diff --git a/config/ompi_configure_options.m4 b/config/ompi_configure_options.m4
index c8a2bb03a0..804b915ab4 100644
--- a/config/ompi_configure_options.m4
+++ b/config/ompi_configure_options.m4
@@ -639,6 +639,20 @@ AM_CONDITIONAL([OMPI_WANT_SCRIPT_WRAPPER_COMPILERS],
     [test "$enable_script_wrapper_compilers" = "yes"])
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([ompi/tools/wrappers/ompi_wrapper_script], [chmod +x ompi/tools/wrappers/ompi_wrapper_script])
 
+#
+# Support per-user config files?
+#
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([per-user-config-files],
+   [AC_HELP_STRING([--enable-per-user-config-files],
+      [Disable per-user configuration files, to save disk accesses during job strart-up.  This is likely desirable for large jobs.  Note that this can also be acheived by environment variables at run-time.  (default: enabled)])])
+if test "$enable_per_user_config_files" = "no" ; then
+  result=0
+else
+  result=1
+fi
+AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([OMPI_WANT_HOME_CONFIG_FILES], [$result],
+     [Enable per-user config files])
+
 #
 # Do we want to disable IPv6 support?
 #
@@ -709,4 +723,5 @@ AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([OPAL_IDENT_STRING], ["$with_ident_string"],
      [ident string for Open MPI])
 AC_MSG_RESULT([$with_ident_string])
 
+
 ])
diff --git a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_open.c b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_open.c
index d8134b0a2e..0019b9d380 100644
--- a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_open.c
+++ b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_open.c
@@ -66,7 +66,11 @@ int mca_base_open(void)
   }
 
   /* Register some params */
+#if OMPI_WANT_HOME_CONFIG_FILES
   asprintf(&value, "%s%c%s"OPAL_PATH_SEP".openmpi"OPAL_PATH_SEP"components", opal_install_dirs.pkglibdir, OPAL_ENV_SEP, opal_home_directory() );
+#else
+  asprintf(&value, "%s", opal_install_dirs.pkglibdir); 
+#endif
 
   mca_base_param_component_path = 
     mca_base_param_reg_string_name("mca", "component_path",
diff --git a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_param.c b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_param.c
index 5c8ce015f0..5d712fa1de 100644
--- a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_param.c
+++ b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_param.c
@@ -193,9 +193,15 @@ int mca_base_param_recache_files(bool rel_path_search)
         }
     }
 
+#if OMPI_WANT_HOME_CONFIG_FILES
     asprintf(&files,
              "%s"OPAL_PATH_SEP".openmpi"OPAL_PATH_SEP"mca-params.conf%c%s"OPAL_PATH_SEP"openmpi-mca-params.conf",
              home, OPAL_ENV_SEP, opal_install_dirs.sysconfdir);
+#else
+    asprintf(&files,
+             "%s"OPAL_PATH_SEP"openmpi-mca-params.conf",
+             opal_install_dirs.sysconfdir);
+#endif
 
     /* Initialize a parameter that says where MCA param files can
        be found */