diff --git a/opal/mca/crs/base/crs_base_fns.c b/opal/mca/crs/base/crs_base_fns.c
index f33e31bcca..67e5ecc2c7 100644
--- a/opal/mca/crs/base/crs_base_fns.c
+++ b/opal/mca/crs/base/crs_base_fns.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2004-2009 The Trustees of Indiana University.
+ * Copyright (c) 2004-2010 The Trustees of Indiana University.
  *                         All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2004-2005 The Trustees of the University of Tennessee.
  *                         All rights reserved.
@@ -194,6 +194,7 @@ int opal_crs_base_metadata_write_token(char *snapshot_loc, char * token, char *v
 
 int opal_crs_base_extract_expected_component(char *snapshot_loc, char ** component_name, int *prev_pid)
 {
+    int exit_status = OPAL_SUCCESS;
     char **pid_argv = NULL;
     char **name_argv = NULL;
 
@@ -202,6 +203,8 @@ int opal_crs_base_extract_expected_component(char *snapshot_loc, char ** compone
         *prev_pid = atoi(pid_argv[0]);
     } else {
         opal_output(0, "Error: expected_component: PID information unavailable!");
+        exit_status = OPAL_ERROR;
+        goto cleanup;
     }
 
     opal_crs_base_metadata_read_token(snapshot_loc, CRS_METADATA_COMP, &name_argv);
@@ -209,8 +212,11 @@ int opal_crs_base_extract_expected_component(char *snapshot_loc, char ** compone
         *component_name = strdup(name_argv[0]);
     } else {
         opal_output(0, "Error: expected_component: Component Name information unavailable!");
+        exit_status = OPAL_ERROR;
+        goto cleanup;
     }
 
+ cleanup:
     if( NULL != pid_argv ) {
         opal_argv_free(pid_argv);
         pid_argv = NULL;
@@ -221,7 +227,7 @@ int opal_crs_base_extract_expected_component(char *snapshot_loc, char ** compone
         name_argv = NULL;
     }
 
-    return OPAL_SUCCESS;
+    return exit_status;
 }
 
 char * opal_crs_base_get_snapshot_directory(char *uniq_snapshot_name)
diff --git a/opal/mca/crs/blcr/crs_blcr_module.c b/opal/mca/crs/blcr/crs_blcr_module.c
index bd0495b293..d62a4f2d48 100644
--- a/opal/mca/crs/blcr/crs_blcr_module.c
+++ b/opal/mca/crs/blcr/crs_blcr_module.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2004-2009 The Trustees of Indiana University.
+ * Copyright (c) 2004-2010 The Trustees of Indiana University.
  *                         All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2004-2005 The Trustees of the University of Tennessee.
  *                         All rights reserved.
@@ -873,6 +873,9 @@ static int blcr_cold_start(opal_crs_blcr_snapshot_t *snapshot) {
      */
     if( OPAL_SUCCESS != (ret = opal_crs_base_extract_expected_component(snapshot->super.local_location, 
                                                                         &component_name, &prev_pid) ) ) {
+        opal_output(mca_crs_blcr_component.super.output_handle,
+                    "crs:blcr: blcr_cold_start: Error: Failed to extract the metadata from the local snapshot (%s). Returned %d.",
+                    snapshot->super.local_location, ret);
         exit_status = ret;
         goto cleanup;
     }
diff --git a/opal/mca/crs/self/crs_self_module.c b/opal/mca/crs/self/crs_self_module.c
index b9093ffdc1..2838724724 100644
--- a/opal/mca/crs/self/crs_self_module.c
+++ b/opal/mca/crs/self/crs_self_module.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2004-2009 The Trustees of Indiana University.
+ * Copyright (c) 2004-2010 The Trustees of Indiana University.
  *                         All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2004-2005 The Trustees of the University of Tennessee.
  *                         All rights reserved.
@@ -682,6 +682,9 @@ static int self_cold_start(opal_crs_self_snapshot_t *snapshot) {
      */
     if( OPAL_SUCCESS != (ret = opal_crs_base_extract_expected_component(snapshot->super.local_location, 
                                                                         &component_name, &prev_pid) ) ) {
+        opal_output(mca_crs_self_component.super.output_handle,
+                    "crs:self: self_cold_start: Error: Failed to extract the metadata from the local snapshot (%s). Returned %d.",
+                    snapshot->super.local_location, ret);
         exit_status = ret;
         goto cleanup;
     }
diff --git a/opal/tools/opal-restart/help-opal-restart.txt b/opal/tools/opal-restart/help-opal-restart.txt
index 1c9482d81d..19efc2ff19 100644
--- a/opal/tools/opal-restart/help-opal-restart.txt
+++ b/opal/tools/opal-restart/help-opal-restart.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # -*- text -*-
 #
-# Copyright (c) 2004-2007 The Trustees of Indiana University and Indiana
+# Copyright (c) 2004-2010 The Trustees of Indiana University and Indiana
 #                         University Research and Technology
 #                         Corporation.  All rights reserved.
 # Copyright (c) 2004-2005 The University of Tennessee and The University
@@ -31,6 +31,12 @@ Error: The filename (%s) is invalid because either you have not provided a filen
        or provided an invalid filename.
        Please see --help for usage.
 
+[invalid_metadata]
+Error: The local checkpoint contains invalid or incomplete metadata.
+       This usually indicates that the original checkpoint was invalid.
+       Check the metadata file (%s) in the following directory:
+         %s
+
 [restart_cmd_failure]
 Error: Unable to obtain the proper restart command to restart from the 
        checkpoint file (%s). Returned %d.
diff --git a/opal/tools/opal-restart/opal-restart.c b/opal/tools/opal-restart/opal-restart.c
index 1e2809f125..36a00b6214 100644
--- a/opal/tools/opal-restart/opal-restart.c
+++ b/opal/tools/opal-restart/opal-restart.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2004-2009 The Trustees of Indiana University and Indiana
+ * Copyright (c) 2004-2010 The Trustees of Indiana University and Indiana
  *                         University Research and Technology
  *                         Corporation.  All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2004-2007 The University of Tennessee and The University
@@ -173,7 +173,14 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
         char * base = NULL;
 
         base = opal_crs_base_get_snapshot_directory(opal_restart_globals.filename);
-        opal_crs_base_extract_expected_component(base, &expected_crs_comp, &prev_pid);
+        if( OPAL_SUCCESS != (ret = opal_crs_base_extract_expected_component(base,
+                                                                            &expected_crs_comp,
+                                                                            &prev_pid)) ) {
+            opal_show_help("help-opal-restart.txt", "invalid_metadata", true,
+                           opal_crs_base_metadata_filename, base);
+            exit_status = ret;
+            goto cleanup;
+        }
 
         free(base);
     }
diff --git a/orte/mca/snapc/base/help-orte-snapc-base.txt b/orte/mca/snapc/base/help-orte-snapc-base.txt
index fa3e3c4f8e..b186d3b5b4 100644
--- a/orte/mca/snapc/base/help-orte-snapc-base.txt
+++ b/orte/mca/snapc/base/help-orte-snapc-base.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
  -*- text -*-
 #
-# Copyright (c) 2004-2007 The Trustees of Indiana University and Indiana
+# Copyright (c) 2004-2010 The Trustees of Indiana University and Indiana
 #                         University Research and Technology
 #                         Corporation.  All rights reserved.
 # Copyright (c) 2004-2005 The University of Tennessee and The University
@@ -18,3 +18,8 @@
 #
 # This is the US/English general help file for ORTE SNAPC framework.
 #
+[invalid_metadata]
+Error: The local checkpoint contains invalid or incomplete metadata for Process %s.
+       This usually indicates that the local checkpoint is invalid.
+       Check the metadata file (%s) in the following directory:
+         %s
diff --git a/orte/mca/snapc/base/snapc_base_fns.c b/orte/mca/snapc/base/snapc_base_fns.c
index 8184dbd370..febeb4a334 100644
--- a/orte/mca/snapc/base/snapc_base_fns.c
+++ b/orte/mca/snapc/base/snapc_base_fns.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2004-2009 The Trustees of Indiana University.
+ * Copyright (c) 2004-2010 The Trustees of Indiana University.
  *                         All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2004-2005 The Trustees of the University of Tennessee.
  *                         All rights reserved.
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 #include "opal/mca/base/mca_base_param.h"
 #include "opal/util/os_dirpath.h"
 #include "opal/util/output.h"
+#include "opal/util/show_help.h"
 #include "opal/util/basename.h"
 #include "opal/util/argv.h"
 #include "opal/mca/crs/crs.h"
@@ -951,6 +952,7 @@ int orte_snapc_base_add_vpid_metadata( orte_process_name_t *proc,
     char * meta_data_fname = NULL;
     char * crs_comp = NULL;
     char * proc_name = NULL;
+    char * local_snapshot = NULL;
     int prev_pid = 0;
 
     if( NULL == snapshot_location ) {
@@ -979,9 +981,11 @@ int orte_snapc_base_add_vpid_metadata( orte_process_name_t *proc,
 
     /* Extract the checkpointer */
     if( NULL == crs_agent ) {
-        if( OPAL_SUCCESS != (ret = opal_crs_base_extract_expected_component(snapshot_location, &crs_comp, &prev_pid)) ) {
+        asprintf(&local_snapshot, "%s/%s", snapshot_location, snapshot_ref);
+        if( OPAL_SUCCESS != (ret = opal_crs_base_extract_expected_component(local_snapshot, &crs_comp, &prev_pid)) ) {
+            opal_show_help("help-orte-snapc-base.txt", "invalid_metadata", true,
+                           proc_name, opal_crs_base_metadata_filename, local_snapshot);
             exit_status = ret;
-            ORTE_ERROR_LOG(ret);
             goto cleanup;
         }
     } else {
@@ -995,10 +999,18 @@ int orte_snapc_base_add_vpid_metadata( orte_process_name_t *proc,
     fprintf(meta_data, "%s%s\n", SNAPC_METADATA_SNAP_LOC,  snapshot_location);
 
  cleanup:
-    if( NULL != meta_data )
+    if( NULL != meta_data ) {
         fclose(meta_data);
-    if( NULL != meta_data_fname)
+        meta_data = NULL;
+    }
+    if( NULL != meta_data_fname) {
         free(meta_data_fname);
+        meta_data_fname = NULL;
+    }
+    if( NULL != local_snapshot ) {
+        free( local_snapshot );
+        local_snapshot = NULL;
+    }
     
     return exit_status;
 }