diff --git a/orte/mca/rmaps/base/rmaps_base_frame.c b/orte/mca/rmaps/base/rmaps_base_frame.c
index bdee416640..27d7e9fa32 100644
--- a/orte/mca/rmaps/base/rmaps_base_frame.c
+++ b/orte/mca/rmaps/base/rmaps_base_frame.c
@@ -425,8 +425,6 @@ int orte_rmaps_base_set_mapping_policy(orte_mapping_policy_t *policy,
 
     if (NULL == spec) {
         ORTE_SET_MAPPING_POLICY(tmp, ORTE_MAPPING_BYSOCKET);
-        ORTE_SET_MAPPING_DIRECTIVE(tmp, ORTE_MAPPING_SPAN);
-        ORTE_UNSET_MAPPING_DIRECTIVE(tmp, ORTE_MAPPING_GIVEN);
     } else {
         ck = opal_argv_split(spec, ':');
         if (2 < opal_argv_count(ck)) {
diff --git a/orte/mca/rmaps/base/rmaps_base_map_job.c b/orte/mca/rmaps/base/rmaps_base_map_job.c
index c0ebcef4ec..55a9de6eac 100644
--- a/orte/mca/rmaps/base/rmaps_base_map_job.c
+++ b/orte/mca/rmaps/base/rmaps_base_map_job.c
@@ -114,6 +114,26 @@ void orte_rmaps_base_map_job(int fd, short args, void *cbdata)
                                     "mca:rmaps mapping not given - using bysocket");
                 ORTE_SET_MAPPING_POLICY(map->mapping, ORTE_MAPPING_BYSOCKET);
             }
+            /* check for oversubscribe directives */
+            if (!(ORTE_MAPPING_SUBSCRIBE_GIVEN & ORTE_GET_MAPPING_DIRECTIVE(orte_rmaps_base.mapping))) {
+                if (orte_managed_allocation) {
+                    /* by default, we do not allow oversubscription in managed environments */
+                    ORTE_SET_MAPPING_DIRECTIVE(map->mapping, ORTE_MAPPING_NO_OVERSUBSCRIBE);
+                } else {
+                    ORTE_UNSET_MAPPING_DIRECTIVE(map->mapping, ORTE_MAPPING_NO_OVERSUBSCRIBE);
+                }
+            } else {
+                /* pass along the directive */
+                if (ORTE_MAPPING_NO_OVERSUBSCRIBE & ORTE_GET_MAPPING_DIRECTIVE(orte_rmaps_base.mapping)) {
+                    ORTE_SET_MAPPING_DIRECTIVE(map->mapping, ORTE_MAPPING_NO_OVERSUBSCRIBE);
+                } else {
+                    ORTE_UNSET_MAPPING_DIRECTIVE(map->mapping, ORTE_MAPPING_NO_OVERSUBSCRIBE);
+                }
+            }
+            /* check for no-use-local directive */
+            if (ORTE_MAPPING_NO_USE_LOCAL & ORTE_GET_MAPPING_DIRECTIVE(orte_rmaps_base.mapping)) {
+                ORTE_SET_MAPPING_DIRECTIVE(map->mapping, ORTE_MAPPING_NO_USE_LOCAL);
+            }
         }
         /* ranking was already handled, so just use it here */
         map->ranking = orte_rmaps_base.ranking;
diff --git a/orte/mca/rmaps/round_robin/rmaps_rr_mappers.c b/orte/mca/rmaps/round_robin/rmaps_rr_mappers.c
index d7d91334d4..0f63e0d5c5 100644
--- a/orte/mca/rmaps/round_robin/rmaps_rr_mappers.c
+++ b/orte/mca/rmaps/round_robin/rmaps_rr_mappers.c
@@ -450,7 +450,7 @@ int orte_rmaps_rr_byobj(orte_job_t *jdata,
      * to the next node. Thus, procs tend to be "front loaded" onto the
      * list of nodes, as opposed to being "load balanced" in the span mode
      */
-    if (ORTE_MAPPING_SPAN & jdata->map->mapping) {
+    if (ORTE_MAPPING_SPAN & ORTE_GET_MAPPING_DIRECTIVE(jdata->map->mapping)) {
         return byobj_span(jdata, app, node_list, num_slots,
                           num_procs, target, cache_level);
     }