diff --git a/ompi/datatype/ompi_datatype_module.c b/ompi/datatype/ompi_datatype_module.c
index 2664f0f8cbe..1fbf35aba3b 100644
--- a/ompi/datatype/ompi_datatype_module.c
+++ b/ompi/datatype/ompi_datatype_module.c
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ int32_t ompi_datatype_number_of_predefined_data = 0;
 ompi_predefined_datatype_t ompi_mpi_datatype_null =
     {
         {
-            OPAL_DATATYPE_INITIALIZER_EMPTY(OMPI_DATATYPE_FLAG_PREDEFINED),
+            OPAL_DATATYPE_INITIALIZER_EMPTY(OMPI_DATATYPE_FLAG_PREDEFINED|OPAL_DATATYPE_FLAG_CONTIGUOUS),
             OMPI_DATATYPE_EMPTY_DATA(EMPTY),
         },
         {0, } /* padding */
diff --git a/opal/datatype/opal_datatype_module.c b/opal/datatype/opal_datatype_module.c
index 6104b8dc304..1ce57e67b50 100644
--- a/opal/datatype/opal_datatype_module.c
+++ b/opal/datatype/opal_datatype_module.c
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ extern int opal_cuda_verbose;
  * into an array, which is initialized at runtime.
  * Everything is constant.
  */
-OPAL_DECLSPEC const opal_datatype_t opal_datatype_empty =       OPAL_DATATYPE_INITIALIZER_EMPTY(0);
+OPAL_DECLSPEC const opal_datatype_t opal_datatype_empty =       OPAL_DATATYPE_INITIALIZER_EMPTY(OPAL_DATATYPE_FLAG_CONTIGUOUS);
 
 OPAL_DECLSPEC const opal_datatype_t opal_datatype_loop =        OPAL_DATATYPE_INITIALIZER_LOOP(0);
 OPAL_DECLSPEC const opal_datatype_t opal_datatype_end_loop =    OPAL_DATATYPE_INITIALIZER_END_LOOP(0);