diff --git a/src/datatype/datatype_internal.h b/src/datatype/datatype_internal.h
index f21fa797af..ecd2ad56b0 100644
--- a/src/datatype/datatype_internal.h
+++ b/src/datatype/datatype_internal.h
@@ -371,6 +371,36 @@ int ompi_convertor_create_stack_at_begining( ompi_convertor_t* pConvertor, const
     pConvertor->bConverted         = 0;
     return OMPI_SUCCESS;
 }
+
+static inline void
+convertor_init_generic( ompi_convertor_t* pConv, const dt_desc_t* datatype, int count,
+			const void* pUserBuf )
+{
+    uint32_t required_stack_length = datatype->btypes[DT_LOOP] + 3;
+
+    OBJ_RETAIN( datatype );
+    if( pConv->pDesc != datatype ) {
+        pConv->pDesc = (dt_desc_t*)datatype;
+        if( pConv->pStack != NULL ) {
+            if( pConv->stack_size > DT_STATIC_STACK_SIZE )
+                free( pConv->pStack );
+        }
+        pConv->pStack = pConv->static_stack;
+	pConv->stack_size = DT_STATIC_STACK_SIZE;
+    }
+    if( required_stack_length > pConv->stack_size ) {
+	assert( pConv->stack_size > DT_STATIC_STACK_SIZE );
+	pConv->stack_size = required_stack_length;
+	pConv->pStack     = (dt_stack_t*)malloc(sizeof(dt_stack_t) * pConv->stack_size );
+    }
+    
+    pConv->pBaseBuf = (void*)pUserBuf;
+    pConv->available_space = count * (datatype->ub - datatype->lb);
+    pConv->count = count;
+    pConv->converted = 0;
+    pConv->bConverted = 0;
+}
+
 #if defined(c_plusplus) || defined(__cplusplus)
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/src/datatype/dt_pack.c b/src/datatype/dt_pack.c
index 3654a92b3f..a5e9d09449 100644
--- a/src/datatype/dt_pack.c
+++ b/src/datatype/dt_pack.c
@@ -756,35 +756,11 @@ int ompi_convertor_init_for_send( ompi_convertor_t* pConv,
 				  int starting_pos,
 				  memalloc_fct_t allocfn )
 {
+    convertor_init_generic( pConv, datatype, count, pUserBuf );
 
-    OBJ_RETAIN( datatype );
-    if( pConv->pDesc != datatype ) {
-        pConv->pDesc = (dt_desc_t*)datatype;
-        if( pConv->pStack != NULL ) {
-            if( pConv->stack_size > DT_STATIC_STACK_SIZE )
-                free( pConv->pStack );
-        }
-        pConv->pStack = NULL;
-    }
-    
-    if( pConv->pStack == NULL ) {
-        pConv->stack_size = datatype->btypes[DT_LOOP] + 3;
-        if( pConv->stack_size > DT_STATIC_STACK_SIZE ) {
-            pConv->pStack = (dt_stack_t*)malloc(sizeof(dt_stack_t) * pConv->stack_size );
-        } else {
-            pConv->pStack = pConv->static_stack;
-        }
-        pConv->stack_pos = 0;  /* just to be sure */
-    }
-    
     pConv->flags = CONVERTOR_SEND | CONVERTOR_HOMOGENEOUS;  /* by default set to homogeneous */
-    pConv->pBaseBuf = (void*)pUserBuf;
-    pConv->available_space = count * (datatype->ub - datatype->lb);
-    pConv->count = count;
-    pConv->pFunctions = ompi_ddt_copy_functions;
-    pConv->converted = 0;
-    pConv->bConverted = 0;
-    pConv->memAlloc_fn = allocfn;
+    pConv->pFunctions      = ompi_ddt_copy_functions;
+    pConv->memAlloc_fn     = allocfn;
     /* Just to avoid complaint from the compiler */
     pConv->fAdvance = ompi_convertor_pack_general;
     pConv->fAdvance = ompi_convertor_pack_homogeneous_with_memcpy;
diff --git a/src/datatype/dt_unpack.c b/src/datatype/dt_unpack.c
index f7e18ce04f..dd7676ebe4 100644
--- a/src/datatype/dt_unpack.c
+++ b/src/datatype/dt_unpack.c
@@ -609,35 +609,12 @@ int ompi_convertor_init_for_recv( ompi_convertor_t* pConv, uint32_t flags,
 				  const void* pUserBuf, int starting_point,
 				  memalloc_fct_t allocfn )
 {
-    OBJ_RETAIN( datatype );
-    if( pConv->pDesc != datatype ) {
-        pConv->pDesc = (dt_desc_t*)datatype;
-        pConv->flags = CONVERTOR_RECV;
-        if( pConv->pStack != NULL ) {
-            if( pConv->stack_size > DT_STATIC_STACK_SIZE )
-                free( pConv->pStack );
-        }
-        pConv->pStack = NULL;
-    }
-    if( pConv->pStack == NULL ) {
-        pConv->stack_size = datatype->btypes[DT_LOOP] + 3;
-        if( pConv->stack_size > DT_STATIC_STACK_SIZE ) {
-            pConv->pStack = (dt_stack_t*)malloc(sizeof(dt_stack_t) * pConv->stack_size );
-        } else {
-            pConv->pStack = pConv->static_stack;
-        }
-        pConv->stack_pos = 0;  /* just to be sure */
-    }
+    convertor_init_generic( pConv, datatype, count, pUserBuf );
 
     pConv->flags = CONVERTOR_RECV | CONVERTOR_HOMOGENEOUS;
-    pConv->pBaseBuf = (void*)pUserBuf;
-    pConv->available_space = count * (datatype->ub - datatype->lb);
-    pConv->count = count;
-    pConv->pFunctions = ompi_ddt_copy_functions;
-    pConv->converted = 0;
-    pConv->bConverted = 0;
-    pConv->fAdvance = ompi_convertor_unpack_general;     /* TODO: just stop complaining */
-    pConv->fAdvance = ompi_convertor_unpack_homogeneous; /* default behaviour */
+    pConv->pFunctions  = ompi_ddt_copy_functions;
+    pConv->fAdvance    = ompi_convertor_unpack_general;     /* TODO: just stop complaining */
+    pConv->fAdvance    = ompi_convertor_unpack_homogeneous; /* default behaviour */
     pConv->memAlloc_fn = allocfn;
 
     /* TODO: work only on homogeneous architectures */