diff --git a/opal/dss/dss_load_unload.c b/opal/dss/dss_load_unload.c
index 77c72f7168..09c2b6e0c0 100644
--- a/opal/dss/dss_load_unload.c
+++ b/opal/dss/dss_load_unload.c
@@ -75,6 +75,16 @@ int opal_dss_load(opal_buffer_t *buffer, void *payload,
         free(buffer->base_ptr);
     }
 
+    /* if it's a NULL payload, just set things and return */
+    if (NULL == payload) {
+        buffer->base_ptr = NULL;
+        buffer->pack_ptr = buffer->base_ptr;
+        buffer->unpack_ptr = buffer->base_ptr;
+        buffer->bytes_used = 0;
+        buffer->bytes_allocated = 0;
+        return OPAL_SUCCESS;
+    }
+
     /* populate the buffer */
     buffer->base_ptr = (char*)payload; 
 
diff --git a/orte/mca/rml/base/rml_base_frame.c b/orte/mca/rml/base/rml_base_frame.c
index 23a8fe423c..1351614b7c 100644
--- a/orte/mca/rml/base/rml_base_frame.c
+++ b/orte/mca/rml/base/rml_base_frame.c
@@ -246,6 +246,7 @@ OBJ_CLASS_INSTANCE(orte_rml_send_request_t,
 static void recv_cons(orte_rml_recv_t *ptr)
 {
     ptr->iov.iov_base = NULL;
+    ptr->iov.iov_len = 0;
 }
 static void recv_des(orte_rml_recv_t *ptr)
 {
diff --git a/orte/mca/rml/oob/rml_oob_send.c b/orte/mca/rml/oob/rml_oob_send.c
index 6c7d457240..e93c60ddce 100644
--- a/orte/mca/rml/oob/rml_oob_send.c
+++ b/orte/mca/rml/oob/rml_oob_send.c
@@ -160,13 +160,15 @@ static void send_msg(int fd, short args, void *cbdata)
                 bytes += req->post.iov[i].iov_len;
             }
             /* get the required memory allocation */
-            rcv->iov.iov_base = (IOVBASE_TYPE*)malloc(bytes);
-            rcv->iov.iov_len = bytes;
-            /* transfer the bytes */
-            ptr =  (char*)rcv->iov.iov_base;
-            for (i = 0 ; i < req->post.count ; ++i) {
-                memcpy(ptr, req->post.iov[i].iov_base, req->post.iov[i].iov_len);
-                ptr += req->post.iov[i].iov_len;
+            if (0 < bytes) {
+                rcv->iov.iov_base = (IOVBASE_TYPE*)malloc(bytes);
+                rcv->iov.iov_len = bytes;
+                /* transfer the bytes */
+                ptr =  (char*)rcv->iov.iov_base;
+                for (i = 0 ; i < req->post.count ; ++i) {
+                    memcpy(ptr, req->post.iov[i].iov_base, req->post.iov[i].iov_len);
+                    ptr += req->post.iov[i].iov_len;
+                }
             }
         } else if (0 < req->post.buffer->bytes_used) {
             rcv->iov.iov_base = (IOVBASE_TYPE*)malloc(req->post.buffer->bytes_used);