diff --git a/ompi/mca/dpm/orte/dpm_orte.c b/ompi/mca/dpm/orte/dpm_orte.c
index e5ee3aa898..1fd309c02e 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/dpm/orte/dpm_orte.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/dpm/orte/dpm_orte.c
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@
 #include "orte/mca/plm/plm.h"
 #include "orte/mca/rml/rml.h"
 #include "orte/mca/rml/rml_types.h"
+#include "orte/mca/rmaps/rmaps.h"
+#include "orte/mca/rmaps/rmaps_types.h"
+#include "orte/mca/rmaps/base/base.h"
 #include "orte/mca/rml/base/rml_contact.h"
 #include "orte/mca/routed/routed.h"
 #include "orte/util/name_fns.h"
@@ -506,6 +509,7 @@ static int spawn(int count, char **array_of_commands,
     orte_job_t *jdata;
     orte_app_context_t *app;
     bool local_spawn, non_mpi;
+    bool local_bynode = false;
     
     /* parse the info object */
     /* check potentially for:
@@ -665,6 +669,32 @@ static int spawn(int count, char **array_of_commands,
                 jdata->controls |= ORTE_JOB_CONTROL_LOCAL_SLAVE;
             }
 
+            /* check for 'map_bynode' */
+            ompi_info_get_bool(array_of_info[i], "map_bynode", &local_bynode, &flag);
+            if ( flag ) {
+                jdata->map = OBJ_NEW(orte_job_map_t);
+                if (NULL == jdata->map) {
+                    ORTE_ERROR_LOG(ORTE_ERR_OUT_OF_RESOURCE);
+                    return ORTE_ERR_OUT_OF_RESOURCE;
+                }
+                /* load it with the system defaults */
+                jdata->map->policy = orte_default_mapping_policy;
+                jdata->map->npernode = orte_rmaps_base.npernode;
+                jdata->map->nperboard = orte_rmaps_base.nperboard;
+                jdata->map->npersocket = orte_rmaps_base.npersocket;
+                jdata->map->cpus_per_rank = orte_rmaps_base.cpus_per_rank;
+                jdata->map->stride = orte_rmaps_base.stride;
+                jdata->map->oversubscribe = orte_rmaps_base.oversubscribe;
+                jdata->map->display_map = orte_rmaps_base.display_map;
+
+                if( local_bynode ) {
+                    jdata->map->policy = ORTE_MAPPING_BYNODE;
+                }
+                else {
+                    jdata->map->policy = ORTE_MAPPING_BYSLOT;
+                }
+            }
+
             /* check for 'preload_binary' */
             ompi_info_get_bool(array_of_info[i], "ompi_preload_binary", &local_spawn, &flag);
             if ( flag ) {
diff --git a/ompi/mpi/man/man3/MPI_Comm_spawn.3in b/ompi/mpi/man/man3/MPI_Comm_spawn.3in
index ca4eae4c0e..9da8d1e84d 100644
--- a/ompi/mpi/man/man3/MPI_Comm_spawn.3in
+++ b/ompi/mpi/man/man3/MPI_Comm_spawn.3in
@@ -152,6 +152,10 @@ ompi_param                      char *    Pass an OMPI MCA parameter to the chil
                                           If that parameter already exists in the
                                           environment, the value will be overwritten
                                           by the provided value.
+map_bynode                      bool      If set to true, the processes are mapped bynode.
+                                          If set to false, the processes are mapped byslot.
+                                          By default, mapping is determined by the default
+                                          mapping policy set when the job was started.
 .fi
 
 \fIbool\fP info keys are actually strings but are evaluated as
diff --git a/ompi/mpi/man/man3/MPI_Comm_spawn_multiple.3in b/ompi/mpi/man/man3/MPI_Comm_spawn_multiple.3in
index 5465944475..18849df3bd 100644
--- a/ompi/mpi/man/man3/MPI_Comm_spawn_multiple.3in
+++ b/ompi/mpi/man/man3/MPI_Comm_spawn_multiple.3in
@@ -163,6 +163,10 @@ ompi_param                      char *    Pass an OMPI MCA parameter to the chil
                                           If that parameter already exists in the
                                           environment, the value will be overwritten
                                           by the provided value.
+map_bynode                      bool      If set to true, the processes are mapped bynode.
+                                          If set to false, the processes are mapped byslot.
+                                          By default, mapping is determined by the default
+                                          mapping policy set when the job was started.
 .fi
 
 .sp 
diff --git a/orte/mca/plm/base/plm_base_receive.c b/orte/mca/plm/base/plm_base_receive.c
index 244bd416b9..a158fc273b 100644
--- a/orte/mca/plm/base/plm_base_receive.c
+++ b/orte/mca/plm/base/plm_base_receive.c
@@ -232,14 +232,18 @@ static void process_msg(int fd, short event, void *data)
                         goto ANSWER_LAUNCH;
                     }
                     
-                    /* find the sender's node in the job map */
-                    if (NULL != (proc = (orte_proc_t*)opal_pointer_array_get_item(parent->procs, msgpkt->sender.vpid))) {
-                        /* set the bookmark so the child starts from that place - this means
-                         * that the first child process could be co-located with the proc
-                         * that called comm_spawn, assuming slots remain on that node. Otherwise,
-                         * the procs will start on the next available node
-                         */
-                        jdata->bookmark = proc->node;
+                    if( NULL == parent->bookmark ) {
+                        /* find the sender's node in the job map */
+                        if (NULL != (proc = (orte_proc_t*)opal_pointer_array_get_item(parent->procs, msgpkt->sender.vpid))) {
+                            /* set the bookmark so the child starts from that place - this means
+                             * that the first child process could be co-located with the proc
+                             * that called comm_spawn, assuming slots remain on that node. Otherwise,
+                             * the procs will start on the next available node
+                             */
+                            jdata->bookmark = proc->node;
+                        }
+                    } else {
+                        jdata->bookmark = parent->bookmark;
                     }
                     
                     /* launch it */
diff --git a/orte/mca/rmaps/base/rmaps_base_common_mappers.c b/orte/mca/rmaps/base/rmaps_base_common_mappers.c
index 0e5d33c0df..58ca7960fe 100644
--- a/orte/mca/rmaps/base/rmaps_base_common_mappers.c
+++ b/orte/mca/rmaps/base/rmaps_base_common_mappers.c
@@ -342,5 +342,8 @@ int orte_rmaps_base_map_bynode(orte_job_t *jdata, orte_app_context_t *app,
         cur_node_item = next;
     }
     
+    /* save the bookmark */
+    jdata->bookmark = (orte_node_t*)cur_node_item;
+
     return ORTE_SUCCESS;
 }