diff --git a/ompi/mca/fbtl/posix/fbtl_posix_preadv.c b/ompi/mca/fbtl/posix/fbtl_posix_preadv.c
index 5e19080105..15e9772981 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/fbtl/posix/fbtl_posix_preadv.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/fbtl/posix/fbtl_posix_preadv.c
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@
 #include "ompi/mca/fbtl/fbtl.h"
 
 
-static int mca_fbtl_posix_preadv_datasieving (ompio_file_t *fh);
-static int mca_fbtl_posix_preadv_generic (ompio_file_t *fh);
+static ssize_t mca_fbtl_posix_preadv_datasieving (ompio_file_t *fh);
+static ssize_t mca_fbtl_posix_preadv_generic (ompio_file_t *fh);
 
 ssize_t mca_fbtl_posix_preadv (ompio_file_t *fh )
 {
@@ -57,8 +57,8 @@ ssize_t mca_fbtl_posix_preadv (ompio_file_t *fh )
         avg_block_size = avg_block_size / fh->f_num_of_io_entries;
         avg_gap_size = avg_gap_size / fh->f_num_of_io_entries;
 
-        if ( mca_fbtl_posix_read_datasieving == false       ||
-             avg_gap_size == 0                              ||
+        if ( false == mca_fbtl_posix_read_datasieving       ||
+             0     == avg_gap_size                          ||
              avg_block_size > mca_fbtl_posix_max_block_size ||
              avg_gap_size   > mca_fbtl_posix_max_gap_size     ) {
             do_data_sieving = false;
@@ -76,7 +76,8 @@ ssize_t mca_fbtl_posix_preadv (ompio_file_t *fh )
         ret = mca_fbtl_posix_lock ( &lock, fh, F_RDLCK, (off_t)fh->f_io_array[0].offset,
                                     (off_t)fh->f_io_array[0].length, OMPIO_LOCK_ENTIRE_REGION ); 
         if ( 0 < ret ) {
-            opal_output(1, "mca_fbtl_posix_preadv: error in mca_fbtl_posix_lock() ret=%d: %s", ret, strerror(errno));
+            opal_output(1, "mca_fbtl_posix_preadv: error in mca_fbtl_posix_lock() ret=%d: %s",
+                        ret, strerror(errno));
             /* Just in case some part of the lock worked */
             mca_fbtl_posix_unlock ( &lock, fh);
             return OMPI_ERROR;
@@ -96,62 +97,101 @@ ssize_t mca_fbtl_posix_preadv (ompio_file_t *fh )
     return bytes_read;
 }
 
-int mca_fbtl_posix_preadv_datasieving (ompio_file_t *fh)
+ssize_t mca_fbtl_posix_preadv_datasieving (ompio_file_t *fh)
 {
     size_t start, end, len;
-    int ret, i;
+    size_t bufsize = 0;
+    int ret, i, j;
     ssize_t bytes_read=0, ret_code=0;
     struct flock lock;
+    char *temp_buf = NULL;
     
-    start = (off_t)fh->f_io_array[0].offset;
-    end   = (off_t)fh->f_io_array[fh->f_num_of_io_entries-1].offset + fh->f_io_array[fh->f_num_of_io_entries-1].length;
-    len   = end - start;
+    int startindex = 0;
+    int endindex   = 0;
+    bool done = false;
     
-    char *temp_buf = (char *) malloc ( len );
-    if ( NULL == temp_buf ) {
-        opal_output(1, "OUT OF MEMORY\n");
-        return OMPI_ERR_OUT_OF_RESOURCE;
-    }
-    
-    // Read the entire block.
-    ret = mca_fbtl_posix_lock ( &lock, fh, F_RDLCK, start, len, OMPIO_LOCK_ENTIRE_REGION ); 
-    if ( 0 < ret ) {
-        opal_output(1, "mca_fbtl_posix_preadv_datasieving: error in mca_fbtl_posix_lock() ret=%d: %s", ret, strerror(errno));
-        /* Just in case some part of the lock worked */
-        mca_fbtl_posix_unlock ( &lock, fh);
-        return OMPI_ERROR;
-    }
-    
-    ret_code = pread (fh->fd, temp_buf, len, start);
-    mca_fbtl_posix_unlock ( &lock, fh);
-    if ( ret_code == -1 ) {
-        opal_output(1, "mca_fbtl_posix_preadv_datasieving: error in (p)read(v):%s", strerror(errno));
-        return OMPI_ERROR;
-    }
-    
-    // Copy out the elements that were requested.
-    size_t pos = 0;
-    size_t num_bytes;
-    size_t start_offset = (size_t) fh->f_io_array[0].offset;
-    for (i=0 ; i<fh->f_num_of_io_entries ; i++) {
-        pos = (size_t) fh->f_io_array[i].offset - start_offset;
-        if ( (ssize_t) pos > ret_code ) {
+    while (!done) {
+        // Break the io_array into chunks such that the size of the temporary
+        // buffer does not exceed mca_fbtl_posix_max_tmpbuf_size bytes.
+        // Each iteration will thus work in the range (startindex, endindex[
+        startindex = endindex;
+        if ( startindex >= fh->f_num_of_io_entries  ) {
+            done = true;
             break;
         }
-        num_bytes = fh->f_io_array[i].length;
-        if ( ((ssize_t) pos + (ssize_t)num_bytes) > ret_code ) {
-            num_bytes = ret_code - (ssize_t)pos;
+        
+        size_t sstart = (size_t)fh->f_io_array[startindex].offset;
+        size_t slen=0;
+
+        for ( j = startindex; j < fh->f_num_of_io_entries; j++ ) {
+            endindex = j;
+            slen = ((size_t)fh->f_io_array[j].offset + fh->f_io_array[j].length) - sstart;            
+            if (slen > mca_fbtl_posix_max_tmpbuf_size ) {
+                endindex = j-1;
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+        // Need to increment the value of endindex
+        // by one for the loop syntax to work correctly.
+        endindex++;
+        
+        start = (size_t)fh->f_io_array[startindex].offset;
+        end   = (size_t)fh->f_io_array[endindex-1].offset + fh->f_io_array[endindex-1].length;
+        len   = end - start;
+        
+        if ( len > bufsize ) {
+            if ( NULL != temp_buf ) {
+                free ( temp_buf);
+            }
+            temp_buf = (char *) malloc ( len );
+            if ( NULL == temp_buf ) {
+                opal_output(1, "OUT OF MEMORY\n");
+                return OMPI_ERR_OUT_OF_RESOURCE;
+            }
+            bufsize = len;
         }
         
-        memcpy (fh->f_io_array[i].memory_address, temp_buf + pos, num_bytes);
-        bytes_read += num_bytes;            
+        // Read the entire block.
+        ret = mca_fbtl_posix_lock ( &lock, fh, F_RDLCK, start, len, OMPIO_LOCK_ENTIRE_REGION ); 
+        if ( 0 < ret ) {
+            opal_output(1, "mca_fbtl_posix_preadv_datasieving: error in mca_fbtl_posix_lock() ret=%d: %s",
+                        ret, strerror(errno));
+            /* Just in case some part of the lock worked */
+            mca_fbtl_posix_unlock ( &lock, fh);
+            return OMPI_ERROR;
+        }
+        
+        ret_code = pread (fh->fd, temp_buf, len, start);
+        mca_fbtl_posix_unlock ( &lock, fh);
+        if ( ret_code == -1 ) {
+            opal_output(1, "mca_fbtl_posix_preadv_datasieving: error in (p)read(v):%s", strerror(errno));
+            return OMPI_ERROR;
+        }
+        
+        // Copy out the elements that were requested.
+        size_t pos = 0;
+        size_t num_bytes;
+        size_t start_offset = (size_t) fh->f_io_array[startindex].offset;
+        for ( i = startindex ; i < endindex ; i++) {
+            pos = (size_t) fh->f_io_array[i].offset - start_offset;
+            if ( (ssize_t) pos > ret_code ) {
+                break;
+            }
+            num_bytes = fh->f_io_array[i].length;
+            if ( ((ssize_t) pos + (ssize_t)num_bytes) > ret_code ) {
+                num_bytes = ret_code - (ssize_t)pos;
+            }
+            
+            memcpy (fh->f_io_array[i].memory_address, temp_buf + pos, num_bytes);
+            bytes_read += num_bytes;            
+        }
     }
     
     free ( temp_buf);
     return bytes_read;
 }
 
-int mca_fbtl_posix_preadv_generic (ompio_file_t *fh )
+ssize_t mca_fbtl_posix_preadv_generic (ompio_file_t *fh )
 {
     ssize_t bytes_read=0, ret_code=0;
     struct iovec *iov = NULL;