diff --git a/ompi/mca/pubsub/pmi/pubsub_pmi_component.c b/ompi/mca/pubsub/pmi/pubsub_pmi_component.c
index c36db09ee5..15a650d0df 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/pubsub/pmi/pubsub_pmi_component.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/pubsub/pmi/pubsub_pmi_component.c
@@ -115,7 +115,8 @@ static bool pmi_startup(void)
 static int pubsub_pmi_component_query(mca_base_module_t **module, int *priority)
 {
     /* for now, only use PMI when direct launched */
-    if (ORTE_PROC_IS_MPI &&
+    if (NULL == orte_process_info.my_hnp_uri &&
+        ORTE_PROC_IS_MPI &&
         pmi_startup()) {
         /* if PMI is available, use it */
         *priority = my_priority;
diff --git a/orte/mca/ess/alps/configure.m4 b/orte/mca/ess/alps/configure.m4
index e2662e4e6d..72bdc38255 100644
--- a/orte/mca/ess/alps/configure.m4
+++ b/orte/mca/ess/alps/configure.m4
@@ -48,35 +48,15 @@ AC_DEFUN([MCA_orte_ess_alps_CONFIG],[
             [orte_mca_ess_alps_have_cnos=1],
             [orte_mca_ess_alps_have_cnos=0])])
 
-    dnl now check for PMI support
-    ORTE_CHECK_PMI([ess_alps],
-                   [orte_mca_ess_alps_have_pmi=1],
-                   [orte_mca_ess_alps_have_pmi=0])
-
     dnl was ess alps requested?
     ORTE_CHECK_ALPS([ess_alps],
         [orte_mca_ess_alps_happy="yes"],
         [orte_mca_ess_alps_happy="no"])
 
-    dnl cannot continue if we don't have CNOS or PMI
-    AS_IF([test "$orte_mca_ess_alps_happy" = "yes" -a "$orte_mca_ess_alps_have_cnos" = "0" -a "$orte_mca_ess_alps_have_pmi" = "0"],
-        [AC_MSG_WARN([Alps support requested (via --with-alps) but adequate support was not found.])
-         AC_MSG_ERROR([Cannot continue.])])
-
-    dnl cannot continue if we have both CNOS and PMI. this will probably
-    dnl never happen, but it can't hurt to also check for this case.
-    AS_IF([test "$orte_mca_ess_alps_happy" = "yes" -a "$orte_mca_ess_alps_have_cnos" = "1" -a "$orte_mca_ess_alps_have_pmi" = "1"],
-        [AC_MSG_WARN([Alps support requested (via --with-alps) but CNOS and PMI support was found.])
-         AC_MSG_ERROR([Cannot continue.])])
-
     AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([ORTE_MCA_ESS_ALPS_HAVE_CNOS],
                        [$orte_mca_ess_alps_have_cnos],
                        [Whether we have CNOS support in alps ess or not])
 
-    AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([ORTE_MCA_ESS_ALPS_HAVE_PMI],
-                       [$orte_mca_ess_alps_have_pmi],
-                       [Whether we have PMI support in alps ess or not])
-
     AS_IF([test "$orte_mca_ess_alps_happy" = "yes"],
           [$1],
           [$2])
diff --git a/orte/mca/ess/alps/ess_alps_component.c b/orte/mca/ess/alps/ess_alps_component.c
index 13dcd725b4..1a798c0428 100644
--- a/orte/mca/ess/alps/ess_alps_component.c
+++ b/orte/mca/ess/alps/ess_alps_component.c
@@ -5,14 +5,16 @@
  * Copyright (c) 2004-2005 The University of Tennessee and The University
  *                         of Tennessee Research Foundation.  All rights
  *                         reserved.
- * Copyright (c) 2004-2005 High Performance Computing Center Stuttgart, 
+ * Copyright (c) 2004-2005 High Performance Computing Center Stuttgart,
  *                         University of Stuttgart.  All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2004-2005 The Regents of the University of California.
  *                         All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2011      Los Alamos National Security, LLC.
+ *                         All rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
- * 
+ *
  * Additional copyrights may follow
- * 
+ *
  * $HEADER$
  *
  * These symbols are in a file by themselves to provide nice linker
@@ -59,22 +61,34 @@ orte_ess_base_component_t mca_ess_alps_component = {
     }
 };
 
-
 int
 orte_ess_alps_component_open(void)
 {
     return ORTE_SUCCESS;
 }
 
-
 int orte_ess_alps_component_query(mca_base_module_t **module, int *priority)
 {
+#if ORTE_MCA_ESS_ALPS_HAVE_CNOS == 1
     *priority = 35;
     *module = (mca_base_module_t *)&orte_ess_alps_module;
     return ORTE_SUCCESS;
+#else
+    /* if i'm a daemon, then only i can safely select this component if
+     * PMI_GNI_LOC_ADDR exists */
+    if (NULL != getenv("PMI_GNI_LOC_ADDR") &&
+        ORTE_PROC_IS_DAEMON) {
+        *priority = 35;
+        *module = (mca_base_module_t *)&orte_ess_alps_module;
+        return ORTE_SUCCESS;
+    }
+    /* can't be selected, so disqualify myself */
+    *priority = -1;
+    *module = NULL;
+    return ORTE_ERROR;
+#endif /* ORTE_MCA_ESS_ALPS_HAVE_CNOS == 1 */
 }
 
-
 int
 orte_ess_alps_component_close(void)
 {
diff --git a/orte/mca/ess/alps/ess_alps_module.c b/orte/mca/ess/alps/ess_alps_module.c
index 66184c2263..f109157acd 100644
--- a/orte/mca/ess/alps/ess_alps_module.c
+++ b/orte/mca/ess/alps/ess_alps_module.c
@@ -29,8 +29,6 @@
 #  elif defined(HAVE_CATAMOUNT_CNOS_MPI_OS_H)
 #    include "catamount/cnos_mpi_os.h"
 #  endif
-#elif ORTE_MCA_ESS_ALPS_HAVE_PMI == 1
-#  include "pmi.h"
 #endif
 
 #include "orte/util/show_help.h"
@@ -47,6 +45,8 @@
 #include "orte/mca/ess/base/base.h"
 #include "orte/mca/ess/alps/ess_alps.h"
 
+#include <errno.h>
+
 static int alps_set_name(void);
 static int rte_init(void);
 static int rte_finalize(void);
@@ -78,23 +78,25 @@ get_vpid(orte_vpid_t *outvp,
 #if ORTE_MCA_ESS_ALPS_HAVE_CNOS == 1
     *outvp = (orte_vpid_t)cnos_get_rank() + start_vpid;
     return ORTE_SUCCESS;
-#else /* using PMI */
-    /* TODO SKG - PMI utility functions should be in a common area */
-    int rank;
-    PMI_BOOL pmi_initialized;
+#else
+    /* Cray XE6 Notes:
+     * using PMI_GNI_LOC_ADDR to set vpid.
+     */
+    int rank = 0;
+    char *env;
 
-    if (PMI_SUCCESS != PMI_Initialized(&pmi_initialized)) {
+    if (NULL == (env = getenv("PMI_GNI_LOC_ADDR"))) {
+        OPAL_OUTPUT_VERBOSE((0, orte_ess_base_output,
+                             "PMI_GNI_LOC_ADDR not found, cannot continue\n"));
         ORTE_ERROR_LOG(ORTE_ERROR);
         return ORTE_ERROR;
     }
-    if (PMI_FALSE == pmi_initialized) {
-        int tmp;
-        if (PMI_SUCCESS != PMI_Init(&tmp)) {
-            ORTE_ERROR_LOG(ORTE_ERROR);
-            return ORTE_ERROR;
-        }
-    }
-    if (PMI_SUCCESS != PMI_Get_rank(&rank)) {
+    errno = 0;
+    rank = (int)strtol(env, (char **)NULL, 10);
+    if (0 != errno) {
+        OPAL_OUTPUT_VERBOSE((0, orte_ess_base_output,
+                             "strtol error detected at %s:%d\n", __FILE__,
+                             __LINE__));
         ORTE_ERROR_LOG(ORTE_ERROR);
         return ORTE_ERROR;
     }
diff --git a/orte/mca/grpcomm/pmi/grpcomm_pmi_component.c b/orte/mca/grpcomm/pmi/grpcomm_pmi_component.c
index 17796b6f82..ed7d4b9c70 100644
--- a/orte/mca/grpcomm/pmi/grpcomm_pmi_component.c
+++ b/orte/mca/grpcomm/pmi/grpcomm_pmi_component.c
@@ -122,7 +122,9 @@ static bool pmi_startup(void)
 
 int orte_grpcomm_pmi_component_query(mca_base_module_t **module, int *priority)
 {
-    if (ORTE_PROC_IS_MPI &&
+    /* only use PMI when direct launched */
+    if (NULL == orte_process_info.my_hnp_uri &&
+        ORTE_PROC_IS_MPI &&
         pmi_startup()) {
         /* if PMI is available, make it available for use by MPI procs */
         *priority = my_priority;
diff --git a/orte/test/system/getenv_pmi.c b/orte/test/system/getenv_pmi.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..698863953e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/orte/test/system/getenv_pmi.c
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2011      Los Alamos National Security, LLC.
+ *                         All rights reserved.
+ */
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+
+#include "pmi.h"
+
+/* NOTES
+ *
+ * useful debug environment variables:
+ * PMI_DEBUG
+ */
+
+int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
+{
+    int i;
+    int pmi_rank = -1;
+    int pmi_process_group_size = -1;
+    int num_local_procs = 0;
+    int *local_rank_ids = NULL;
+    int spawned = PMI_FALSE;
+    int rc = EXIT_FAILURE;
+    pid_t pid = 0;
+    char *err = NULL;
+    PMI_BOOL pmi_initialized = PMI_FALSE;
+
+    /* sanity */
+    if (PMI_SUCCESS != PMI_Initialized(&pmi_initialized) ||
+        PMI_TRUE == pmi_initialized) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "=== ERROR: PMI sanity failure\n");
+        return EXIT_FAILURE;
+    }
+    if (PMI_SUCCESS != PMI_Init(&spawned)) {
+        err = "PMI_Init failure!";
+        goto done;
+    }
+    if (PMI_SUCCESS != PMI_Get_size(&pmi_process_group_size)) {
+        err = "PMI_Get_size failure!";
+        goto done;
+    }
+    if (PMI_SUCCESS != PMI_Get_rank(&pmi_rank)) {
+        err = "PMI_Get_rank failure!";
+        goto done;
+    }
+    if (PMI_SUCCESS != PMI_Get_clique_size(&num_local_procs)) {
+        err = "PMI_Get_clique_size failure!";
+        goto done;
+    }
+    if (NULL == (local_rank_ids = calloc(num_local_procs, sizeof(int)))) {
+        err = "out of resources";
+        goto done;
+    }
+    if (PMI_SUCCESS != PMI_Get_clique_ranks(local_rank_ids, num_local_procs)) {
+        err = "PMI_Get_clique_size failure!";
+        goto done;
+    }
+    /* lowest local rank will print env info and tag its output*/
+    if (pmi_rank == local_rank_ids[0]) {
+        for (; NULL != envp && NULL != *envp; ++envp) {
+            printf("===[%d]: %s\n",  pmi_rank, *envp);
+        }
+    }
+
+    rc = EXIT_SUCCESS;
+
+done:
+    if (PMI_TRUE == pmi_initialized) {
+        if (PMI_SUCCESS != PMI_Finalize()) {
+            err = "PMI_Finalize failure!";
+        }
+    }
+    if (NULL != err) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "=== ERROR [rank:%d] %s\n", pmi_rank, err);
+    }
+    return rc;
+}