diff --git a/orte/tools/orterun/orterun.c b/orte/tools/orterun/orterun.c
index f98ec4fec1..caa150faaa 100644
--- a/orte/tools/orterun/orterun.c
+++ b/orte/tools/orterun/orterun.c
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ extern char** environ;
 static struct ompi_event term_handler;
 static struct ompi_event int_handler;
 static orte_jobid_t jobid = ORTE_JOBID_MAX;
-static orte_pointer_array_t apps_pa;
+static orte_pointer_array_t *apps_pa;
 static bool wait_for_job_completion = true;
 static char *abort_msg = NULL;
 static size_t abort_msg_len = -1;
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     /* Convert the list of apps to an array of orte_app_context_t
        pointers */
 
-    num_apps = orte_pointer_array_get_size(&apps_pa);
+    num_apps = orte_pointer_array_get_size(apps_pa);
     if (0 == num_apps) {
         /* This should never happen -- this case should be caught in
            create_app(), but let's just double check... */
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     }
     for (j = i = 0; i < num_apps; ++i) {
         apps[i] = (orte_app_context_t *) 
-            orte_pointer_array_get_item(&apps_pa, i);
+            orte_pointer_array_get_item(apps_pa, i);
         j += apps[i]->num_procs;
     }
     proc_infos = malloc(sizeof(struct proc_info_t) * j);
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         OBJ_RELEASE(apps[i]);
     }
     free(apps);
-    OBJ_DESTRUCT(&apps_pa);
+    OBJ_RELEASE(apps_pa);
     orte_finalize();
     free(abort_msg);
     free(orterun_basename);
@@ -691,7 +691,7 @@ static int parse_locals(int argc, char* argv[])
     temp_argc = 0;
     temp_argv = NULL;
     ompi_argv_append(&temp_argc, &temp_argv, argv[0]);
-    OBJ_CONSTRUCT(&apps_pa, orte_pointer_array_t);
+    orte_pointer_array_init(&apps_pa, 1, argc + 1, 2);
 
     env = NULL;
     for (app_num = 0, i = 1; i < argc; ++i) {
@@ -715,7 +715,7 @@ static int parse_locals(int argc, char* argv[])
                 }
                 if (made_app) {
                     size_t dummy;
-                    orte_pointer_array_add(&dummy, &apps_pa, app);
+                    orte_pointer_array_add(&dummy, apps_pa, app);
                 } else {
                     OBJ_RELEASE(app);
                 }
@@ -741,7 +741,7 @@ static int parse_locals(int argc, char* argv[])
         }
         if (made_app) {
             size_t dummy;
-            orte_pointer_array_add(&dummy, &apps_pa, app);
+            orte_pointer_array_add(&dummy, apps_pa, app);
         } else {
             OBJ_RELEASE(app);
         }
@@ -1124,7 +1124,7 @@ static int parse_appfile(char *filename, char ***env)
             }
             if (made_app) {
                 size_t dummy;
-                orte_pointer_array_add(&dummy, &apps_pa, app);
+                orte_pointer_array_add(&dummy, apps_pa, app);
             }
         }
     } while (!feof(fp));