diff --git a/orte/mca/plm/base/plm_base_launch_support.c b/orte/mca/plm/base/plm_base_launch_support.c
index c3c8803b06..0aeced0c76 100644
--- a/orte/mca/plm/base/plm_base_launch_support.c
+++ b/orte/mca/plm/base/plm_base_launch_support.c
@@ -1046,6 +1046,11 @@ int orte_plm_base_setup_virtual_machine(orte_job_t *jdata)
     }
     map = daemons->map;
     
+    /* zero-out the number of new daemons as we will compute this
+     * each time we are called
+     */
+    map->num_new_daemons = 0;
+
     /* run the allocator on the application job - this allows us to
      * pickup any host or hostfile arguments so we get the full
      * array of nodes in our allocation
@@ -1086,6 +1091,18 @@ int orte_plm_base_setup_virtual_machine(orte_job_t *jdata)
         }
     }
 
+    /* if we didn't get anything, then we are the only node in the
+     * allocation - so there is nothing else to do as no other
+     * daemons are to be launched
+     */
+    if (0 == opal_list_get_size(&nodes)) {
+        OPAL_OUTPUT_VERBOSE((5, orte_plm_globals.output,
+                             "%s plm:base:setup_vm only HNP in allocation",
+                             ORTE_NAME_PRINT(ORTE_PROC_MY_NAME)));
+        OBJ_DESTRUCT(&nodes);
+        return ORTE_SUCCESS;
+    }
+
     /* is there a default hostfile? */
     if (NULL != orte_default_hostfile) {
         /* yes - filter the node list through the file, marking
@@ -1134,10 +1151,17 @@ int orte_plm_base_setup_virtual_machine(orte_job_t *jdata)
         }
     }
 
-    /* zero-out the number of new daemons as we will compute this
-     * each time we are called
+    /* if we didn't get anything, then we are the only node in the
+     * allocation - so there is nothing else to do as no other
+     * daemons are to be launched
      */
-    map->num_new_daemons = 0;
+    if (0 == opal_list_get_size(&nodes)) {
+        OPAL_OUTPUT_VERBOSE((5, orte_plm_globals.output,
+                             "%s plm:base:setup_vm only HNP left",
+                             ORTE_NAME_PRINT(ORTE_PROC_MY_NAME)));
+        OBJ_DESTRUCT(&nodes);
+        return ORTE_SUCCESS;
+    }
 
     /* cycle thru all available nodes and find those that do not already
      * have a daemon on them - no need to include our own as we are
diff --git a/orte/util/dash_host/dash_host.c b/orte/util/dash_host/dash_host.c
index eff44f2e4d..51496e9e7e 100644
--- a/orte/util/dash_host/dash_host.c
+++ b/orte/util/dash_host/dash_host.c
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ int orte_util_filter_dash_host_nodes(opal_list_t *nodes,
     orte_std_cntr_t i, j, len_mapped_node=0;
     int rc;
     char **mapped_nodes = NULL;
-    orte_node_t *node;
+    orte_node_t *node, *hnp_node;
     int num_empty=0;
     opal_list_t keep;
     bool want_all_empty=false;
@@ -265,7 +265,10 @@ int orte_util_filter_dash_host_nodes(opal_list_t *nodes,
      * any node can only be included on the incoming
      * nodes list ONCE.
      */
-    
+
+    /* get the hnp node's info */
+    hnp_node = (orte_node_t*)opal_pointer_array_get_item(orte_node_pool, 0);
+        
     len_mapped_node = opal_argv_count(mapped_nodes);
     /* setup a working list so we can put the final list
      * of nodes in order. This way, if the user specifies a
@@ -333,9 +336,9 @@ int orte_util_filter_dash_host_nodes(opal_list_t *nodes,
                 node = (orte_node_t*)item;
                 /* search -host list to see if this one is found */
                 found = false;
-                if ((0 == strcmp(node->name, mapped_nodes[i]) ||
-                    (0 == strcmp(node->name, orte_process_info.nodename) &&
-                    (0 == strcmp(mapped_nodes[i], "localhost") || opal_ifislocal(mapped_nodes[i]))))) {
+                if (0 == strcmp(node->name, mapped_nodes[i]) ||
+                    (0 == strcmp(node->name, hnp_node->name) &&
+                    (0 == strcasecmp(mapped_nodes[i], "localhost") || opal_ifislocal(mapped_nodes[i])))) {
                     if (remove) {
                         /* remove item from list */
                         opal_list_remove_item(nodes, item);