diff --git a/lib/mpi/QMP_init_mpi.c b/lib/mpi/QMP_init_mpi.c
index a3fa6d3..6be4ddd 100644
--- a/lib/mpi/QMP_init_mpi.c
+++ b/lib/mpi/QMP_init_mpi.c
@@ -32,8 +32,14 @@ QMP_init_machine_mpi (int* argc, char*** argv, QMP_thread_level_t required,
     break;
   }
 
-  if (MPI_Init_thread(argc, argv, mpi_req, &mpi_prv) != MPI_SUCCESS) 
-    QMP_abort_string (-1, "MPI_Init failed");
+  int flag;
+  MPI_Initialized(&flag); // needed to coexist with other libs apparently
+    if ( !flag ) {
+      if (MPI_Init_thread(argc, argv, mpi_req, &mpi_prv) != MPI_SUCCESS) 
+	QMP_abort_string (-1, "MPI_Init failed");
+    }else{
+      MPI_Query_thread(&mpi_prv);
+    }
 
   switch(mpi_prv) { 
   case MPI_THREAD_SINGLE: