diff --git a/opal/mca/pmix/native/pmix_native.c b/opal/mca/pmix/native/pmix_native.c
index 32ca245fe8..42633f3df6 100644
--- a/opal/mca/pmix/native/pmix_native.c
+++ b/opal/mca/pmix/native/pmix_native.c
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ static int native_abort(int flag, const char msg[])
 
     /* wait for the release */
     PMIX_WAIT_FOR_COMPLETION(cb->active);
-
+    OBJ_RELEASE(cb);
     return OPAL_SUCCESS;
 }
 
diff --git a/orte/mca/odls/base/odls_base_default_fns.c b/orte/mca/odls/base/odls_base_default_fns.c
index 73a5091d4f..9a56c5906a 100644
--- a/orte/mca/odls/base/odls_base_default_fns.c
+++ b/orte/mca/odls/base/odls_base_default_fns.c
@@ -1488,6 +1488,28 @@ void odls_base_default_wait_local_proc(orte_proc_t *proc, void* cbdata)
                         ORTE_NAME_PRINT(ORTE_PROC_MY_NAME),
                         ORTE_NAME_PRINT(&proc->name), (long)proc->pid);
     
+    /* if the proc called "abort", then we just need to flag that it
+     * came thru here */
+    if (ORTE_FLAG_TEST(proc, ORTE_PROC_FLAG_ABORT)) {
+        /* even though the process exited "normally", it happened
+         * via an orte_abort call
+         */
+        OPAL_OUTPUT_VERBOSE((5, orte_odls_base_framework.framework_output,
+                             "%s odls:waitpid_fired child %s died by call to abort",
+                             ORTE_NAME_PRINT(ORTE_PROC_MY_NAME),
+                             ORTE_NAME_PRINT(&proc->name)));
+        state = ORTE_PROC_STATE_CALLED_ABORT;
+        /* since we are going down a different code path, we need to
+         * flag that this proc has had its waitpid fired */
+        ORTE_FLAG_SET(proc, ORTE_PROC_FLAG_WAITPID);
+        /* if IOF_COMPLETE has already been recvd, then we need
+         * to mark this proc as no longer alive */
+        if (ORTE_FLAG_TEST(proc, ORTE_PROC_FLAG_IOF_COMPLETE)) {
+            ORTE_FLAG_UNSET(proc, ORTE_PROC_FLAG_ALIVE);
+        }
+        goto MOVEON;
+    }
+
     /* if the child was previously flagged as dead, then just
      * update its exit status and
      * ensure that its exit state gets reported to avoid hanging
@@ -1531,27 +1553,6 @@ void odls_base_default_wait_local_proc(orte_proc_t *proc, void* cbdata)
     
     /* determine the state of this process */
     if (WIFEXITED(proc->exit_code)) {
-        /* if the proc called "abort", then we just need to flag that it
-         * came thru here */
-        if (ORTE_FLAG_TEST(proc, ORTE_PROC_FLAG_ABORT)) {
-            /* even though the process exited "normally", it happened
-             * via an orte_abort call
-             */
-            OPAL_OUTPUT_VERBOSE((5, orte_odls_base_framework.framework_output,
-                                 "%s odls:waitpid_fired child %s died by call to abort",
-                                 ORTE_NAME_PRINT(ORTE_PROC_MY_NAME),
-                                 ORTE_NAME_PRINT(&proc->name)));
-            state = ORTE_PROC_STATE_CALLED_ABORT;
-            /* since we are going down a different code path, we need to
-             * flag that this proc has had its waitpid fired */
-            ORTE_FLAG_SET(proc, ORTE_PROC_FLAG_WAITPID);
-            /* if IOF_COMPLETE has already been recvd, then we need
-             * to mark this proc as no longer alive */
-            if (ORTE_FLAG_TEST(proc, ORTE_PROC_FLAG_IOF_COMPLETE)) {
-                ORTE_FLAG_UNSET(proc, ORTE_PROC_FLAG_ALIVE);
-            }
-            goto MOVEON;
-        }
 
         /* set the exit status appropriately */
         proc->exit_code = WEXITSTATUS(proc->exit_code);