diff --git a/orte/mca/common/pmi/common_pmi.c b/orte/mca/common/pmi/common_pmi.c
index dd0bc7cb82..5bd0a9a9d4 100644
--- a/orte/mca/common/pmi/common_pmi.c
+++ b/orte/mca/common/pmi/common_pmi.c
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  * Copyright (c) 2007      The Trustees of Indiana University.
  *                         All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2011      Cisco Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
- * Copyright (c) 2011-2012 Los Alamos National Security, LLC. All
+ * Copyright (c) 2011-2013 Los Alamos National Security, LLC. All
  *                         rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  *
@@ -77,3 +77,33 @@ void mca_common_pmi_finalize (void) {
 #endif
     }
 }
+
+/* useful util */
+char* orte_errmgr_base_pmi_error(int pmi_err)
+{
+    char * err_msg;
+
+    switch(pmi_err) {
+        case PMI_FAIL: err_msg = "Operation failed"; break;
+        case PMI_ERR_INIT: err_msg = "PMI is not initialized"; break;
+        case PMI_ERR_NOMEM: err_msg = "Input buffer not large enough"; break;
+        case PMI_ERR_INVALID_ARG: err_msg = "Invalid argument"; break;
+        case PMI_ERR_INVALID_KEY: err_msg = "Invalid key argument"; break;
+        case PMI_ERR_INVALID_KEY_LENGTH: err_msg = "Invalid key length argument"; break;
+        case PMI_ERR_INVALID_VAL: err_msg = "Invalid value argument"; break;
+        case PMI_ERR_INVALID_VAL_LENGTH: err_msg = "Invalid value length argument"; break;
+        case PMI_ERR_INVALID_LENGTH: err_msg = "Invalid length argument"; break;
+        case PMI_ERR_INVALID_NUM_ARGS: err_msg = "Invalid number of arguments"; break;
+        case PMI_ERR_INVALID_ARGS: err_msg = "Invalid args argument"; break;
+        case PMI_ERR_INVALID_NUM_PARSED: err_msg = "Invalid num_parsed length argument"; break;
+        case PMI_ERR_INVALID_KEYVALP: err_msg = "Invalid keyvalp argument"; break;
+        case PMI_ERR_INVALID_SIZE: err_msg = "Invalid size argument"; break;
+#if defined(PMI_ERR_INVALID_KVS)
+	/* pmi.h calls this a valid return code but mpich doesn't define it (slurm does). */
+        case PMI_ERR_INVALID_KVS: err_msg = "Invalid kvs argument"; break;
+#endif
+        case PMI_SUCCESS: err_msg = "Success"; break;
+        default: err_msg = "Unkown error";
+    }
+    return err_msg;
+}
diff --git a/orte/mca/common/pmi/common_pmi.h b/orte/mca/common/pmi/common_pmi.h
index 463b35fee6..25d421fe07 100644
--- a/orte/mca/common/pmi/common_pmi.h
+++ b/orte/mca/common/pmi/common_pmi.h
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  * Copyright (c) 2007      The Trustees of Indiana University.
  *                         All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2011      Cisco Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
- * Copyright (c) 2011-2012 Los Alamos National Security, LLC. All
+ * Copyright (c) 2011-2013 Los Alamos National Security, LLC. All
  *                         rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  *
@@ -33,4 +33,13 @@ bool mca_common_pmi_init (void);
  */
 void mca_common_pmi_finalize (void);
 
+#define ORTE_PMI_ERROR(pmi_err, pmi_func)                               \
+    do {                                                                \
+        opal_output(0, "%s[%s:%d:%s] %s: %s\n",                         \
+                    ORTE_NAME_PRINT(ORTE_PROC_MY_NAME),                 \
+                    __FILE__, __LINE__, __func__,                       \
+                    pmi_func, orte_errmgr_base_pmi_error(pmi_err));     \
+    } while(0);
+OPAL_DECLSPEC char* orte_errmgr_base_pmi_error(int pmi_err);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/orte/mca/db/pmi/db_pmi.c b/orte/mca/db/pmi/db_pmi.c
index b88378550d..da9be9f382 100644
--- a/orte/mca/db/pmi/db_pmi.c
+++ b/orte/mca/db/pmi/db_pmi.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include "orte/util/show_help.h"
 #include "orte/util/name_fns.h"
 #include "orte/mca/errmgr/errmgr.h"
+#include "orte/mca/common/pmi/common_pmi.h"
 #include "orte/runtime/orte_globals.h"
 #include "orte/runtime/orte_wait.h"
 
diff --git a/orte/mca/errmgr/base/errmgr_base_fns.c b/orte/mca/errmgr/base/errmgr_base_fns.c
index ed68bb29b2..9d32327a7c 100644
--- a/orte/mca/errmgr/base/errmgr_base_fns.c
+++ b/orte/mca/errmgr/base/errmgr_base_fns.c
@@ -47,10 +47,6 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdarg.h>
 
-#if WANT_PMI_SUPPORT
-#include <pmi.h>
-#endif
-
 #include "opal/mca/mca.h"
 #include "opal/mca/base/base.h"
 #include "opal/mca/base/mca_base_param.h"
@@ -201,39 +197,6 @@ void orte_errmgr_base_log(int error_code, char *filename, int line)
                 errstring, filename, line);
 }
 
-#if WANT_PMI_SUPPORT
-/* useful util */
-char* orte_errmgr_base_pmi_error(int pmi_err)
-{
-    char * err_msg;
-
-    switch(pmi_err) {
-        case PMI_FAIL: err_msg = "Operation failed"; break;
-        case PMI_ERR_INIT: err_msg = "PMI is not initialized"; break;
-        case PMI_ERR_NOMEM: err_msg = "Input buffer not large enough"; break;
-        case PMI_ERR_INVALID_ARG: err_msg = "Invalid argument"; break;
-        case PMI_ERR_INVALID_KEY: err_msg = "Invalid key argument"; break;
-        case PMI_ERR_INVALID_KEY_LENGTH: err_msg = "Invalid key length argument"; break;
-        case PMI_ERR_INVALID_VAL: err_msg = "Invalid value argument"; break;
-        case PMI_ERR_INVALID_VAL_LENGTH: err_msg = "Invalid value length argument"; break;
-        case PMI_ERR_INVALID_LENGTH: err_msg = "Invalid length argument"; break;
-        case PMI_ERR_INVALID_NUM_ARGS: err_msg = "Invalid number of arguments"; break;
-        case PMI_ERR_INVALID_ARGS: err_msg = "Invalid args argument"; break;
-        case PMI_ERR_INVALID_NUM_PARSED: err_msg = "Invalid num_parsed length argument"; break;
-        case PMI_ERR_INVALID_KEYVALP: err_msg = "Invalid keyvalp argument"; break;
-        case PMI_ERR_INVALID_SIZE: err_msg = "Invalid size argument"; break;
-#if defined(PMI_ERR_INVALID_KVS)
-	/* pmi.h calls this a valid return code but mpich doesn't define it (slurm does). */
-        case PMI_ERR_INVALID_KVS: err_msg = "Invalid kvs argument"; break;
-#endif
-        case PMI_SUCCESS: err_msg = "Success"; break;
-        default: err_msg = "Unkown error";
-    }
-    return err_msg;
-}
-#endif
-
-
 void orte_errmgr_base_abort(int error_code, char *fmt, ...)
 {
     va_list arglist;
diff --git a/orte/mca/errmgr/errmgr.h b/orte/mca/errmgr/errmgr.h
index 2d7348c6f0..a953c60dbd 100644
--- a/orte/mca/errmgr/errmgr.h
+++ b/orte/mca/errmgr/errmgr.h
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
  *                         All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2009      Cisco Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2010-2011 Oak Ridge National Labs.  All rights reserved.
- * Copyright (c) 2011      Los Alamos National Security, LLC.
+ * Copyright (c) 2011-2013 Los Alamos National Security, LLC.
  *                         All rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  *
@@ -152,17 +152,6 @@ OBJ_CLASS_DECLARATION(orte_errmgr_predicted_map_t);
 #define ORTE_ERROR_LOG(n)                       \
         orte_errmgr.log(n, __FILE__, __LINE__);
 
-#if WANT_PMI_SUPPORT
-#define ORTE_PMI_ERROR(pmi_err, pmi_func)                               \
-    do {                                                                \
-        opal_output(0, "%s[%s:%d:%s] %s: %s\n",                         \
-                    ORTE_NAME_PRINT(ORTE_PROC_MY_NAME),                 \
-                    __FILE__, __LINE__, __func__,                       \
-                    pmi_func, orte_errmgr_base_pmi_error(pmi_err));     \
-    } while(0);
-OPAL_DECLSPEC char* orte_errmgr_base_pmi_error(int pmi_err);
-#endif
-
 /*
  * Framework Interfaces
  */
diff --git a/orte/mca/ess/pmi/ess_pmi_module.c b/orte/mca/ess/pmi/ess_pmi_module.c
index 46216816f3..14ca896179 100644
--- a/orte/mca/ess/pmi/ess_pmi_module.c
+++ b/orte/mca/ess/pmi/ess_pmi_module.c
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
  * Copyright (c) 2004-2005 The Regents of the University of California.
  *                         All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2008-2012 Cisco Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
- * Copyright (c) 2012      Los Alamos National Security, LLC.
+ * Copyright (c) 2012-2013 Los Alamos National Security, LLC.
  *                         All rights reserved. 
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  * 
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
 #include "opal/mca/hwloc/base/base.h"
 #include "opal/util/printf.h"
 
+#include "orte/mca/common/pmi/common_pmi.h"
 #include "orte/mca/db/db.h"
 #include "orte/mca/errmgr/errmgr.h"
 #include "orte/mca/rml/rml.h"
diff --git a/orte/mca/grpcomm/pmi/grpcomm_pmi_module.c b/orte/mca/grpcomm/pmi/grpcomm_pmi_module.c
index 6b970a3cb7..c7eb898357 100644
--- a/orte/mca/grpcomm/pmi/grpcomm_pmi_module.c
+++ b/orte/mca/grpcomm/pmi/grpcomm_pmi_module.c
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  * Copyright (c) 2007      The Trustees of Indiana University.
  *                         All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2011      Cisco Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
- * Copyright (c) 2011-2012 Los Alamos National Security, LLC. All
+ * Copyright (c) 2011-2013 Los Alamos National Security, LLC. All
  *                         rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  *
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include "opal/dss/dss.h"
 #include "opal/mca/hwloc/base/base.h"
 
+#include "orte/mca/common/pmi/common_pmi.h"
 #include "orte/mca/db/db.h"
 #include "orte/mca/errmgr/errmgr.h"
 #include "orte/mca/rml/rml.h"