diff --git a/examples/QM/LATTE/README b/examples/QM/LATTE/README
index a39df8b2a4..f7ab834563 100644
--- a/examples/QM/LATTE/README
+++ b/examples/QM/LATTE/README
@@ -53,24 +53,23 @@ Building 3 codes needed to run these examples
 (3) Build LAMMPS with its MDI package
     also with the MOLECULE package for these example scripts
 
-traditional make:
+Build with regular make:
 % cd lammps/lib/mdi
-% python Install.py -m mpi     # creates static libmdi.a
+% python Install.py -m mpi
 % cd lammps/src
 % make yes-mdi
-% make mpi            # build LAMMPS as exe and shared lib
-                      # shared lib for use of LAMMPS as MDI plugin
+% make mpi                     # creates lmp_mpi
 
-CMake build:
+Build with CMake:
 % cd lammps
 % mkdir build; cd build
 % cmake -D PKG_MDI=yes -D PKG_MOLECULE=yes ../cmake
-% make
+% make                         # creates lmp
 
-(4) Copy LAMMPS and LATTE files into this dir
+(4) Copy LAMMPS and LATTE executables into this dir
 
-Copy the LAMMPS executable (e.g. lmp_mpi) into this dir.
-Copy the LATTE executabe (LATTE_DOUBLE) into this dir.
+Copy the LAMMPS executable into this dir as lmp_mpi.
+Copy the LATTE executable LATTE_DOUBLE into this dir.
 The run commands below assume you have done this.
 
 ------------------
diff --git a/examples/QM/README b/examples/QM/README
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7fa24093ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/QM/README
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+Each of the directories shows how to use LAMMPS in tandem with a
+specific quantum code
+
+LATTE = semi-empirical tight-binding code from LANL
+  https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1526907-los-alamos-transferable-tight-binding-energetics-latte-version
+  https://github.com/lanl/LATTE
+
+To be added later (as of July 2022):
+
+DFT-FE = real-space DFT code from U Michigan
+  https://github.com/dftfeDevelopers/dftfe
+
+Quantum Espresso (QE) = DFT code for materials modeling
+  https://www.quantum-espresso.org/
+
+NWChem = computational chemistry code from PNNL
+  focus here is on DFT portion of NWChem
+  https://www.nwchem-sw.org
diff --git a/examples/mdi/README b/examples/mdi/README
index d6bcc48f21..4669b2febd 100644
--- a/examples/mdi/README
+++ b/examples/mdi/README
@@ -27,17 +27,33 @@ Examples for all these use cases, using LAMMPS as a driver and as an
 engine are in this directory.  The Run.sh file shows how run in all
 the modes.  Type "sh Run.sh" to try them all out.
 
-Examples for using LAMMPS as a driver with the tight-binding code LATTE  
-are in the LATTE sub-directory.  See its README file for more info.
+Examples for using LAMMPS as a driver with the tight-binding code
+LATTE are in the examples/QM/LATTE sub-directory.  See its README file
+for more info.
 
-Note that to use LAMMPS as a plugin engine for some the examples in
-this dir, you must build it as a shared library.  Something like this
-with traditional make, which also builds the normal LAMMPS executable
-lmp_mpi:
+-------------------------------------------------
 
-cd src
-make yes-mdi
-make mode=shlib mpi
+Here is how to build LAMMPS with MDI support.  Both as an executable
+and a shared library.  The former is needed to use LAMMPS as an MDI
+driver or as an MDI engine in stand-alone mode.  The latter is needed
+to use LAMMPS as an MDI engine in plugin mode.
+
+Build via regular make:
+
+% cd lammps/src
+% make lib-mdi args="-m mpi"    # download, install MDI in lib/mdi w/ MPI support
+% make yes-mdi                  # include MDI package in LAMMPS build
+% make mode=shlib mpi           # creates lmp_mpi and liblammps.so
+
+Build via CMake:
+
+cd lammps
+mkdir build; cd build
+cmake -D PKG_MDI=yes -D BUILD_SHARED_LIBS=yes ../cmake
+make                            # creates lmp and liblammps.so
+
+Both of these build procedures build LAMMPS both as an executable
+(lmp_mpi) and as a shared library (liblammps.so).
 
 -------------------------------------------------
 
diff --git a/lib/mdi/Install.py b/lib/mdi/Install.py
index 6269126e94..5caa819982 100644
--- a/lib/mdi/Install.py
+++ b/lib/mdi/Install.py
@@ -27,9 +27,7 @@ specify -m and optionally -e, order does not matter
 
 Examples:
 
-make lib-poems args="-m serial" # build POEMS lib with same settings as in the serial Makefile in src
-make lib-colvars args="-m mpi"  # build COLVARS lib with same settings as in the mpi Makefile in src
-make lib-meam args="-m ifort"   # build MEAM lib with custom Makefile.ifort (using Intel Fortran)
+make lib-mdi args="-m mpi" # build MDI lib with same settings as in the mpi Makefile in src
 """
 
 # settings
diff --git a/src/MDI/library_mdi.cpp b/src/MDI/library_mdi.cpp
index ad2e995b4c..dd062f7724 100644
--- a/src/MDI/library_mdi.cpp
+++ b/src/MDI/library_mdi.cpp
@@ -23,12 +23,8 @@
 #define LAMMPS_LIB_MPI 1
 #include "library.h"
 
-#include "mdi_engine.h"
-
 #include <cstring>
 
-using namespace LAMMPS_NS;
-
 /* ---------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
 /** Initialize an instance of LAMMPS as an MDI plugin
@@ -58,6 +54,7 @@ int MDI_Plugin_init_lammps()
 
   int mdi_argc;
   char **mdi_argv;
+
   if (MDI_Plugin_get_argc(&mdi_argc)) MPI_Abort(MPI_COMM_WORLD, 1);
   if (MDI_Plugin_get_argv(&mdi_argv)) MPI_Abort(MPI_COMM_WORLD, 1);
   if (MDI_Init(&mdi_argc, &mdi_argv)) MPI_Abort(MPI_COMM_WORLD, 1);
@@ -90,14 +87,24 @@ int MDI_Plugin_init_lammps()
   if (!found_filename) MPI_Abort(MPI_COMM_WORLD, 1);
 
   // create and run a LAMMPS instance
-  // lammps_open() expects a first arg (not used) which is executable name
-  // same as if called from main.cpp
+  // need to add an initial pseudo arg to mdi_argc & mdi_argv
+  // b/c lammps_open() expects first arg to be an executable name
+  // same as if it were called from main.cpp
+
+  int mdi_argc_extra = mdi_argc + 1;
+  char **mdi_argv_extra = new char*[mdi_argc_extra];
+
+  mdi_argv_extra[0] = (char *) "MDI_plugin_engine";
+  for (int i = 0; i < mdi_argc; i++)
+    mdi_argv_extra[i+1] = mdi_argv[i];
 
   void *lmp = nullptr;
   if (lammps_config_has_mpi_support() > 0)
-    lmp = lammps_open(mdi_argc + 1, &mdi_argv[-1], mpi_world_comm, nullptr);
+    lmp = lammps_open(mdi_argc_extra, mdi_argv_extra, mpi_world_comm, nullptr);
   else
-    lmp = lammps_open_no_mpi(mdi_argc + 1, &mdi_argv[-1], nullptr);
+    lmp = lammps_open_no_mpi(mdi_argc_extra, mdi_argv_extra, nullptr);
+
+  delete [] mdi_argv_extra;
 
   // process the specified input script
   // must contain "mdi engine" command
@@ -110,25 +117,3 @@ int MDI_Plugin_init_lammps()
 
   return 0;
 }
-
-/* ---------------------------------------------------------------------- */
-
-/** Execute an MDI command
- *
-\verbatim embed:rst
-
-This function is called by the MolSSI Driver Interface Library (MDI)
-when LAMMPS is run as a plugin, and should not otherwise be used.
-The function executes a single command from an external MDI driver.
-
-\endverbatim
- * \param  command   string buffer corresponding to the command to be executed
- * \param  comm      MDI communicator that can be used to communicated with the driver.
- * \param  class_obj pointer to an instance of an mdi/engine fix cast to ``void *``.
- * \return 0 on no error, 1 on error. */
-
-int lammps_execute_mdi_command(const char *command, MDI_Comm comm, void *class_obj)
-{
-  auto mdi_engine = (MDIEngine *) class_obj;
-  return mdi_engine->execute_command(command, comm);
-}
diff --git a/src/MDI/library_mdi.h b/src/MDI/library_mdi.h
index 1928244dd8..afc522ed68 100644
--- a/src/MDI/library_mdi.h
+++ b/src/MDI/library_mdi.h
@@ -14,13 +14,12 @@
 #ifndef LAMMPS_LIBRARY_MDI_H
 #define LAMMPS_LIBRARY_MDI_H
 
-/* C style library calls to LAMMPS when a LAMMPS shared library is
- *  used as a plugin through MolSSI Driver Interface (MDI). */
+/* C style library call to LAMMPS when a LAMMPS shared library is
+ *  used as a plugin through MolSSI Driver Interface (MDI) */
 
 #include <mdi.h>
 
 extern "C" {
 int MDI_Plugin_init_lammps();
-int lammps_execute_mdi_command(const char *, MDI_Comm, void *);
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/src/MDI/mdi_engine.cpp b/src/MDI/mdi_engine.cpp
index aeb18e856c..e9f8b0651d 100644
--- a/src/MDI/mdi_engine.cpp
+++ b/src/MDI/mdi_engine.cpp
@@ -184,10 +184,10 @@ MDIEngine::MDIEngine(LAMMPS *_lmp, int narg, char ** arg) : Pointers(_lmp)
 
   mdi_commands();
 
-  // register the execute_command function with MDI
-  // only used when engine runs in plugin mode
+  // register a callback function with MDI used when engine runs in plugin mode
+  // execute_command_plugin_wrapper() must be a static method
 
-  MDI_Set_execute_command_func(lammps_execute_mdi_command, this);
+  MDI_Set_execute_command_func(execute_command_plugin_wrapper, this);
 
   // one-time operation to establish a connection with the driver
 
@@ -291,11 +291,23 @@ void MDIEngine::engine_node(const char *node)
   node_match = true;
 }
 
+/* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+   wrapper function on execute_command()
+   invoked as callback by MDI when engine operates in plugin mode
+   this is a static method in mdi_engine.h
+---------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+int MDIEngine::execute_command_plugin_wrapper(const char *command, 
+                                              MDI_Comm comm, void *class_obj)
+{
+  auto mdi_engine = (MDIEngine *) class_obj;
+  return mdi_engine->execute_command(command, comm);
+}
+
 /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    process a single driver command
-   called by engine_node() in loop
-   also called by MDI itself via lib::lammps_execute_mdi_command()
-     when LAMMPS is running as a plugin
+   called by engine_node() in loop when engine runs as stand-alone code
+   called by execute_command_plugin_wrapper() when engine runs as plugin lib
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
 int MDIEngine::execute_command(const char *command, MDI_Comm mdicomm)
diff --git a/src/MDI/mdi_engine.h b/src/MDI/mdi_engine.h
index 242755e3b7..56db28c73d 100644
--- a/src/MDI/mdi_engine.h
+++ b/src/MDI/mdi_engine.h
@@ -22,8 +22,6 @@ namespace LAMMPS_NS {
 class MDIEngine : protected Pointers {
  public:
   MDIEngine(class LAMMPS *, int, char **);
-
-  int execute_command(const char *command, MDI_Comm mdicomm);
   void engine_node(const char *node);
 
  private:
@@ -87,9 +85,13 @@ class MDIEngine : protected Pointers {
   class Irregular *irregular;    // irregular comm if new COORDS
                                  // are highly displaced
 
+  // static method for MDI to callback to, when LAMMPS used as plugin engine
+
+  static int execute_command_plugin_wrapper(const char *, MDI_Comm, void *);
+
   // class methods
 
-  void mdi_engine(int, char **);
+  int execute_command(const char *, MDI_Comm);
   void mdi_commands();
 
   void mdi_md();
diff --git a/src/MDI/mdi_plugin.cpp b/src/MDI/mdi_plugin.cpp
index 4bd917b7d7..6f052173f6 100644
--- a/src/MDI/mdi_plugin.cpp
+++ b/src/MDI/mdi_plugin.cpp
@@ -98,16 +98,19 @@ MDIPlugin::MDIPlugin(LAMMPS *_lmp, int narg, char **arg) : Pointers(_lmp)
 
   // launch the MDI plugin library
   // path for lib was specified in -mdi command-line arg when LAMMPS started
-  // this calls back to plugin_wrapper, which must issue MDI EXIT at end
+  // this calls back to plugin_wrapper(), which issues MDI EXIT at end & returns
+  // plugin_wrapper() must be a static method
 
-  MDI_Launch_plugin(plugin_name, plugin_args, &world, plugin_wrapper, (void *) this);
+  MDI_Launch_plugin(plugin_name, plugin_args, &world, plugin_wrapper, 
+                    (void *) this);
 
   delete[] plugin_args;
 }
 
 /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
-   callback function from MDI_Launch_plugin()
-   this function wraps entire interaction of LAMMPS driver with the plugin
+   wrapper on entire interaction of LAMMPS as a driver with the plugin engine
+   invoked as a callback by MDI once plugin library engine is launched
+   this is a static method in mdi_plugin.h
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
 int MDIPlugin::plugin_wrapper(void * /*pmpicomm*/, MDI_Comm mdicomm, void *vptr)
diff --git a/src/MDI/mdi_plugin.h b/src/MDI/mdi_plugin.h
index d5fc81f050..c28f1997f7 100644
--- a/src/MDI/mdi_plugin.h
+++ b/src/MDI/mdi_plugin.h
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ class MDIPlugin : protected Pointers {
  private:
   char *lammps_command;
 
+  // static method for MDI to callback to
+  // when LAMMPS is a driver which launches a plugin engine
+
   static int plugin_wrapper(void *, MDI_Comm, void *);
 };