diff --git a/opal/mca/paffinity/base/base.h b/opal/mca/paffinity/base/base.h
index e9e8faae8c..568d075245 100644
--- a/opal/mca/paffinity/base/base.h
+++ b/opal/mca/paffinity/base/base.h
@@ -216,6 +216,11 @@ OPAL_DECLSPEC int opal_paffinity_base_get_physical_socket_id(int logical_socket_
  */
 OPAL_DECLSPEC int opal_paffinity_base_get_physical_core_id(int physical_socket_id, int logical_core_id);
 
+/* Print a char string representation of a cpu set */
+OPAL_DECLSPEC char *opal_paffinity_base_print_binding(opal_paffinity_base_cpu_set_t cpumask);
+
+/* Parse the binding string created by above function back into a cpu set */
+OPAL_DECLSPEC int opal_paffinity_base_parse_binding(char *binding, opal_paffinity_base_cpu_set_t cpumask);
 
 /**
  * Indication of whether a component was successfully selected or
@@ -267,6 +272,9 @@ OPAL_DECLSPEC extern char *opal_paffinity_base_slot_list;
  */
 OPAL_DECLSPEC extern bool opal_paffinity_base_bound;
 
+/* String passed down from launcher that contains applied binding */
+OPAL_DECLSPEC extern char *opal_paffinity_base_applied_binding;
+
 END_C_DECLS
 
 #endif /* OPAL_BASE_PAFFINITY_H */
diff --git a/opal/mca/paffinity/base/paffinity_base_open.c b/opal/mca/paffinity/base/paffinity_base_open.c
index 913d2e9759..1b3eeb45c6 100644
--- a/opal/mca/paffinity/base/paffinity_base_open.c
+++ b/opal/mca/paffinity/base/paffinity_base_open.c
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ opal_list_t opal_paffinity_base_components_opened;
 bool opal_paffinity_alone = false;
 char *opal_paffinity_base_slot_list;
 bool opal_paffinity_base_bound;
-
+char *opal_paffinity_base_applied_binding;
 /*
  * Register some paffinity-wide MCA params
  */
@@ -86,6 +86,11 @@ int opal_paffinity_base_register_params(void)
                                 false, &value);
     opal_paffinity_base_bound = OPAL_INT_TO_BOOL(value);
     
+    mca_base_param_reg_string_name("paffinity", "base_applied_binding", 
+                                   "Binding from launcher",
+                                   true, false,
+                                   NULL, &opal_paffinity_base_applied_binding);
+
     return OPAL_SUCCESS;
 }
 
diff --git a/opal/mca/paffinity/base/paffinity_base_wrappers.c b/opal/mca/paffinity/base/paffinity_base_wrappers.c
index 5b3f1e0f47..e23b1ae186 100644
--- a/opal/mca/paffinity/base/paffinity_base_wrappers.c
+++ b/opal/mca/paffinity/base/paffinity_base_wrappers.c
@@ -129,3 +129,79 @@ int opal_paffinity_base_get_physical_core_id(int physical_socket_id, int logical
     return opal_paffinity_base_module->paff_get_physical_core_id(physical_socket_id, logical_core_id);
 }
 
+char *opal_paffinity_base_print_binding(opal_paffinity_base_cpu_set_t cpumask)
+{
+    char *tmp;
+    size_t i, j, masksize, save;
+    
+    /* get space for element separators and trailing NULL */
+    tmp = (char*)malloc(OPAL_PAFFINITY_CPU_SET_NUM_BYTES+OPAL_PAFFINITY_BITMASK_NUM_ELEMENTS + 1);
+    if (NULL == tmp) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+    memset(tmp, 0, OPAL_PAFFINITY_CPU_SET_NUM_BYTES+OPAL_PAFFINITY_BITMASK_NUM_ELEMENTS + 1);
+    masksize = sizeof(opal_paffinity_base_bitmask_t);
+    
+    if (4 == masksize) {
+        for (i=0, j=0; i < OPAL_PAFFINITY_BITMASK_NUM_ELEMENTS; i++) {
+            sprintf(&tmp[j], "%04lx", cpumask.bitmask[i]);
+            j += 4;
+            tmp[j] = ':';
+            j++;
+        }
+    } else if (8 == masksize) {
+        for (i=0, j=0; i < OPAL_PAFFINITY_BITMASK_NUM_ELEMENTS; i++) {
+            sprintf(&tmp[j], "%08lx", cpumask.bitmask[i]);
+            j += 8;
+            tmp[j] = ':';
+            j++;
+        }
+    }
+    
+    /* find the last non-zero entry */
+    save = OPAL_PAFFINITY_CPU_SET_NUM_BYTES+OPAL_PAFFINITY_BITMASK_NUM_ELEMENTS;
+    for (i=OPAL_PAFFINITY_CPU_SET_NUM_BYTES+OPAL_PAFFINITY_BITMASK_NUM_ELEMENTS-1; 0 <= i; i--) {
+        if ('0' != tmp[i] && ':' != tmp[i]) {
+            tmp[save] = '\0';
+            break;
+        } else if (':' == tmp[i]) {
+            save = i;
+        }
+    }
+    if ('\0' == tmp[0]) {
+        /* there was nothing in the mask */
+        free(tmp);
+        tmp = NULL;
+    }
+    
+    return tmp;
+}
+
+int opal_paffinity_base_parse_binding(char *binding, opal_paffinity_base_cpu_set_t cpumask)
+{
+    size_t i, masksize;
+    char *tmp, *save;
+    
+    if (NULL == binding || 0 == strlen(binding)) {
+        return OPAL_SUCCESS;
+    }
+    
+    OPAL_PAFFINITY_CPU_ZERO(cpumask);
+    masksize = sizeof(opal_paffinity_base_bitmask_t);
+    
+    tmp = binding;
+    for (i=0; i < OPAL_PAFFINITY_BITMASK_NUM_ELEMENTS; i++) {
+        cpumask.bitmask[i] = strtoul(tmp, &save, 16);
+        tmp = save;
+        if (NULL == tmp) {
+            /* end of the line */
+            break;
+        }
+        tmp++;
+        if (NULL == tmp || 0 == strlen(tmp)) {
+            return OPAL_SUCCESS;
+        }
+    }
+    
+    return OPAL_SUCCESS;
+}
diff --git a/opal/mca/paffinity/paffinity.h b/opal/mca/paffinity/paffinity.h
index cfac56781e..15e27091fe 100644
--- a/opal/mca/paffinity/paffinity.h
+++ b/opal/mca/paffinity/paffinity.h
@@ -150,6 +150,12 @@ typedef unsigned long int opal_paffinity_base_bitmask_t;
  */
 #define OPAL_PAFFINITY_BITMASK_NUM_ELEMENTS (OPAL_PAFFINITY_BITMASK_CPU_MAX / OPAL_PAFFINITY_BITMASK_T_NUM_BITS)
 
+/**
+ * \internal
+ * How many bytes in a cpu set
+ */
+#define OPAL_PAFFINITY_CPU_SET_NUM_BYTES (OPAL_PAFFINITY_BITMASK_NUM_ELEMENTS * sizeof(opal_paffinity_base_bitmask_t))
+
 /**
  * Public processor bitmask type
  */
diff --git a/orte/mca/odls/default/odls_default_module.c b/orte/mca/odls/default/odls_default_module.c
index b100def874..32fc0bda9b 100644
--- a/orte/mca/odls/default/odls_default_module.c
+++ b/orte/mca/odls/default/odls_default_module.c
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ static int odls_default_fork_local_proc(orte_app_context_t* context,
     orte_local_rank_t lrank;
     int target_socket, npersocket, logical_skt;
     int logical_cpu, phys_core, phys_cpu, ncpu;
-    char *param;
+    char *param, *tmp;
     
     if (NULL != child) {
         /* should pull this information from MPIRUN instead of going with
@@ -505,9 +505,11 @@ static int odls_default_fork_local_proc(orte_app_context_t* context,
                         logical_cpu += jobdat->stride;
                     }
                     if (orte_report_bindings) {
-                        opal_output(0, "%s odls:default:fork binding child %s to socket %d cpus %04lx",
+                        tmp = opal_paffinity_base_print_binding(mask);
+                        opal_output(0, "%s odls:default:fork binding child %s to socket %d cpus %s",
                                     ORTE_NAME_PRINT(ORTE_PROC_MY_NAME),
-                                    ORTE_NAME_PRINT(child->name), target_socket, mask.bitmask[0]);
+                                    ORTE_NAME_PRINT(child->name), target_socket, tmp);
+                        free(tmp);
                     }
                 } else {
                     /* my starting core has to be offset by cpus_per_rank */
@@ -560,9 +562,11 @@ static int odls_default_fork_local_proc(orte_app_context_t* context,
                         logical_cpu += jobdat->stride;
                     }
                     if (orte_report_bindings) {
-                        opal_output(0, "%s odls:default:fork binding child %s to cpus %04lx",
+                        tmp = opal_paffinity_base_print_binding(mask);
+                        opal_output(0, "%s odls:default:fork binding child %s to cpus %s",
                                     ORTE_NAME_PRINT(ORTE_PROC_MY_NAME),
-                                    ORTE_NAME_PRINT(child->name), mask.bitmask[0]);
+                                    ORTE_NAME_PRINT(child->name), tmp);
+                        free(tmp);
                     }
                 }
                 if (ORTE_SUCCESS != (rc = opal_paffinity_base_set(mask))) {
@@ -769,9 +773,11 @@ static int odls_default_fork_local_proc(orte_app_context_t* context,
                 /* if this resulted in no binding, generate warning if not suppressed */
                 ORTE_ODLS_WARN_NOT_BOUND(mask, 3);
                 if (orte_report_bindings) {
-                    opal_output(0, "%s odls:default:fork binding child %s to socket %d cpus %04lx",
+                    tmp = opal_paffinity_base_print_binding(mask);
+                    opal_output(0, "%s odls:default:fork binding child %s to socket %d cpus %s",
                                 ORTE_NAME_PRINT(ORTE_PROC_MY_NAME),
-                                ORTE_NAME_PRINT(child->name), target_socket, mask.bitmask[0]);
+                                ORTE_NAME_PRINT(child->name), target_socket, tmp);
+                    free(tmp);
                 }
                 if (ORTE_SUCCESS != (rc = opal_paffinity_base_set(mask))) {
                     ORTE_ODLS_IF_BIND_NOT_REQD(6);
@@ -821,6 +827,13 @@ LAUNCH_PROCS:
             param = mca_base_param_environ_variable("paffinity","base","bound");
             opal_setenv(param, "1", true, &environ_copy);
             free(param);
+            /* and provide a char representation of what we did */
+            tmp = opal_paffinity_base_print_binding(mask);
+            if (NULL != tmp) {
+                param = mca_base_param_environ_variable("paffinity","base","applied_binding");
+                opal_setenv(param, tmp, true, &environ_copy);
+                free(tmp);                
+            }
         }
         
         /* close all file descriptors w/ exception of