diff --git a/src/mpid/ch3/include/mpidimpl.h b/src/mpid/ch3/include/mpidimpl.h
index 1400271797f..4157f1d4a70 100644
--- a/src/mpid/ch3/include/mpidimpl.h
+++ b/src/mpid/ch3/include/mpidimpl.h
@@ -484,7 +484,7 @@ typedef int (*MPIDI_PG_Destroy_fn_t)(MPIDI_PG_t * pg);
 
 int MPIDI_VCRT_Create(int size, struct MPIDI_VCRT **vcrt_ptr);
 int MPIDI_VCRT_Add_ref(struct MPIDI_VCRT *vcrt);
-int MPIDI_VCRT_Release(struct MPIDI_VCRT *vcrt, int isDisconnect);
+int MPIDI_VCRT_Release(struct MPIDI_VCRT *vcrt);
 int MPIDI_VCR_Dup(MPIDI_VCR orig_vcr, MPIDI_VCR * new_vcr);
 
 int MPIDI_PG_Init(MPIDI_PG_Compare_ids_fn_t, MPIDI_PG_Destroy_fn_t);
diff --git a/src/mpid/ch3/include/mpidpre.h b/src/mpid/ch3/include/mpidpre.h
index d3f47b06519..7eac8a58b90 100644
--- a/src/mpid/ch3/include/mpidpre.h
+++ b/src/mpid/ch3/include/mpidpre.h
@@ -182,10 +182,6 @@ typedef struct MPIDI_CH3I_comm
                              * waiting for a revoke message before we can release
                              * the context id */
 
-    int is_disconnected;    /* set to TRUE if this communicator was
-                             * disconnected as a part of
-                             * MPI_COMM_DISCONNECT; FALSE otherwise. */
-
     struct MPIDI_VCRT *vcrt;          /* virtual connection reference table */
     struct MPIDI_VCRT *local_vcrt;    /* local virtual connection reference table */
 
diff --git a/src/mpid/ch3/src/ch3u_comm.c b/src/mpid/ch3/src/ch3u_comm.c
index f7f0ffd2f4f..cdc3ac27d43 100644
--- a/src/mpid/ch3/src/ch3u_comm.c
+++ b/src/mpid/ch3/src/ch3u_comm.c
@@ -171,11 +171,6 @@ int MPIDI_CH3I_Comm_commit_pre_hook(MPIR_Comm *comm)
     int mpi_errno = MPI_SUCCESS;
     MPIR_FUNC_ENTER;
 
-    /* initialize the is_disconnected variable to FALSE.  this will be
-     * set to TRUE if the communicator is freed by an
-     * MPI_COMM_DISCONNECT call. */
-    comm->dev.is_disconnected = 0;
-
     if (comm == MPIR_Process.comm_world) {
         comm->rank        = MPIR_Process.rank;
         comm->remote_size = MPIR_Process.size;
@@ -287,11 +282,11 @@ int MPIDI_CH3I_Comm_destroy_hook(MPIR_Comm *comm)
         MPIR_ERR_CHECK(mpi_errno);
     }
 
-    mpi_errno = MPIDI_VCRT_Release(comm->dev.vcrt, comm->dev.is_disconnected);
+    mpi_errno = MPIDI_VCRT_Release(comm->dev.vcrt);
     MPIR_ERR_CHECK(mpi_errno);
 
     if (comm->comm_kind == MPIR_COMM_KIND__INTERCOMM) {
-        mpi_errno = MPIDI_VCRT_Release(comm->dev.local_vcrt, comm->dev.is_disconnected);
+        mpi_errno = MPIDI_VCRT_Release(comm->dev.local_vcrt);
         MPIR_ERR_CHECK(mpi_errno);
     }
 
@@ -521,10 +516,7 @@ int MPID_Group_free_hook(MPIR_Group * group_ptr)
     int mpi_errno = MPI_SUCCESS;
 
     if (group_ptr->ch3_vcrt) {
-        /* FIXME: setting TRUE so vc entries may get released.
-         *        Is there a case we don't want that?
-         */
-        mpi_errno = MPIDI_VCRT_Release(group_ptr->ch3_vcrt, TRUE);
+        mpi_errno = MPIDI_VCRT_Release(group_ptr->ch3_vcrt);
     }
     return mpi_errno;
 }
diff --git a/src/mpid/ch3/src/ch3u_port.c b/src/mpid/ch3/src/ch3u_port.c
index 91aaf1f11d5..c0cada40ade 100644
--- a/src/mpid/ch3/src/ch3u_port.c
+++ b/src/mpid/ch3/src/ch3u_port.c
@@ -548,7 +548,7 @@ static int MPIDI_CH3I_Release_tmp_comm(MPIR_Comm *tmp_comm)
 {
     int mpi_errno = MPI_SUCCESS;
 
-    mpi_errno = MPIDI_VCRT_Release(tmp_comm->dev.vcrt, FALSE);
+    mpi_errno = MPIDI_VCRT_Release(tmp_comm->dev.vcrt);
     MPIR_ERR_CHECK(mpi_errno);
 
     MPIR_Free_contextid(tmp_comm->recvcontext_id);
diff --git a/src/mpid/ch3/src/mpid_comm_disconnect.c b/src/mpid/ch3/src/mpid_comm_disconnect.c
index cec8a198e2f..2809dd51ff3 100644
--- a/src/mpid/ch3/src/mpid_comm_disconnect.c
+++ b/src/mpid/ch3/src/mpid_comm_disconnect.c
@@ -27,10 +27,6 @@ int MPID_Comm_disconnect(MPIR_Comm *comm_ptr)
         MPIR_ERR_SETANDJUMP(mpi_errno,MPIX_ERR_REVOKED,"**revoked");
     }
 
-    /* it's more than a comm_release, but ok for now */
-    /* FIXME: Describe what more might be required */
-    /* MPIU_PG_Printall( stdout ); */
-    comm_ptr->dev.is_disconnected = 1;
     mpi_errno = MPIR_Comm_release(comm_ptr);
     MPIR_ERR_CHECK(mpi_errno);
     /* If any of the VCs were released by this Comm_release, wait
diff --git a/src/mpid/ch3/src/mpid_vc.c b/src/mpid/ch3/src/mpid_vc.c
index 2d14fde1a3e..7c9285959ce 100644
--- a/src/mpid/ch3/src/mpid_vc.c
+++ b/src/mpid/ch3/src/mpid_vc.c
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ int MPIDI_VCRT_Add_ref(struct MPIDI_VCRT *vcrt)
   Notes:
   
   @*/
-int MPIDI_VCRT_Release(struct MPIDI_VCRT *vcrt, int isDisconnect )
+int MPIDI_VCRT_Release(struct MPIDI_VCRT *vcrt)
 {
     int in_use;
     int mpi_errno = MPI_SUCCESS;
@@ -130,24 +130,8 @@ int MPIDI_VCRT_Release(struct MPIDI_VCRT *vcrt, int isDisconnect )
 	    
 	    MPIDI_VC_release_ref(vc, &in_use);
 
-            /* Dynamic connections start with a refcount of 2 instead of 1.
-             * That way we can distinguish between an MPI_Free and an
-             * MPI_Comm_disconnect. */
-            /* XXX DJG FIXME-MT should we be checking this? */
-            /* probably not, need to do something like the following instead: */
-#if 0
-            if (isDisconnect) {
-                MPIR_Assert(in_use);
-                /* FIXME this is still bogus, the VCRT may contain a mix of
-                 * dynamic and non-dynamic VCs, so the ref_count isn't
-                 * guaranteed to have started at 2.  The best thing to do might
-                 * be to avoid overloading the reference counting this way and
-                 * use a separate check for dynamic VCs (another flag? compare
-                 * PGs?) */
-                MPIR_Object_release_ref(vc, &in_use);
-            }
-#endif
-	    if (isDisconnect && MPIR_Object_get_ref(vc) == 1) {
+	    if (vc->lpid >= MPIR_Process.size && MPIR_Object_get_ref(vc) == 1) {
+                /* release vc from dynamic process */
 		MPIDI_VC_release_ref(vc, &in_use);
 	    }