diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index fb927d5fd9..1ad65bfb9a 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@ Master (not on release branches yet)
 1.8.6
 -----
 
+- Fixed incorrect declaration for MPI_T_pvar_get_index and added
+  missing return code MPI_T_INVALID_NAME.
 - Fixed memory leak on Mac OS-X exposed by TCP keepalive
 - Fixed keepalive support to ensure that daemon/node failure
   results in complete job cleanup
diff --git a/ompi/errhandler/errcode.c b/ompi/errhandler/errcode.c
index b49f6e6252..9703b8db2f 100644
--- a/ompi/errhandler/errcode.c
+++ b/ompi/errhandler/errcode.c
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ static ompi_mpi_errcode_t ompi_err_rma_attach;
 static ompi_mpi_errcode_t ompi_err_rma_flavor;
 static ompi_mpi_errcode_t ompi_err_rma_shared;
 static ompi_mpi_errcode_t ompi_t_err_invalid;
+static ompi_mpi_errcode_t ompi_t_err_invalid_name;
 
 static void ompi_mpi_errcode_construct(ompi_mpi_errcode_t* errcode);
 static void ompi_mpi_errcode_destruct(ompi_mpi_errcode_t* errcode);
@@ -214,6 +215,7 @@ int ompi_mpi_errcode_init (void)
     CONSTRUCT_ERRCODE( ompi_err_rma_flavor, MPI_ERR_RMA_FLAVOR, "MPI_ERR_RMA_FLAVOR: Invalid type of window" );
     CONSTRUCT_ERRCODE( ompi_err_rma_shared, MPI_ERR_RMA_SHARED, "MPI_ERR_RMA_SHARED: Memory cannot be shared" );
     CONSTRUCT_ERRCODE( ompi_t_err_invalid, MPI_T_ERR_INVALID, "MPI_T_ERR_INVALID: Invalid use of the interface or bad parameter value(s)" );
+    CONSTRUCT_ERRCODE( ompi_t_err_invalid_name, MPI_T_ERR_INVALID_NAME, "MPI_T_ERR_INVALID_NAME: The variable or category name is invalid" );
 
     /* Per MPI-3 p353:27-32, MPI_LASTUSEDCODE must be >=
        MPI_ERR_LASTCODE.  So just start it as == MPI_ERR_LASTCODE. */
@@ -309,6 +311,7 @@ int ompi_mpi_errcode_finalize(void)
     OBJ_DESTRUCT(&ompi_err_rma_flavor);
     OBJ_DESTRUCT(&ompi_err_rma_shared);
     OBJ_DESTRUCT(&ompi_t_err_invalid);
+    OBJ_DESTRUCT(&ompi_t_err_invalid_name);
 
     OBJ_DESTRUCT(&ompi_mpi_errcodes);
     return OMPI_SUCCESS;
diff --git a/ompi/include/mpi.h.in b/ompi/include/mpi.h.in
index cdc8d70f82..2a6331fa0e 100644
--- a/ompi/include/mpi.h.in
+++ b/ompi/include/mpi.h.in
@@ -604,6 +604,7 @@ enum {
 #define MPI_ERR_RMA_FLAVOR            70
 #define MPI_ERR_RMA_SHARED            71
 #define MPI_T_ERR_INVALID             72
+#define MPI_T_ERR_INVALID_NAME        73
 
 /* Per MPI-3 p349 47, MPI_ERR_LASTCODE must be >= the last predefined
    MPI_ERR_<foo> code. Set the last code to allow some room for adding
@@ -2594,7 +2595,7 @@ OMPI_DECLSPEC  int PMPI_T_pvar_get_info(int pvar_index, char *name, int *name_le
                                         int *verbosity, int *var_class, MPI_Datatype *datatype,
                                         MPI_T_enum *enumtype, char *desc, int *desc_len, int *bind,
                                         int *readonly, int *continuous, int *atomic);
-OMPI_DECLSPEC  int PMPI_T_pvar_get_index (const char *name, int *pvar_index);
+OMPI_DECLSPEC  int PMPI_T_pvar_get_index (const char *name, int var_class, int *pvar_index);
 OMPI_DECLSPEC  int PMPI_T_pvar_session_create(MPI_T_pvar_session *session);
 OMPI_DECLSPEC  int PMPI_T_pvar_session_free(MPI_T_pvar_session *session);
 OMPI_DECLSPEC  int PMPI_T_pvar_handle_alloc(MPI_T_pvar_session session, int pvar_index,
@@ -2644,7 +2645,7 @@ OMPI_DECLSPEC  int MPI_T_pvar_get_info(int pvar_index, char *name, int *name_len
                                        int *verbosity, int *var_class, MPI_Datatype *datatype,
                                        MPI_T_enum *enumtype, char *desc, int *desc_len, int *bind,
                                        int *readonly, int *continuous, int *atomic);
-OMPI_DECLSPEC  int MPI_T_pvar_get_index (const char *name, int *pvar_index);
+OMPI_DECLSPEC  int MPI_T_pvar_get_index (const char *name, int var_class, int *pvar_index);
 OMPI_DECLSPEC  int MPI_T_pvar_session_create(MPI_T_pvar_session *session);
 OMPI_DECLSPEC  int MPI_T_pvar_session_free(MPI_T_pvar_session *session);
 OMPI_DECLSPEC  int MPI_T_pvar_handle_alloc(MPI_T_pvar_session session, int pvar_index,
diff --git a/ompi/mpi/tool/category_get_index.c b/ompi/mpi/tool/category_get_index.c
index 3fab242d71..6edb6f2af4 100644
--- a/ompi/mpi/tool/category_get_index.c
+++ b/ompi/mpi/tool/category_get_index.c
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ int MPI_T_category_get_index (const char *name, int *category_index)
     mpit_lock ();
     ret = mca_base_var_group_find_by_name (name, category_index);
     mpit_unlock ();
+    if (OPAL_SUCCESS != ret) {
+        return MPI_T_ERR_INVALID_NAME;
+    }
 
-    return ompit_opal_to_mpit_error (ret);
+    return MPI_SUCCESS;
 }
diff --git a/ompi/mpi/tool/cvar_get_index.c b/ompi/mpi/tool/cvar_get_index.c
index 7ac919b0ac..e587adf7f3 100644
--- a/ompi/mpi/tool/cvar_get_index.c
+++ b/ompi/mpi/tool/cvar_get_index.c
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ int MPI_T_cvar_get_index (const char *name, int *cvar_index)
     mpit_lock ();
     ret = mca_base_var_find_by_name (name, cvar_index);
     mpit_unlock ();
+    if (OPAL_SUCCESS != ret) {
+        return MPI_T_ERR_INVALID_NAME;
+    }
 
-    return ompit_opal_to_mpit_error (ret);
+    return MPI_SUCCESS;
 }
diff --git a/ompi/mpi/tool/mpit_common.c b/ompi/mpi/tool/mpit_common.c
index 785b8c0d83..98920aeb21 100644
--- a/ompi/mpi/tool/mpit_common.c
+++ b/ompi/mpi/tool/mpit_common.c
@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@ void mpit_unlock (void)
 
 int ompit_var_type_to_datatype (mca_base_var_type_t type, MPI_Datatype *datatype)
 {
+    if (!datatype) {
+        return OMPI_SUCCESS;
+    }
+
     switch (type) {
     case MCA_BASE_VAR_TYPE_INT:
         *datatype = MPI_INT;
diff --git a/ompi/mpi/tool/pvar_get_index.c b/ompi/mpi/tool/pvar_get_index.c
index 03d15da91a..88e71c5b4f 100644
--- a/ompi/mpi/tool/pvar_get_index.c
+++ b/ompi/mpi/tool/pvar_get_index.c
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* -*- Mode: C; c-basic-offset:4 ; indent-tabs-mode:nil -*- */
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2012-2014 Los Alamos National Security, LLC. All rights
+ * Copyright (c) 2012-2015 Los Alamos National Security, LLC. All rights
  *                         reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2014 Cisco Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 #endif
 
 
-int MPI_T_pvar_get_index (const char *name, int *pvar_index)
+int MPI_T_pvar_get_index (const char *name, int var_class, int *pvar_index)
 {
     int ret;
 
@@ -34,8 +34,11 @@ int MPI_T_pvar_get_index (const char *name, int *pvar_index)
     }
 
     mpit_lock ();
-    ret = mca_base_pvar_find_by_name (name, pvar_index);
+    ret = mca_base_pvar_find_by_name (name, var_class, pvar_index);
     mpit_unlock ();
+    if (OPAL_SUCCESS != ret) {
+        return MPI_T_ERR_INVALID_NAME;
+    }
 
-    return ompit_opal_to_mpit_error (ret);
+    return MPI_SUCCESS;
 }
diff --git a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_pvar.c b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_pvar.c
index fd0d35b7a8..c7627ab453 100644
--- a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_pvar.c
+++ b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_pvar.c
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* -*- Mode: C; c-basic-offset:4 ; indent-tabs-mode:nil -*- */
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2013      Los Alamos National Security, LLC. All rights
+ * Copyright (c) 2013-2015 Los Alamos National Security, LLC. All rights
  *                         reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2015 Cisco Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ int mca_base_pvar_find (const char *project, const char *framework, const char *
         return OPAL_ERROR;
     }
 
-    ret = mca_base_pvar_find_by_name (full_name, &index);
+    ret = mca_base_pvar_find_by_name (full_name, MCA_BASE_PVAR_CLASS_ANY, &index);
     free (full_name);
 
     /* NTH: should we verify the name components match the returned variable? */
@@ -84,8 +84,9 @@ int mca_base_pvar_find (const char *project, const char *framework, const char *
     return (OPAL_SUCCESS != ret) ? ret : index;
 }
 
-int mca_base_pvar_find_by_name (const char *full_name, int *index)
+int mca_base_pvar_find_by_name (const char *full_name, int var_class, int *index)
 {
+    mca_base_pvar_t *pvar;
     void *tmp;
     int rc;
 
@@ -95,6 +96,15 @@ int mca_base_pvar_find_by_name (const char *full_name, int *index)
         return rc;
     }
 
+    rc = mca_base_pvar_get_internal ((int)(uintptr_t) tmp, &pvar, false);
+    if (OPAL_SUCCESS != rc) {
+        return rc;
+    }
+
+    if (MCA_BASE_PVAR_CLASS_ANY != var_class && pvar->var_class != var_class) {
+        return OPAL_ERR_NOT_FOUND;
+    }
+
     *index = (int)(uintptr_t) tmp;
 
     return OPAL_SUCCESS;
diff --git a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_pvar.h b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_pvar.h
index dbac8b4d21..44f23b3dfc 100644
--- a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_pvar.h
+++ b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_pvar.h
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* -*- Mode: C; c-basic-offset:4 ; indent-tabs-mode:nil -*- */
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2013      Los Alamos National Security, LLC. All rights
+ * Copyright (c) 2013-2015 Los Alamos National Security, LLC. All rights
  *                         reserved.
  *
  * Additional copyrights may follow
@@ -91,6 +91,8 @@ enum {
     MCA_BASE_PVAR_CLASS_GENERIC
 };
 
+#define MCA_BASE_PVAR_CLASS_ANY -1
+
 /*
  * Reserved bindings; passed when registering a new pvar. OPAL will
  * ignore any other binding type.
@@ -356,7 +358,7 @@ OPAL_DECLSPEC int mca_base_pvar_find (const char *project, const char *framework
  *
  * See mca_base_pvar_find().
  */
-OPAL_DECLSPEC int mca_base_pvar_find_by_name (const char *full_name, int *index);
+OPAL_DECLSPEC int mca_base_pvar_find_by_name (const char *full_name, int var_class, int *index);
 
 /****************************************************************************
  * The following functions are the back-end to the MPI_T API functions