diff --git a/config/ompi_mca.m4 b/config/ompi_mca.m4
index 8b9692222d..977314f42d 100644
--- a/config/ompi_mca.m4
+++ b/config/ompi_mca.m4
@@ -541,6 +541,9 @@ AC_DEFUN([MCA_CONFIGURE_M4_CONFIG_COMPONENT],[
            # add component to all component list
            $4="$$4 $3"])
 
+    m4_ifdef([MCA_$2_$3_POST_CONFIG],
+             [MCA_$2_$3_POST_CONFIG($should_build)])
+
     # set the AM_CONDITIONAL on how we should build
     AS_IF([test "$compile_mode" = "dso"], 
           [BUILD_$2_$3_DSO=1],
diff --git a/ompi/mca/io/romio/Makefile.am b/ompi/mca/io/romio/Makefile.am
index 61027e2937..93fdbc8031 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/io/romio/Makefile.am
+++ b/ompi/mca/io/romio/Makefile.am
@@ -23,7 +23,11 @@
 sources =
 include src/Makefile.extra
 
+if MCA_io_romio_SHOULD_BUILD
+# Need to set both SUBDIRS and DIST_SUBDIRS due to oddities with AM
 SUBDIRS = romio
+DIST_SUBDIRS = romio
+endif
 
 # Make the output library in this directory, and name it either
 # mca_<type>_<name>.la (for DSO builds) or libmca_<type>_<name>.la
diff --git a/ompi/mca/io/romio/configure.m4 b/ompi/mca/io/romio/configure.m4
index f6922e25cc..420eaf505b 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/io/romio/configure.m4
+++ b/ompi/mca/io/romio/configure.m4
@@ -17,6 +17,14 @@
 # $HEADER$
 #
 
+AC_DEFUN([MCA_io_romio_POST_CONFIG], [
+    AS_IF([test $1 -eq 0 -a "$enable_dist" = "yes"],
+          [AC_MSG_ERROR([ROMIO disabled but --enable-dist specifed.  This will result in a bad tarball.  Aborting configure.])])
+    AM_CONDITIONAL([MCA_io_romio_SHOULD_BUILD], [test $1 -eq 1])
+
+])
+
+
 # MCA_io_romio_CONFIG([action-if-found], [action-if-not-found])
 # -----------------------------------------------------------
 AC_DEFUN([MCA_io_romio_CONFIG],[