diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 9b9114ee86..9166fc7d97 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -155,10 +155,6 @@ AC_MSG_RESULT([$ltversion])
 #
 # Hardwire all progress threads to be off
 #
-enable_progress_threads="no"
-ORTE_ENABLE_PROGRESS_THREADS=0
-AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([ORTE_ENABLE_PROGRESS_THREADS], [$ORTE_ENABLE_PROGRESS_THREADS],
-                   [Hardcode the ORTE progress thread to be off])
 OMPI_ENABLE_PROGRESS_THREADS=0
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([OMPI_ENABLE_PROGRESS_THREADS], [$OMPI_ENABLE_PROGRESS_THREADS],
                    [Hardcode the OMPI progress thread to be off])
diff --git a/opal/mca/event/libevent2019/Makefile.am b/opal/mca/event/libevent2019/Makefile.am
index f0116d27f9..6ea7ac1ff2 100644
--- a/opal/mca/event/libevent2019/Makefile.am
+++ b/opal/mca/event/libevent2019/Makefile.am
@@ -85,3 +85,7 @@ noinst_LTLIBRARIES = $(component_noinst)
 libmca_event_libevent2019_la_SOURCES =$(sources)
 libmca_event_libevent2019_la_LDFLAGS = -module -avoid-version
 libmca_event_libevent2019_la_LIBADD = $(builddir)/libevent/libevent.la
+if OPAL_EVENT_HAVE_THREAD_SUPPORT
+libmca_event_libevent2019_la_LIBADD += $(builddir)/libevent/libevent_pthreads.la
+endif
+
diff --git a/opal/mca/event/libevent2019/configure.m4 b/opal/mca/event/libevent2019/configure.m4
index 9a264edec8..2e5c0ceed4 100644
--- a/opal/mca/event/libevent2019/configure.m4
+++ b/opal/mca/event/libevent2019/configure.m4
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ AC_DEFUN([MCA_opal_event_libevent2019_CONFIG],[
 
     AC_ARG_ENABLE(event-thread-support,
                   AC_HELP_STRING([--enable-event-thread-support], [enable event library internal thread support]))
-    if test "$enable_event_thread_support" = "yes"; then
+    if test "$enable_event_thread_support" = "yes" -o "$require_event_thread_support" = 1; then
         AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(OPAL_EVENT_HAVE_THREAD_SUPPORT, 1,
                            [Thread support was configured into the event library])
     else
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ AC_DEFUN([MCA_opal_event_libevent2019_CONFIG],[
         AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(OPAL_EVENT_HAVE_THREAD_SUPPORT, 0,
                            [Thread support was not configured into the event library])
     fi
+    AM_CONDITIONAL(OPAL_EVENT_HAVE_THREAD_SUPPORT, test "$enable_event_thread_support" = "yes")
 
     AC_MSG_RESULT([$event_args])
 
diff --git a/orte/config/orte_configure_options.m4 b/orte/config/orte_configure_options.m4
index 72ebe798a9..c7ad235714 100644
--- a/orte/config/orte_configure_options.m4
+++ b/orte/config/orte_configure_options.m4
@@ -115,21 +115,23 @@ AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([ORTE_ENABLE_HEARTBEAT],
 
 #
 # Do we want a separate orte progress thread?
-AC_MSG_CHECKING([if want orte progress thread])
-AC_ARG_ENABLE([orte-progress-thread],
-              [AC_HELP_STRING([--enable-orte-progress-thread],
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([if want orte progress threads])
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([orte-progress-threads],
+              [AC_HELP_STRING([--enable-orte-progress-threads],
               [Enable orte progress thread - for experiment by developers only! (default: disabled)])])
-if test "$enable_orte_progress_thread" = "yes"; then
+if test "$enable_orte_progress_threads" = "yes"; then
     AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
-    orte_enable_progress_thread=1
+    orte_enable_progress_threads=1
+    require_event_thread_support=1
     AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(OPAL_EVENT_HAVE_THREAD_SUPPORT, 1,
                       [Thread support must be configured into the event library])
 else
     AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
-    orte_enable_progress_thread=0
+    orte_enable_progress_threads=0
+    require_event_thread_support=0
 fi
-AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([ORTE_ENABLE_PROGRESS_THREAD],
-                   [$orte_enable_progress_thread],
-                   [Whether we want an orte progress thread enabled])
+AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([ORTE_ENABLE_PROGRESS_THREADS],
+                   [$orte_enable_progress_threads],
+                   [Whether we want orte progress threads enabled])
 
 ])dnl
diff --git a/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_recv.c b/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_recv.c
index 237960ad13..432a9245bf 100644
--- a/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_recv.c
+++ b/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_recv.c
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ int mca_oob_tcp_recv_cancel(
 
     /* wait for any previously matched messages to be processed */
     OPAL_THREAD_LOCK(&mca_oob_tcp_component.tcp_match_lock);
-#if ORTE_ENABLE_PROGRESS_THREADS
+#if 0 && ORTE_ENABLE_PROGRESS_THREADS
     if(opal_event_progress_thread() == false) {
         while(mca_oob_tcp_component.tcp_match_count) {
             opal_condition_wait(
diff --git a/orte/mca/routed/base/routed_base_fns.c b/orte/mca/routed/base/routed_base_fns.c
index bbc0c09fc5..f89e965203 100644
--- a/orte/mca/routed/base/routed_base_fns.c
+++ b/orte/mca/routed/base/routed_base_fns.c
@@ -23,6 +23,13 @@
 #include "orte/constants.h"
 #include "orte/types.h"
 
+#if HAVE_TIME_H
+#include <time.h>
+#endif
+#if HAVE_SYS_TIME_H
+#include <sys/time.h>
+#endif
+
 #include "opal/dss/dss.h"
 #include "opal/runtime/opal_progress.h"
 
@@ -307,7 +314,17 @@ int orte_routed_base_register_sync(bool setup)
     
     /* it is okay to block here as we are -not- in an event */
     while (!sync_recvd) {
+#if !ORTE_ENABLE_PROGRESS_THREADS
         opal_progress();
+#else
+        {
+            /* provide a very short quiet period so we
+             * don't hammer the cpu while we wait
+             */
+            struct timespec tp = {0, 100};
+            nanosleep(&tp, NULL);
+        }
+#endif
     }
     
     OPAL_OUTPUT_VERBOSE((5, orte_routed_base_output,
diff --git a/orte/runtime/orte_finalize.c b/orte/runtime/orte_finalize.c
index 415727faef..85bd613c3d 100644
--- a/orte/runtime/orte_finalize.c
+++ b/orte/runtime/orte_finalize.c
@@ -59,15 +59,6 @@ int orte_finalize(void)
     /* close the orte_show_help system */
     orte_show_help_finalize();
 
-#if !ORTE_DISABLE_FULL_SUPPORT && ORTE_ENABLE_PROGRESS_THREAD
-    if (ORTE_PROC_IS_APP) {
-        /* stop the progress thread */
-        orte_event_base_active = false;
-        opal_thread_join(&orte_progress_thread, NULL);
-        OBJ_DESTRUCT(&orte_progress_thread);
-    }
-#endif
-
     /* call the finalize function for this environment */
     orte_ess.finalize();
     
@@ -85,6 +76,21 @@ int orte_finalize(void)
     if( NULL != orte_default_hostfile ) {
         free(orte_default_hostfile);
     }
+#if ORTE_ENABLE_PROGRESS_THREADS
+    if (ORTE_PROC_IS_APP) {
+        /* stop the progress thread */
+        orte_event_base_active = false;
+        /* must trigger the "finalize" event to break us
+         * out of the event loop
+         */
+        opal_event_active(&orte_finalize_event, OPAL_EV_WRITE, 1);
+        /* wait for thread to exit */
+        opal_thread_join(&orte_progress_thread, NULL);
+        OBJ_DESTRUCT(&orte_progress_thread);
+        /* release the event base */
+        opal_event_base_free(orte_event_base);
+    }
+#endif
 #endif
 
     /* Close the general debug stream */
diff --git a/orte/runtime/orte_globals.c b/orte/runtime/orte_globals.c
index ca0e4c964a..e5d8d4e68d 100644
--- a/orte/runtime/orte_globals.c
+++ b/orte/runtime/orte_globals.c
@@ -188,8 +188,9 @@ bool orte_map_reduce = false;
 bool orte_map_stddiag_to_stderr = false;
 
 /* progress thread */
-#if ORTE_ENABLE_PROGRESS_THREAD
+#if ORTE_ENABLE_PROGRESS_THREADS
 opal_thread_t orte_progress_thread;
+opal_event_t orte_finalize_event;
 #endif
 
 #endif /* !ORTE_DISABLE_FULL_RTE */
diff --git a/orte/runtime/orte_globals.h b/orte/runtime/orte_globals.h
index 493659aa6b..aa6d43fef4 100644
--- a/orte/runtime/orte_globals.h
+++ b/orte/runtime/orte_globals.h
@@ -137,8 +137,9 @@ typedef struct orte_app_context_t orte_app_context_t;
 
 #else
 
-#if ORTE_ENABLE_PROGRESS_THREAD
+#if ORTE_ENABLE_PROGRESS_THREADS
 ORTE_DECLSPEC extern opal_thread_t orte_progress_thread;
+ORTE_DECLSPEC extern opal_event_t orte_finalize_event;
 #endif
 
 #define ORTE_GLOBAL_ARRAY_BLOCK_SIZE    64
diff --git a/orte/runtime/orte_init.c b/orte/runtime/orte_init.c
index a3c6863666..cbde482c08 100644
--- a/orte/runtime/orte_init.c
+++ b/orte/runtime/orte_init.c
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ orte_process_name_t orte_name_wildcard = {ORTE_JOBID_WILDCARD, ORTE_VPID_WILDCAR
 
 orte_process_name_t orte_name_invalid = {ORTE_JOBID_INVALID, ORTE_VPID_INVALID}; 
 
-#if !ORTE_DISABLE_FULL_SUPPORT && ORTE_ENABLE_PROGRESS_THREAD
+#if !ORTE_DISABLE_FULL_SUPPORT && ORTE_ENABLE_PROGRESS_THREADS
 static void* orte_progress_thread_engine(opal_object_t *obj);
 #endif
 
@@ -78,6 +78,13 @@ static void* orte_progress_thread_engine(opal_object_t *obj);
 #endif
 const char orte_version_string[] = ORTE_IDENT_STRING;
 
+#if !ORTE_DISABLE_FULL_SUPPORT && ORTE_ENABLE_PROGRESS_THREADS
+static void ignore_callback(int fd, short args, void *cbdata)
+{
+    /* nothing to do here */
+}
+#endif
+
 int orte_init(int* pargc, char*** pargv, orte_proc_type_t flags)
 {
     int ret;
@@ -134,9 +141,16 @@ int orte_init(int* pargc, char*** pargv, orte_proc_type_t flags)
     }
 
     if (ORTE_PROC_IS_APP) {
-#if !ORTE_DISABLE_FULL_SUPPORT && ORTE_ENABLE_PROGRESS_THREAD
+#if !ORTE_DISABLE_FULL_SUPPORT && ORTE_ENABLE_PROGRESS_THREADS
+#if OPAL_EVENT_HAVE_THREAD_SUPPORT
         /* get a separate orte event base */
         orte_event_base = opal_event_base_create();
+        /* setup the finalize event - we'll need it
+         * to break the thread out of the event lib
+         * when we want to stop it
+         */
+        opal_event_set(orte_event_base, &orte_finalize_event, -1, OPAL_EV_WRITE, ignore_callback, NULL);
+        opal_event_set_priority(&orte_finalize_event, ORTE_ERROR_PRI);
         /* construct the thread object */
         OBJ_CONSTRUCT(&orte_progress_thread, opal_thread_t);
         /* fork off a thread to progress it */
@@ -145,6 +159,11 @@ int orte_init(int* pargc, char*** pargv, orte_proc_type_t flags)
             error = "orte progress thread start";
             goto error;
         }
+#else
+        error = "event thread support is not configured";
+        ret = ORTE_ERROR;
+        goto error;
+#endif
 #else
         /* set the event base to the opal one */
         orte_event_base = opal_event_base;
@@ -175,7 +194,7 @@ int orte_init(int* pargc, char*** pargv, orte_proc_type_t flags)
 }
 
 
-#if !ORTE_DISABLE_FULL_SUPPORT && ORTE_ENABLE_PROGRESS_THREAD
+#if !ORTE_DISABLE_FULL_SUPPORT && ORTE_ENABLE_PROGRESS_THREADS
 static void* orte_progress_thread_engine(opal_object_t *obj)
 {
     while (orte_event_base_active) {