbp_keyval = -1;
     p->mbp_env_var_name = NULL;
 
     p->mbp_default_value.stringval = NULL;
diff --git a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_param.h b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_param.h
index 122635543a..b2877fa4a6 100644
--- a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_param.h
+++ b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_param.h
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@
  *
  * - Creating MCA parameters
  * -# Register a parameter, get an index back
- * -# Optionally associate that index with an attribute keyval
  * - Using MCA parameters
  * -# Lookup a "normal" parameter value on a specific index, or
  * -# Lookup an attribute parameter on a specific index and
@@ -41,8 +40,6 @@
  *
  * - An "override" location that is only available to be set via the
  *   mca_base_param API.
- * - If the parameter has an MPI attribute keyval associated with it,
- *   see if there is a value assigned that can be used.
  * - Look for an environment variable corresponding to the MCA
  *   parameter.
  * - See if a file contains the MCA parameter (MCA parameter files are
@@ -91,8 +88,6 @@ typedef enum {
     MCA_BASE_PARAM_SOURCE_ENV,
     /** The value came from a file */
     MCA_BASE_PARAM_SOURCE_FILE,
-    /** The value came from a keyval */
-    MCA_BASE_PARAM_SOURCE_KEYVAL,
     /** The value came a "set" API call */
     MCA_BASE_PARAM_SOURCE_OVERRIDE,
 
@@ -473,31 +468,6 @@ extern "C" {
                                                   const char *syn_param_name, 
                                                   bool deprecated);
 
-    /**
-     * Associate a communicator/datatype/window keyval with an MCA
-     * parameter.
-     *
-     * @param index The index of the parameter to use.
-     * @param keyval The keyval to associate it with.
-     *
-     * @returns OPAL_SUCCESS Upon success.
-     * @returns OPAL_ERROR If the index value is invalid.
-     *
-     * For an index value that was previously returned by
-     * mca_base_param_register_int() or
-     * mca_base_param_register_string(), the corresponding MCA parameter
-     * can be associated with a communicator, datatype, or window
-     * attribute keyval.  
-     *
-     * After using this function, you can use any of the four lookup
-     * functions (mca_base_param_lookup_int(),
-     * mca_base_param_lookup_string(), mca_base_param_kv_lookup_int(),
-     * and mca_base_param_kv_lookup_string()), but only the "kv"
-     * versions will cross reference and attempt to find parameter
-     * values on attributes.
-     */
-    OPAL_DECLSPEC int mca_base_param_kv_associate(int index, int keyval);
-
     /**
      * Look up an integer MCA parameter.
      *
@@ -516,30 +486,6 @@ extern "C" {
      */
     OPAL_DECLSPEC int mca_base_param_lookup_int(int index, int *value);
     
-    /**
-     * Look up an integer MCA parameter, to include looking in
-     * attributes.
-     *
-     * @param index Index previous returned from
-     * mca_base_param_register_int().
-     * @param attrs Object containing attributes to be searched.
-     * @param value Pointer to int where the parameter value will
-     * be stored.
-     *
-     * @return OPAL_ERROR Upon failure.  The contents of value are
-     * undefined.
-     * @return OPAL_SUCCESS Upon success.  value will be filled with the
-     * parameter's current value.
-     *
-     * This function is identical to mca_base_param_lookup_int() except
-     * that it looks in attributes \em first to find the parameter
-     * value.  The function mca_base_param_kv_associate() must have been
-     * called first to associate a keyval with the index.
-     */
-    OPAL_DECLSPEC int mca_base_param_kv_lookup_int(int index,
-                                                   struct opal_hash_table_t *attrs, 
-                                                   int *value);
-    
     /**
      * Look up a string MCA parameter.
      *
@@ -565,29 +511,6 @@ extern "C" {
      */
     OPAL_DECLSPEC int mca_base_param_lookup_string(int index, char **value);
 
-    /**
-     * Look up a string MCA parameter, to include looking in attributes.
-     *
-     * @param index [in] Index previous returned from
-     * mca_base_param_register_string().
-     * @param attrs [in] Object containing attributes to be searched.
-     * @param value [out] Pointer to (char *) where the parameter value
-     * will be stored.
-     *
-     * @return OPAL_ERROR Upon failure.  The contents of value are
-     * undefined.
-     * @return OPAL_SUCCESS Upon success.  value will be filled with the
-     * parameter's current value.
-     *
-     * This function is identical to mca_base_param_lookup_string()
-     * except that it looks in attributes \em first to find the
-     * parameter value.  The function mca_base_param_kv_associate() must
-     * have been called first to associate a keyval with the index.
-     */
-    OPAL_DECLSPEC int mca_base_param_kv_lookup_string(int index, 
-                                                      struct opal_hash_table_t *attrs, 
-                                                      char **value);
-
     /**
      * Lookup the source of an MCA parameter's value
      *
diff --git a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_param_internal.h b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_param_internal.h
index f1c42f50f8..22f4ad5293 100644
--- a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_param_internal.h
+++ b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_param_internal.h
@@ -104,8 +104,6 @@ struct mca_base_param_t {
     /** Help message associated with this parameter */
     char *mbp_help_msg;
 
-    /** Keyval value for MPI attribute parameters */
-    int mbp_keyval;
     /** Environment variable name */
     char *mbp_env_var_name;