diff --git a/orte/mca/ess/alps/ess_alps_module.c b/orte/mca/ess/alps/ess_alps_module.c
index 47b43dd92c..c7ae75d42c 100644
--- a/orte/mca/ess/alps/ess_alps_module.c
+++ b/orte/mca/ess/alps/ess_alps_module.c
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 #include "orte/mca/errmgr/base/base.h"
 #include "orte/util/name_fns.h"
 #include "orte/util/nidmap.h"
+#include "orte/util/regex.h"
 #include "orte/runtime/orte_globals.h"
 
 #include "orte/mca/ess/ess.h"
@@ -79,7 +80,6 @@ static int rte_init(void)
     int ret;
     char *error = NULL;
     char **hosts = NULL;
-    char *nodelist;
 
     /* run the prolog */
     if (ORTE_SUCCESS != (ret = orte_ess_base_std_prolog())) {
@@ -94,12 +94,12 @@ static int rte_init(void)
      * default procedure
      */
     if (ORTE_PROC_IS_DAEMON) {
-        /* get the list of nodes used for this job */
-        nodelist = getenv("OMPI_MCA_orte_nodelist");
-        
-        if (NULL != nodelist) {
-            /* split the node list into an argv array */
-            hosts = opal_argv_split(nodelist, ',');
+        if (NULL != orte_node_regex) {
+            /* extract the nodes */
+            if (ORTE_SUCCESS != (ret = orte_regex_extract_node_names(orte_node_regex, &hosts))) {
+                error = "orte_regex_extract_node_names";
+                goto error;
+            }
         }
         if (ORTE_SUCCESS != (ret = orte_ess_base_orted_setup(hosts))) {
             ORTE_ERROR_LOG(ret);
diff --git a/orte/mca/ess/env/ess_env_module.c b/orte/mca/ess/env/ess_env_module.c
index 764c8bc114..0d5c801790 100644
--- a/orte/mca/ess/env/ess_env_module.c
+++ b/orte/mca/ess/env/ess_env_module.c
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@
 #include "orte/util/session_dir.h"
 #include "orte/util/name_fns.h"
 #include "orte/util/nidmap.h"
+#include "orte/util/regex.h"
 
 #include "orte/runtime/runtime.h"
 #include "orte/runtime/orte_wait.h"
@@ -120,7 +121,6 @@ static int rte_init(void)
     int ret;
     char *error = NULL;
     char **hosts = NULL;
-    char *nodelist;
 
     /* run the prolog */
     if (ORTE_SUCCESS != (ret = orte_ess_base_std_prolog())) {
@@ -135,12 +135,12 @@ static int rte_init(void)
      * default procedure
      */
     if (ORTE_PROC_IS_DAEMON) {
-        /* get the list of nodes used for this job */
-        nodelist = getenv("OMPI_MCA_orte_nodelist");
-        
-        if (NULL != nodelist) {
-            /* split the node list into an argv array */
-            hosts = opal_argv_split(nodelist, ',');
+        if (NULL != orte_node_regex) {
+            /* extract the nodes */
+            if (ORTE_SUCCESS != (ret = orte_regex_extract_node_names(orte_node_regex, &hosts))) {
+                error = "orte_regex_extract_node_names";
+                goto error;
+            }
         }
         if (ORTE_SUCCESS != (ret = orte_ess_base_orted_setup(hosts))) {
             ORTE_ERROR_LOG(ret);
diff --git a/orte/mca/ess/lsf/ess_lsf_module.c b/orte/mca/ess/lsf/ess_lsf_module.c
index b8d942f5ad..2c21a3d409 100644
--- a/orte/mca/ess/lsf/ess_lsf_module.c
+++ b/orte/mca/ess/lsf/ess_lsf_module.c
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 #include "opal/mca/base/mca_base_param.h"
 #include "orte/mca/errmgr/errmgr.h"
 #include "orte/util/nidmap.h"
+#include "orte/util/regex.h"
 
 #include "orte/mca/ess/ess.h"
 #include "orte/mca/ess/base/base.h"
@@ -85,7 +86,6 @@ static int rte_init(void)
     int ret;
     char *error = NULL;
     char **hosts = NULL;
-    char *nodelist;
 
     /* run the prolog */
     if (ORTE_SUCCESS != (ret = orte_ess_base_std_prolog())) {
@@ -100,12 +100,12 @@ static int rte_init(void)
      * default procedure
      */
     if (ORTE_PROC_IS_DAEMON) {
-        /* get the list of nodes used for this job */
-        nodelist = getenv("OMPI_MCA_orte_nodelist");
-        
-        if (NULL != nodelist) {
-            /* split the node list into an argv array */
-            hosts = opal_argv_split(nodelist, ',');
+        if (NULL != orte_node_regex) {
+            /* extract the nodes */
+            if (ORTE_SUCCESS != (ret = orte_regex_extract_node_names(orte_node_regex, &hosts))) {
+                error = "orte_regex_extract_node_names";
+                goto error;
+            }
         }
         if (ORTE_SUCCESS != (ret = orte_ess_base_orted_setup(hosts))) {
             ORTE_ERROR_LOG(ret);
diff --git a/orte/mca/plm/rshbase/plm_rshbase_module.c b/orte/mca/plm/rshbase/plm_rshbase_module.c
index ec7d04e918..b74788d027 100644
--- a/orte/mca/plm/rshbase/plm_rshbase_module.c
+++ b/orte/mca/plm/rshbase/plm_rshbase_module.c
@@ -323,6 +323,21 @@ static int spawn(orte_job_t *jdata)
      * doing this.
      */
     app = (orte_app_context_t*)opal_pointer_array_get_item(jdata->apps, 0);
+
+    /* if we are using static ports, then setup a string showing the
+     * nodes so we can use a regex to pass connection info
+     */
+    if (orte_static_ports) {
+        for (nnode=0; nnode < map->nodes->size; nnode++) {
+            if (NULL == (node = (orte_node_t*)opal_pointer_array_get_item(map->nodes, nnode))) {
+                continue;
+            }
+            opal_argv_append_nosize(&nodes, node->name);
+        }
+        nodelist = opal_argv_join(nodes, ',');
+        opal_argv_free(nodes);
+    }
+
     /* we also need at least one node name so we can check what shell is
      * being used, if we have to
      */
@@ -339,20 +354,6 @@ static int spawn(orte_job_t *jdata)
     }
     prefix_dir = app->prefix_dir;
     
-    /* if we are using static ports, then setup a string showing the
-     * nodes so we can use a regex to pass connection info
-     */
-    if (orte_static_ports) {
-        for (nnode=0; nnode < map->nodes->size; nnode++) {
-            if (NULL == (node = (orte_node_t*)opal_pointer_array_get_item(map->nodes, nnode))) {
-                continue;
-            }
-            opal_argv_append_nosize(&nodes, node->name);
-        }
-        nodelist = opal_argv_join(nodes, ',');
-        opal_argv_free(nodes);
-    }
-
     /* setup the launch */
     if (ORTE_SUCCESS != (rc = orte_plm_base_rsh_setup_launch(&argc, &argv, node->name, &node_name_index1,
                                                              &proc_vpid_index, prefix_dir, nodelist))) {