diff --git a/bin/mpi-fastspecfit b/bin/mpi-fastspecfit
index 31c9ea3a..3bfa4b08 100755
--- a/bin/mpi-fastspecfit
+++ b/bin/mpi-fastspecfit
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ def run_fastspecfit(args, comm=None, fastphot=False, specprod_dir=None,
             _, zbestfiles, outfiles, groups, ntargets = plan(
                 size=size, specprod=args.specprod, specprod_dir=specprod_dir,
                 sample=sample, coadd_type='healpix', makeqa=args.makeqa,
-                mp=args.mp, fastphot=args.fastphot, 
+                mp=args.mp, fastphot=args.fastphot,
                 outdir_data=outdir_data, overwrite=args.overwrite)
         else:
             sample = None
@@ -117,6 +117,9 @@ def run_fastspecfit(args, comm=None, fastphot=False, specprod_dir=None,
             if args.fphotofile:
                 cmdargs += f' --fphotofile={args.fphotofile}'
 
+        if args.verbose:
+            cmdargs += ' --verbose'
+
         if args.ntargets is not None:
             cmdargs += f' --ntargets={args.ntargets}'
 
@@ -162,12 +165,18 @@ def run_fastspecfit(args, comm=None, fastphot=False, specprod_dir=None,
             outdir = os.path.dirname(logfile)
             if not os.path.isdir(outdir):
                 os.makedirs(outdir, exist_ok=True)
+
+            ## pure-MPI
+            #if comm is not None:
+            #    subcomm = comm.Split(color=rank)
+            #else:
+            #    subcomm = None
+
             if args.nolog:
-                fast(args=cmdargs.split())
+                fast(args=cmdargs.split())#, comm=subcomm)
             else:
-                cmdargs += ' --verbose'
                 with stdouterr_redirected(to=logfile, overwrite=args.overwrite):
-                    fast(args=cmdargs.split())
+                    fast(args=cmdargs.split())#, comm=subcomm)
 
             dt1 = time.time() - t1
             log.info(f'  rank {rank} done in {dt1:.2f} sec')
@@ -360,13 +369,11 @@ def main():
                      mp=args.mp, fastphot=args.fastphot,
                      outdir_data=outdir_data, overwrite=args.overwrite)
             else:
-                print(f'I am rank {rank}')
                 plan(size=size, specprod=args.specprod, specprod_dir=specprod_dir,
                      coadd_type=args.coadd_type, survey=args.survey, program=args.program,
                      healpix=args.healpix, tile=args.tile, night=args.night,
                      makeqa=args.makeqa, mp=args.mp, fastphot=args.fastphot,
                      outdir_data=outdir_data, overwrite=args.overwrite)
-                print(f'I am rank {rank}')
     else:
         run_fastspecfit(args, comm=comm, fastphot=args.fastphot, specprod_dir=specprod_dir,
                         makeqa=args.makeqa, outdir_data=outdir_data,
diff --git a/py/fastspecfit/fastspecfit.py b/py/fastspecfit/fastspecfit.py
index 637e4c15..93c93f27 100644
--- a/py/fastspecfit/fastspecfit.py
+++ b/py/fastspecfit/fastspecfit.py
@@ -159,15 +159,16 @@ def fastspec(fastphot=False, fitstack=False, args=None, comm=None, verbose=False
 
     sc_data.initialize(**init_sc_args)
 
-    # If multiprocessing, create a pool of worker processes and initialize
-    # single-copy objects in each worker.
-    if args.mp > 1 and not 'NERSC_HOST' in os.environ:
-        import multiprocessing
-        multiprocessing.set_start_method('fork')
+    ## If multiprocessing, create a pool of worker processes and initialize
+    ## single-copy objects in each worker.
+    #if args.mp > 1 and not 'NERSC_HOST' in os.environ:
+    #    import multiprocessing
+    #    multiprocessing.set_start_method('fork')
 
     t0 = time.time()
     mp_pool = MPPool(args.mp, initializer=sc_data.initialize,
-                     init_argdict=init_sc_args)
+                     init_argdict=init_sc_args, comm=comm)
+
     log.debug(f'Caching took {time.time()-t0:.5f} seconds.')
 
     log.info(f'Cached stellar templates {sc_data.templates.file}')
diff --git a/py/fastspecfit/util.py b/py/fastspecfit/util.py
index d5a6ce4c..35249ea4 100644
--- a/py/fastspecfit/util.py
+++ b/py/fastspecfit/util.py
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ class MPPool(object):
     rather than a list of positional arguments.
 
     """
-    def __init__(self, nworkers, initializer=None, init_argdict=None):
+    def __init__(self, nworkers, initializer=None, init_argdict=None, comm=None):
         """
         create a pool with nworkers workers, using the current
         process if nworkers is 1.  If initiializer is not None,
@@ -65,11 +65,10 @@ def __init__(self, nworkers, initializer=None, init_argdict=None):
         initfunc = None if initializer is None else self.apply_to_dict
 
         if nworkers > 1:
-            #try:
-            #    from mpi4py.futures import MPIPoolExecutor as Pool
-            #except:
-            #    from multiprocessing import Pool
-            from multiprocessing import Pool
+            if comm is not None:
+                from mpi4py.futures import MPIPoolExecutor as Pool
+            else:
+                from multiprocessing import Pool
             self.pool = Pool(nworkers,
                              initializer=initfunc,
                              initargs=(initializer, init_argdict,))