diff --git a/ompi/communicator/comm_init.c b/ompi/communicator/comm_init.c
index dadaaccd97..b8e6ae3621 100644
--- a/ompi/communicator/comm_init.c
+++ b/ompi/communicator/comm_init.c
@@ -188,25 +188,16 @@ int ompi_comm_finalize(void)
     int max, i;
     ompi_communicator_t *comm;
 
-    /* MPI-2 section  4.8: call the attribute
-       delete functions attached to MPI_COMM_SELF
-       and destroy comm_self before any other communicator */
-    comm = &ompi_mpi_comm_self;
-    if (NULL != comm->c_keyhash) {
-        ompi_attr_delete_all(COMM_ATTR, comm, comm->c_keyhash);
-	/* ignoring that the attribute delete functions might
-	   return an errorcode != MPI_SUCCESS. 
-	   Hey, we are in finalize, can finalize fail ??? */
-        OBJ_RELEASE(comm->c_keyhash);
-    }
+    /* Shut down MPI_COMM_SELF */
     OBJ_DESTRUCT( &ompi_mpi_comm_self );
 
     /* disconnect all dynamic communicators */
     ompi_comm_dyn_finalize();
 
-    /* Destroy all predefined communicators */    
+    /* Shut down MPI_COMM_WORLD */
     OBJ_DESTRUCT( &ompi_mpi_comm_world );
 
+    /* Shut down the parent communicator, if it exists */
     if( ompi_mpi_comm_parent != &ompi_mpi_comm_null ) {
         /* Note that we pass ompi_mpi_comm_parent here
            (vs. &ompi_mpi_comm_parent) because it is of type
@@ -217,6 +208,7 @@ int ompi_comm_finalize(void)
        OBJ_DESTRUCT (ompi_mpi_comm_parent);
     }
 
+    /* Shut down MPI_COMM_NULL */
     OBJ_DESTRUCT( &ompi_mpi_comm_null );
 
     /* Check whether we have some communicators left */
diff --git a/ompi/runtime/help-mpi-runtime.txt b/ompi/runtime/help-mpi-runtime.txt
index 4c72788d89..7a1e47c6a4 100644
--- a/ompi/runtime/help-mpi-runtime.txt
+++ b/ompi/runtime/help-mpi-runtime.txt
@@ -42,3 +42,10 @@ Typical causes for this problem include:
      which case Open MPI will not bind any processes on that node
    - A startup mechanism was used which did not tell Open MPI which
      processors to bind processes to
+[mpi_finalize:invoked_multiple_times]
+The function MPI_FINALIZE was invoked multiple times in a single
+process on host %s, PID %d.  
+
+This indicates an erroneous MPI program; MPI_FINALIZE is only allowed
+to be invoked exactly once in a process.
+
diff --git a/ompi/runtime/ompi_mpi_finalize.c b/ompi/runtime/ompi_mpi_finalize.c
index 30778b556a..ab0f3ca8e5 100644
--- a/ompi/runtime/ompi_mpi_finalize.c
+++ b/ompi/runtime/ompi_mpi_finalize.c
@@ -19,10 +19,25 @@
 
 #include "ompi_config.h"
 
+#ifdef HAVE_SYS_TYPES_H
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#endif
+#ifdef HAVE_UNISTD_H
+#include <unistd.h>
+#endif
+#ifdef HAVE_SYS_PARAM_H
+#include <sys/param.h>
+#endif
+#ifdef HAVE_NETDB_H
+#include <netdb.h>
+#endif
+
 #include "opal/event/event.h"
 #include "opal/runtime/opal_progress.h"
 #include "opal/mca/maffinity/base/base.h"
 #include "opal/mca/base/base.h"
+#include "opal/util/show_help.h"
+#include "opal/sys/atomic.h"
 
 #include "orte/util/proc_info.h"
 #include "orte/mca/schema/schema.h"
@@ -64,10 +79,30 @@
 int ompi_mpi_finalize(void)
 {
     int ret;
+    static int32_t finalize_has_already_started = 0;
 
-    /* Delete attributes on MPI_COMM_SELF per MPI-2:4.8.  Must be done
-       before anything else in FINALIZE, and ensure that MPI_FINALIZED
-       still returns false. */
+    /* Be a bit social if an erroneous program calls MPI_FINALIZE in
+       two different threads, otherwise we may deadlock in
+       ompi_comm_free() (or run into other nasty lions, tigers, or
+       bears) */
+
+    if (! opal_atomic_cmpset_32(&finalize_has_already_started, 0, 1)) {
+        /* Note that if we're already finalized, we cannot raise an
+           MPI exception.  The best that we can do is write something
+           to stderr. */
+        char hostname[MAXHOSTNAMELEN];
+        pid_t pid = getpid();
+        gethostname(hostname, sizeof(hostname));
+
+        opal_show_help("help-mpi-runtime.txt",
+                       "mpi_finalize:invoked_multiple_times",
+                       true, hostname, pid);
+        return MPI_ERR_OTHER;
+    }
+
+    /* Per MPI-2:4.8, we have to free MPI_COMM_SELF before doing
+       anything else in MPI_FINALIZE (to include setting up such that
+       MPI_FINALIZED will return true). */
 
     if (NULL != ompi_mpi_comm_self.c_keyhash) {
         ompi_attr_delete_all(COMM_ATTR, &ompi_mpi_comm_self,
@@ -76,6 +111,8 @@ int ompi_mpi_finalize(void)
         ompi_mpi_comm_self.c_keyhash = NULL;
     }
 
+    /* Proceed with MPI_FINALIZE */
+
     ompi_mpi_finalized = true;
 #if OMPI_ENABLE_PROGRESS_THREADS == 0
     opal_progress_events(OPAL_EVLOOP_NONBLOCK);