diff --git a/ompi/mca/btl/tcp/btl_tcp_component.c b/ompi/mca/btl/tcp/btl_tcp_component.c
index 12f80b783b..355eaabd46 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/btl/tcp/btl_tcp_component.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/btl/tcp/btl_tcp_component.c
@@ -191,7 +191,13 @@ static int mca_btl_tcp_component_register(void)
     mca_btl_tcp_component.tcp_if_include =
         mca_btl_tcp_param_register_string("if_include", "Comma-delimited list of devices and/or CIDR notation of networks to use for MPI communication (e.g., \"eth0,192.168.0.0/16\").  Mutually exclusive with btl_tcp_if_exclude.", "");
     mca_btl_tcp_component.tcp_if_exclude =
-        mca_btl_tcp_param_register_string("if_exclude", "Comma-delimited list of devices and/or CIDR notation of networks to NOT use for MPI communication -- all devices not matching these specifications will be used (e.g., \"eth0,192.168.0.0/16\").  If set to a non-default value, it is mutually exclusive with btl_tcp_if_include.", "127.0.0.1/8,sppp");
+        mca_btl_tcp_param_register_string("if_exclude", "Comma-delimited list of devices and/or CIDR notation of networks to NOT use for MPI communication -- all devices not matching these specifications will be used (e.g., \"eth0,192.168.0.0/16\").  If set to a non-default value, it is mutually exclusive with btl_tcp_if_include.", 
+#ifndef __WINDOWS__
+        "127.0.0.1/8,sppp"
+#else
+        ""
+#endif
+        );
 
     mca_btl_tcp_component.tcp_free_list_num =
         mca_btl_tcp_param_register_int ("free_list_num", NULL, 8);