diff --git a/contribs/pmi2/pmi2_api.c b/contribs/pmi2/pmi2_api.c
index ee6a4eaf03b29d613dd85c552d94b3398e049833..eb45a33b698235553fae57dc3d95286821803356 100644
--- a/contribs/pmi2/pmi2_api.c
+++ b/contribs/pmi2/pmi2_api.c
@@ -378,7 +378,8 @@ int PMI2_Initialized(void)
 
 int PMI2_Abort(int flag, const char msg[])
 {
-    PMI2U_printf("aborting job:\n%s", msg);
+	if (mpi)
+		PMI2U_printf("aborting job:\n%s", msg);
 
     /* ignoring return code, because we're exiting anyway */
     PMIi_WriteSimpleCommandStr(PMI2_fd, NULL, ABORT_CMD, ISWORLD_KEY, flag ? TRUE_VAL : FALSE_VAL, MSG_KEY, ((msg == NULL) ? "(null)": msg), NULL);