diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 62561e4c19..beadbf983b 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 
 include $(top_srcdir)/config/Makefile.options
 
-SUBDIRS = config include etc opal orte ompi test
+SUBDIRS = config include etc $(MCA_PROJECT_SUBDIRS) test
 EXTRA_DIST = README INSTALL VERSION Doxyfile LICENSE
 
 dist-hook:
diff --git a/autogen.sh b/autogen.sh
index 6b144c67fc..b2df7f1653 100755
--- a/autogen.sh
+++ b/autogen.sh
@@ -60,9 +60,6 @@ mca_m4_include_file="mca_m4_config_include.m4"
 mca_m4_config_env_file="mca_m4_config_env"
 autogen_subdir_file="autogen.subdirs"
 
-# locations to look for mca modules
-mca_locations="opal orte ompi"
-
 ############################################################################
 #
 # Version check - does major,minor,release check (hopefully ignoring
@@ -836,7 +833,7 @@ EOF
     rg_cwd="`pwd`"
     echo $rg_cwd
     project_list=""
-    for project_path in $mca_locations; do 
+    for project_path in $config_project_list; do 
         project="`basename \"$project_path\"`"
         project_list="$project_list $project"
 
@@ -973,12 +970,17 @@ echo "[Checking] command line parameters"
 
 want_local=no
 ompidir=
+no_ompi=0
+no_orte=0
 for arg in $*; do
     case $arg in
     -l) want_local=yes ;;
-    -ompidir|--ompidir|-ompi|--ompi) ompidir="$1" ;;
+    -ompidir|--ompidir|-ompi|--ompi) ompidir="$2" ;;
+    -no-ompi) no_ompi=1 ;;
+    -no-orte) no_orte=1 ;;
     *) ;;
     esac
+    shift
 done
 
 # announce
@@ -996,6 +998,17 @@ EOF
     sleep 5
 fi
 
+
+# locations to look for mca modules
+config_project_list="opal orte ompi"
+if test "$no_ompi" = "1" ; then
+    config_project_list="opal orte"
+fi
+if test "$no_orte" = "1" ; then
+    config_project_list="opal"
+fi
+echo "Configuring projects: $config_project_list"
+
 # figure out if we're at the top level of the OMPI tree, a component's
 # top-level directory, or somewhere else.
 if test -f VERSION -a -f configure.ac -a -f include/mpi.h ; then
diff --git a/config/ompi_mca.m4 b/config/ompi_mca.m4
index 1665669549..5732d696b8 100644
--- a/config/ompi_mca.m4
+++ b/config/ompi_mca.m4
@@ -200,8 +200,10 @@ AC_DEFUN([OMPI_MCA],[
 
     # now configre all the projects, frameworks, and components.  Most
     # of the hard stuff is in here
+    MCA_PROJECT_SUBDIRS=
     m4_foreach(mca_project, [mca_project_list], 
-               [MCA_CONFIGURE_PROJECT(mca_project)])
+               [MCA_PROJECT_SUBDIRS="$MCA_PROJECT_SUBDIRS mca_project"
+                MCA_CONFIGURE_PROJECT(mca_project)])
 
     # BWB - fix me...  need to automate this somehow
     MCA_SETUP_DIRECT_CALL(pml, ompi)
@@ -209,6 +211,8 @@ AC_DEFUN([OMPI_MCA],[
     # make all the config output statements for the no configure
     # components
     MCA_NO_CONFIG_CONFIG_FILES()
+
+    AC_SUBST(MCA_PROJECT_SUBDIRS)
 ])