diff --git a/python/lammps.py b/python/lammps.py
index 5f5ee52636..23abd7f772 100644
--- a/python/lammps.py
+++ b/python/lammps.py
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ class lammps:
     except:
       try:
         self.lib = CDLL("_lammps_serial.so")
-      except:
-        raise StandardError,"Could not load LAMMPS dynamic library"
+      #except:
+      #  raise OSError,"Could not load LAMMPS dynamic library"
 
     # create an instance of LAMMPS
     # don't know how to pass an MPI communicator from PyPar
diff --git a/python/setup.py b/python/setup.py
index 80fcfcdb20..072673c027 100755
--- a/python/setup.py
+++ b/python/setup.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/local/bin/python
 
 """
-setup.py file for LAMMPS with system MPI library
+setup.py file for LAMMPS with system MPICH library
 """
 
 from distutils.core import setup, Extension
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ lammps_library = Extension("_lammps",
                            # src files for LAMMPS
                            include_dirs = ["../src"],
                            # additional libs for MPICH on Linux
-                           libraries = ["mpich","rt"],
+                           libraries = ["mpich","mpl","pthread"],
                            # where to find the MPICH lib on Linux
                            library_dirs = ["/usr/local/lib"],
                            # additional libs for MPI on Mac
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ lammps_library = Extension("_lammps",
                            )
 
 setup(name = "lammps",
-      version = "26Oct10",
+      version = "28Nov11",
       author = "Steve Plimpton",
       author_email = "sjplimp@sandia.gov",
       url = "http://lammps.sandia.gov",
diff --git a/python/setup_serial.py b/python/setup_serial.py
index 425f47062b..f06937613c 100755
--- a/python/setup_serial.py
+++ b/python/setup_serial.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ lammps_library = Extension("_lammps_serial",
                            )
 
 setup(name = "lammps_serial",
-      version = "26Oct10",
+      version = "28Nov11",
       author = "Steve Plimpton",
       author_email = "sjplimp@sandia.gov",
       url = "http://lammps.sandia.gov",