diff --git a/opal/mca/pmix/pmix1xx/pmix/src/client/pmix_client.c b/opal/mca/pmix/pmix1xx/pmix/src/client/pmix_client.c
index 1cf053eebde..8d67b70df66 100644
--- a/opal/mca/pmix/pmix1xx/pmix/src/client/pmix_client.c
+++ b/opal/mca/pmix/pmix1xx/pmix/src/client/pmix_client.c
@@ -241,6 +241,11 @@ int PMIx_Init(pmix_proc_t *proc)
         return PMIX_SUCCESS;
     }
 
+    /* if we don't see the required info, then we cannot init */
+    if (NULL == getenv("PMIX_NAMESPACE")) {
+        return PMIX_ERR_INVALID_NAMESPACE;
+    }
+
     /* setup the globals */
     pmix_globals_init();
     PMIX_CONSTRUCT(&pmix_client_globals.pending_requests, pmix_list_t);
diff --git a/opal/mca/pmix/s1/pmix_s1_component.c b/opal/mca/pmix/s1/pmix_s1_component.c
index 4f897cd9d80..d39edc512e0 100644
--- a/opal/mca/pmix/s1/pmix_s1_component.c
+++ b/opal/mca/pmix/s1/pmix_s1_component.c
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ static int pmix_s1_component_register(void)
 static int pmix_s1_component_query(mca_base_module_t **module, int *priority)
 {
     /* disqualify ourselves if we are not under slurm */
-    if (NULL == getenv("SLURM_JOBID")) {
+    if (NULL == getenv("SLURM_STEP_NUM_TASKS")) {
         *priority = 0;
         *module = NULL;
         return OPAL_ERROR;
diff --git a/opal/mca/pmix/s2/pmix_s2_component.c b/opal/mca/pmix/s2/pmix_s2_component.c
index 42c983226cc..7cd1ea7beb1 100644
--- a/opal/mca/pmix/s2/pmix_s2_component.c
+++ b/opal/mca/pmix/s2/pmix_s2_component.c
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ static int pmix_s2_component_query(mca_base_module_t **module, int *priority)
 {
     /* disqualify ourselves if we are not under slurm, and
      * if they didn't set mpi=pmix2 */
-    if (NULL == getenv("SLURM_JOBID") ||
+    if (NULL == getenv("SLURM_STEP_NUM_TASKS") ||
         NULL == getenv("PMI_FD")) {
         *priority = 0;
         *module = NULL;
diff --git a/orte/mca/ess/pmi/ess_pmi_component.c b/orte/mca/ess/pmi/ess_pmi_component.c
index 1482c85cf17..b877ed36439 100644
--- a/orte/mca/ess/pmi/ess_pmi_component.c
+++ b/orte/mca/ess/pmi/ess_pmi_component.c
@@ -71,33 +71,24 @@ static int pmi_component_query(mca_base_module_t **module, int *priority)
 
     /* all APPS must use pmix */
     if (ORTE_PROC_IS_APP) {
-        /* open and setup pmix */
-        if (OPAL_SUCCESS != (ret = mca_base_framework_open(&opal_pmix_base_framework, 0))) {
-            ORTE_ERROR_LOG(ret);
-            *priority = -1;
-            *module = NULL;
-            return ret;
-        }
-        if (OPAL_SUCCESS != (ret = opal_pmix_base_select())) {
-            /* don't error log this as it might not be an error at all */
-            *priority = -1;
-            *module = NULL;
-            (void) mca_base_framework_close(&opal_pmix_base_framework);
-            return ret;
-        }
-        /* initialize the selected module */
-        if (OPAL_SUCCESS != (ret = opal_pmix.init())) {
-            /* cannot run */
-            *priority = -1;
-            *module = NULL;
-            (void) mca_base_framework_close(&opal_pmix_base_framework);
-            return ret;
+        if (NULL == opal_pmix.initialized) {
+            /* open and setup pmix */
+            if (OPAL_SUCCESS != (ret = mca_base_framework_open(&opal_pmix_base_framework, 0))) {
+                ORTE_ERROR_LOG(ret);
+                *priority = -1;
+                *module = NULL;
+                return ret;
+            }
+            if (OPAL_SUCCESS != (ret = opal_pmix_base_select())) {
+                /* don't error log this as it might not be an error at all */
+                *priority = -1;
+                *module = NULL;
+                (void) mca_base_framework_close(&opal_pmix_base_framework);
+                return ret;
+            }
         }
-        if (!opal_pmix.initialized()) {
-            /* we may have everything setup, but we are not
-             * in a PMIx environment and so we need to disqualify
-             * ourselves - we are likely a singleton and will
-             * pick things up from there */
+        if (!opal_pmix.initialized() && (OPAL_SUCCESS != (ret = opal_pmix.init()))) {
+            /* we cannot be in a PMI environment */
             *priority = -1;
             *module = NULL;
             return ORTE_ERROR;
diff --git a/orte/mca/ess/pmi/ess_pmi_module.c b/orte/mca/ess/pmi/ess_pmi_module.c
index 4b411a68f7d..6723ed47d99 100644
--- a/orte/mca/ess/pmi/ess_pmi_module.c
+++ b/orte/mca/ess/pmi/ess_pmi_module.c
@@ -97,7 +97,12 @@ static int rte_init(void)
         goto error;
     }
 
-    /* we don't have to call pmix.init because the pmix select did it */
+    /* initialize the selected module */
+    if (!opal_pmix.initialized() && (OPAL_SUCCESS != (ret = opal_pmix.init()))) {
+        /* we cannot run */
+        error = "pmix init";
+        goto error;
+    }
     u32ptr = &u32;
     u16ptr = &u16;
 
diff --git a/orte/mca/ess/singleton/ess_singleton_module.c b/orte/mca/ess/singleton/ess_singleton_module.c
index e87df865759..7b8b6d9c82c 100644
--- a/orte/mca/ess/singleton/ess_singleton_module.c
+++ b/orte/mca/ess/singleton/ess_singleton_module.c
@@ -165,18 +165,20 @@ static int rte_init(void)
     }
 
     /* open and setup pmix */
-    if (OPAL_SUCCESS != (rc = mca_base_framework_open(&opal_pmix_base_framework, 0))) {
-        ORTE_ERROR_LOG(rc);
-        return rc;
-    }
-    if (OPAL_SUCCESS != (rc = opal_pmix_base_select())) {
-        ORTE_ERROR_LOG(rc);
-        return rc;
+    if (NULL == opal_pmix.initialized) {
+        if (OPAL_SUCCESS != (ret = mca_base_framework_open(&opal_pmix_base_framework, 0))) {
+            error = "opening pmix";
+            goto error;
+        }
+        if (OPAL_SUCCESS != (ret = opal_pmix_base_select())) {
+            error = "select pmix";
+            goto error;
+        }
     }
     /* initialize the selected module */
-    if (OPAL_SUCCESS != (rc = opal_pmix.init())) {
-        ORTE_ERROR_LOG(rc);
-        return rc;
+    if (!opal_pmix.initialized() && (OPAL_SUCCESS != (ret = opal_pmix.init()))) {
+        error = "init pmix";
+        goto error;
     }
 
     /* pmix.init set our process name down in the OPAL layer,