diff --git a/opal/event/event.c b/opal/event/event.c
index ec30d9c604..cde730477a 100644
--- a/opal/event/event.c
+++ b/opal/event/event.c
@@ -68,37 +68,22 @@
 
 #if defined(HAVE_SELECT) && HAVE_SELECT
 extern const struct opal_eventop opal_selectops;
-#ifndef OPAL_HAVE_WORKING_EVENTOPS
-#define OPAL_HAVE_WORKING_EVENTOPS 1
-#endif
 #endif
 
 #if defined(HAVE_POLL) && HAVE_POLL && HAVE_WORKING_POLL
 extern const struct opal_eventop opal_pollops;
-#ifndef OPAL_HAVE_WORKING_EVENTOPS
-#define OPAL_HAVE_WORKING_EVENTOPS 1
-#endif
 #endif
 
 #if defined(HAVE_RTSIG) && HAVE_RTSIG
 extern const struct opal_eventop opal_rtsigops;
-#ifndef OPAL_HAVE_WORKING_EVENTOPS
-#define OPAL_HAVE_WORKING_EVENTOPS 1
-#endif
 #endif
 
 #if defined(HAVE_EPOLL) && HAVE_EPOLL
 extern const struct opal_eventop opal_epollops;
-#ifndef OPAL_HAVE_WORKING_EVENTOPS
-#define OPAL_HAVE_WORKING_EVENTOPS 1
-#endif
 #endif
 
 #if defined(HAVE_WORKING_KQUEUE) && HAVE_WORKING_KQUEUE
 extern const struct opal_eventop opal_kqops;
-#ifndef OPAL_HAVE_WORKING_EVENTOPS
-#define OPAL_HAVE_WORKING_EVENTOPS 1
-#endif
 #endif
 
 #if 0
@@ -108,15 +93,8 @@ extern const struct opal_eventop opal_kqops;
    this to work */
 #if defined(WIN32) && WIN32
 extern const struct opal_eventop opal_win32ops;
-#ifndef OPAL_HAVE_WORKING_EVENTOPS
-#define OPAL_HAVE_WORKING_EVENTOPS 1
 #endif
 #endif
-#endif
-
-#ifndef OPAL_HAVE_WORKING_EVENTOPS
-#define OPAL_HAVE_WORKING_EVENTOPS 0
-#endif
 
 /* In order of preference */
 static const struct opal_eventop *opal_eventops[] = {
diff --git a/opal/event/event.h b/opal/event/event.h
index bfdf10b91d..922f1b9a6e 100644
--- a/opal/event/event.h
+++ b/opal/event/event.h
@@ -284,4 +284,20 @@ opal_event_pending(struct opal_event *ev, short event, struct timeval *tv)
 }
 #endif
 
+/* #defines to allow callers to know if opal_event_loop is going to do anything */
+
+#if defined(HAVE_SELECT) && HAVE_SELECT
+#define OPAL_HAVE_WORKING_EVENTOPS 1
+#elif defined(HAVE_POLL) && HAVE_POLL && HAVE_WORKING_POLL
+#define OPAL_HAVE_WORKING_EVENTOPS 1
+#elif defined(HAVE_RTSIG) && HAVE_RTSIG
+#define OPAL_HAVE_WORKING_EVENTOPS 1
+#elif defined(HAVE_EPOLL) && HAVE_EPOLL
+#define OPAL_HAVE_WORKING_EVENTOPS 1
+#elif defined(HAVE_WORKING_KQUEUE) && HAVE_WORKING_KQUEUE
+#define OPAL_HAVE_WORKING_EVENTOPS 1
+#else
+#define OPAL_HAVE_WORKING_EVENTOPS 0
+#endif
+
 #endif /* _EVENT_H_ */
diff --git a/opal/runtime/opal_progress.c b/opal/runtime/opal_progress.c
index e796b94b3a..57d1f18be9 100644
--- a/opal/runtime/opal_progress.c
+++ b/opal/runtime/opal_progress.c
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ opal_progress_events(int flag)
  * This is only losely tracked, as an error return can cause the number
  * of progressed events to appear lower than it actually is.  We don't
  * care, as the cost of that happening is far outweighed by the cost
- * of the if checks (they were resulting in bad pipe stalling behabior)
+ * of the if checks (they were resulting in bad pipe stalling behavior)
  */
 void
 opal_progress(void)
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ opal_progress(void)
     size_t i;
     int events = 0;
 
-#if OMPI_ENABLE_PROGRESS_THREADS == 0
+#if (OMPI_ENABLE_PROGRESS_THREADS == 0) && OPAL_HAVE_WORKING_EVENTOPS
     /* trip the event library if we've reached our tick rate and we are
        enabled */
     if (OPAL_THREAD_ADD32(&event_progress_counter, -1) <= 0 && 
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ opal_progress(void)
         }
 #endif  /* OMPI_HAVE_THREAD_SUPPORT */
     }
-#endif /* OMPI_ENABLE_PROGRESS_THREADS == 0 */
+#endif /* OMPI_ENABLE_PROGRESS_THREADS == 0 && OPAL_HAVE_WORKING_EVENTOPS */
 
     /* progress all registered callbacks */
     for (i = 0 ; i < callbacks_len ; ++i) {