diff --git a/lib/kokkos/Makefile.kokkos b/lib/kokkos/Makefile.kokkos
index 9e951d6087..974080e95b 100644
--- a/lib/kokkos/Makefile.kokkos
+++ b/lib/kokkos/Makefile.kokkos
@@ -78,6 +78,8 @@ KOKKOS_INTERNAL_COMPILER_PGI   := $(shell $(CXX) --version        2>&1 | grep PG
 KOKKOS_INTERNAL_COMPILER_XL    := $(shell $(CXX) -qversion        2>&1 | grep XL    | wc -l)
 KOKKOS_INTERNAL_COMPILER_CRAY  := $(shell $(CXX) -craype-verbose  2>&1 | grep "CC-" | wc -l)
 KOKKOS_INTERNAL_COMPILER_NVCC  := $(shell $(CXX) --version        2>&1 | grep "nvcc" | wc -l)
+KOKKOS_INTERNAL_COMPILER_NVCC  := $(shell $(OMPI_CXX) --version        2>&1 | grep "nvcc" | wc -l)
+KOKKOS_INTERNAL_COMPILER_NVCC  := $(shell $(MPICH_CXX) --version        2>&1 | grep "nvcc" | wc -l)
 KOKKOS_INTERNAL_COMPILER_CLANG := $(shell $(CXX) --version        2>&1 | grep "clang" | wc -l)
 
 ifeq ($(KOKKOS_INTERNAL_COMPILER_CLANG), 2)
diff --git a/src/MAKE/OPTIONS/Makefile.kokkos_cuda_mpich b/src/MAKE/OPTIONS/Makefile.kokkos_cuda_mpich
index efdc728bdf..be0c2d1913 100644
--- a/src/MAKE/OPTIONS/Makefile.kokkos_cuda_mpich
+++ b/src/MAKE/OPTIONS/Makefile.kokkos_cuda_mpich
@@ -7,13 +7,14 @@ SHELL = /bin/sh
 # specify flags and libraries needed for your compiler
 
 KOKKOS_ABSOLUTE_PATH = $(shell cd $(KOKKOS_PATH); pwd)
-CC =		mpicxx -cxx=$(KOKKOS_ABSOLUTE_PATH)/config/nvcc_wrapper
+export MPICH_CXX = $(KOKKOS_ABSOLUTE_PATH)/config/nvcc_wrapper
+CC =		mpicxx
 CCFLAGS =	-g -O3
 SHFLAGS =	-fPIC
 DEPFLAGS =	-M
 
-LINK =		mpicxx -cxx=$(KOKKOS_ABSOLUTE_PATH)/config/nvcc_wrapper
-LINKFLAGS =	-g -O
+LINK =		mpicxx
+LINKFLAGS =	-g -O3
 LIB = 
 SIZE =		size