diff --git a/orte/mca/iof/hnp/iof_hnp_read.c b/orte/mca/iof/hnp/iof_hnp_read.c
index 1176c9652d..e0f4189cd2 100644
--- a/orte/mca/iof/hnp/iof_hnp_read.c
+++ b/orte/mca/iof/hnp/iof_hnp_read.c
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@
 #include "orte/mca/odls/odls_types.h"
 #include "orte/util/name_fns.h"
 #include "orte/runtime/orte_globals.h"
-#include "orte/mca/ess/ess.h"
 #include "orte/orted/orted.h"
 
 #include "orte/mca/iof/iof.h"
diff --git a/orte/mca/iof/hnp/iof_hnp_send.c b/orte/mca/iof/hnp/iof_hnp_send.c
index c3dafcb120..0cc57d4f7b 100644
--- a/orte/mca/iof/hnp/iof_hnp_send.c
+++ b/orte/mca/iof/hnp/iof_hnp_send.c
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@
 #include "orte/mca/errmgr/errmgr.h"
 #include "orte/util/name_fns.h"
 #include "orte/runtime/orte_globals.h"
-#include "orte/mca/ess/ess.h"
 #include "orte/mca/grpcomm/grpcomm.h"
 
 #include "orte/mca/iof/iof.h"
diff --git a/orte/mca/routed/slave/routed_slave.c b/orte/mca/routed/slave/routed_slave.c
index bfdf016398..789c316e48 100644
--- a/orte/mca/routed/slave/routed_slave.c
+++ b/orte/mca/routed/slave/routed_slave.c
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
 #include "opal/util/output.h"
 
 #include "orte/mca/errmgr/errmgr.h"
-#include "orte/mca/ess/ess.h"
 #include "orte/mca/grpcomm/grpcomm.h"
 #include "orte/mca/rml/rml.h"
 #include "orte/mca/rml/rml_types.h"