diff --git a/bindings/CXX11/cxx11/ADIOS.cpp b/bindings/CXX11/cxx11/ADIOS.cpp
index 1d76144024..31a2b30c71 100644
--- a/bindings/CXX11/cxx11/ADIOS.cpp
+++ b/bindings/CXX11/cxx11/ADIOS.cpp
@@ -25,14 +25,13 @@ ADIOS::ADIOS(MPI_Comm comm, const bool debugMode) : ADIOS("", comm, debugMode)
 {
 }
 
-#else
+#endif
 ADIOS::ADIOS(const std::string &configFile, const bool debugMode)
 : m_ADIOS(std::make_shared<core::ADIOS>(configFile, debugMode, "C++"))
 {
 }
 
 ADIOS::ADIOS(const bool debugMode) : ADIOS("", debugMode) {}
-#endif
 
 ADIOS::operator bool() const noexcept { return m_ADIOS ? true : false; }
 
diff --git a/bindings/CXX11/cxx11/ADIOS.h b/bindings/CXX11/cxx11/ADIOS.h
index dff4a59937..f11328b741 100644
--- a/bindings/CXX11/cxx11/ADIOS.h
+++ b/bindings/CXX11/cxx11/ADIOS.h
@@ -64,9 +64,9 @@ class ADIOS
      * @exception std::invalid_argument in debugMode = true if user input is
      * incorrect
      */
-    ADIOS(const std::string &configFile = "", MPI_Comm comm = MPI_COMM_SELF,
+    ADIOS(const std::string &configFile, MPI_Comm comm,
           const bool debugMode = true);
-#else
+#endif
 
     /**
      * Starting point for non-MPI serial apps. Creates an ADIOS object allowing
@@ -87,7 +87,6 @@ class ADIOS
      * incorrect
      */
     ADIOS(const bool debugMode = true);
-#endif
 
     /** object inspection true: valid object, false: invalid object */
     explicit operator bool() const noexcept;
diff --git a/testing/adios2/interface/CMakeLists.txt b/testing/adios2/interface/CMakeLists.txt
index b036eee798..0e1214de8d 100644
--- a/testing/adios2/interface/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/testing/adios2/interface/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ target_link_libraries(TestADIOSDefineVariable adios2 gtest)
 add_executable(TestADIOSDefineAttribute TestADIOSDefineAttribute.cpp)
 target_link_libraries(TestADIOSDefineAttribute adios2 gtest)
 
+add_executable(TestADIOSNoMpi TestADIOSNoMpi.cpp)
+target_link_libraries(TestADIOSNoMpi adios2 gtest)
+
 if(ADIOS2_HAVE_MPI)
   target_link_libraries(TestADIOSInterface MPI::MPI_C)
   target_link_libraries(TestADIOSInterfaceWrite MPI::MPI_C)
@@ -28,3 +31,4 @@ gtest_add_tests(TARGET TestADIOSInterface ${extra_test_args})
 gtest_add_tests(TARGET TestADIOSInterfaceWrite ${extra_test_args})
 gtest_add_tests(TARGET TestADIOSDefineVariable ${extra_test_args})
 gtest_add_tests(TARGET TestADIOSDefineAttribute ${extra_test_args})
+gtest_add_tests(TARGET TestADIOSNoMpi ${extra_test_args})
diff --git a/testing/adios2/interface/TestADIOSNoMpi.cpp b/testing/adios2/interface/TestADIOSNoMpi.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8a05ec9c09
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testing/adios2/interface/TestADIOSNoMpi.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+
+#include <adios2.h>
+
+#include <gtest/gtest.h>
+
+/**
+ * Basic test to see that writing and reading a simple BP3 file works without
+ * initializing MPI
+ */
+TEST(ADIOSInterface, ADIOSNoMpi)
+{
+    adios2::ADIOS adios(adios2::DebugON);
+    {
+        adios2::IO io = adios.DeclareIO("TestIOWrite");
+        adios2::Engine engine = io.Open("test.bp", adios2::Mode::Write);
+        engine.Close();
+    }
+    {
+        adios2::IO io = adios.DeclareIO("TestIORead");
+        adios2::Engine engine = io.Open("test.bp", adios2::Mode::Read);
+        engine.Close();
+    }
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char **argv)
+{
+    ::testing::InitGoogleTest(&argc, argv);
+    return RUN_ALL_TESTS();
+}