diff --git a/config/ompi_setup_libevent.m4 b/config/ompi_setup_libevent.m4
index ae890f0b11..95ac5ecb8b 100644
--- a/config/ompi_setup_libevent.m4
+++ b/config/ompi_setup_libevent.m4
@@ -78,7 +78,21 @@ fi
 havepoll=no
 havertsig=no
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS(poll, [havepoll=yes], )
-if test "x$havepoll" = "xyes" ; then
+case "$host" in
+    *apple-darwin*)
+        haveworkingpoll=0
+    ;;
+    *)
+        if test "$havepoll" = "yes" ; then
+	    haveworkingpoll=1
+	else
+	    haveworkingpoll=0
+	fi
+    ;;
+esac
+AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([HAVE_WORKING_POLL], [$haveworkingpoll], 
+                   [Whether poll works for file descriptors and devices])
+if test "x$havepoll" = "xyes" -a "$haveworkingpoll" = "1" ; then
 	# OMPI: Don't use AC_LIBOBJ
 	sources="poll.c $sources"
 	needsignal=yes
diff --git a/src/event/event.c b/src/event/event.c
index 9c155d4506..6818324faf 100644
--- a/src/event/event.c
+++ b/src/event/event.c
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@
 #if defined(HAVE_SELECT) && HAVE_SELECT
 extern const struct ompi_eventop ompi_selectops;
 #endif
-#if defined(HAVE_POLL) && HAVE_POLL
+#if defined(HAVE_POLL) && HAVE_POLL && HAVE_WORKING_POLL
 extern const struct ompi_eventop ompi_pollops;
 #endif
 #if defined(HAVE_RTSIG) && HAVE_RTSIG
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ static const struct ompi_eventop *ompi_eventops[] = {
     &ompi_rtsigops,
 #endif
 #endif
-#if defined(HAVE_POLL) && HAVE_POLL
+#if defined(HAVE_POLL) && HAVE_POLL && HAVE_WORKING_POLL
     &ompi_pollops,
 #endif
 #if defined(HAVE_SELECT) && HAVE_SELECT