diff --git a/orte/mca/odls/alps/odls_alps_module.c b/orte/mca/odls/alps/odls_alps_module.c
index 8de9665c16a..8d25e798518 100644
--- a/orte/mca/odls/alps/odls_alps_module.c
+++ b/orte/mca/odls/alps/odls_alps_module.c
@@ -298,6 +298,15 @@ static int close_open_file_descriptors(int write_fd,
         return ORTE_ERR_FILE_OPEN_FAILURE;
     }
     struct dirent *files;
+
+    /* grab the fd of the opendir above so we don't close in the 
+     * middle of the scan. */
+    int dir_scan_fd = dirfd(dir);
+    if(dir_scan_fd < 0 ) {
+        return ORTE_ERR_FILE_OPEN_FAILURE;
+    }
+
+
     while (NULL != (files = readdir(dir))) {
         if (!isdigit(files->d_name[0])) {
             continue;
@@ -311,7 +320,8 @@ static int close_open_file_descriptors(int write_fd,
 #if OPAL_PMIX_V1
             fd != opts.p_internal[1] &&
 #endif
-            fd != write_fd) {
+            fd != write_fd && 
+            fd != dir_scan_fd) {
             close(fd);
         }
     }
diff --git a/orte/mca/odls/default/odls_default_module.c b/orte/mca/odls/default/odls_default_module.c
index b9c6f665ce3..ab9d6e442f6 100644
--- a/orte/mca/odls/default/odls_default_module.c
+++ b/orte/mca/odls/default/odls_default_module.c
@@ -302,6 +302,15 @@ static int close_open_file_descriptors(int write_fd,
         return ORTE_ERR_FILE_OPEN_FAILURE;
     }
     struct dirent *files;
+
+    /* grab the fd of the opendir above so we don't close in the 
+     * middle of the scan. */
+    int dir_scan_fd = dirfd(dir);
+    if(dir_scan_fd < 0 ) {
+        return ORTE_ERR_FILE_OPEN_FAILURE;
+    }
+
+    
     while (NULL != (files = readdir(dir))) {
         if (!isdigit(files->d_name[0])) {
             continue;
@@ -315,7 +324,8 @@ static int close_open_file_descriptors(int write_fd,
 #if OPAL_PMIX_V1
             fd != opts.p_internal[1] &&
 #endif
-            fd != write_fd) {
+            fd != write_fd && 
+            fd != dir_scan_fd) {
             close(fd);
         }
     }