diff --git a/src/Pstream/mpi/UPstream.C b/src/Pstream/mpi/UPstream.C
index a0d453306..51306bf7f 100644
--- a/src/Pstream/mpi/UPstream.C
+++ b/src/Pstream/mpi/UPstream.C
@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@ License
     You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
     along with OpenFOAM.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
+Note
+    The const_cast used in this file is a temporary hack for to work around
+    bugs in OpenMPI for versions < 1.7.4
+
 \*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 
 #include "UPstream.H"
@@ -332,8 +336,6 @@ void Foam::UPstream::allToAll
         (
             MPI_Alltoall
             (
-                // NOTE: const_cast is a temporary hack for
-                // backward-compatibility with versions of OpenMPI < 1.7.4
                 const_cast<label*>(sendData.begin()),
                 sizeof(label),
                 MPI_BYTE,
@@ -403,13 +405,13 @@ void Foam::UPstream::allToAll
         (
             MPI_Alltoallv
             (
-                sendData,
-                sendSizes.begin(),
-                sendOffsets.begin(),
+                const_cast<char*>(sendData),
+                const_cast<int*>(sendSizes.begin()),
+                const_cast<int*>(sendOffsets.begin()),
                 MPI_BYTE,
                 recvData,
-                recvSizes.begin(),
-                recvOffsets.begin(),
+                const_cast<int*>(recvSizes.begin()),
+                const_cast<int*>(recvOffsets.begin()),
                 MPI_BYTE,
                 PstreamGlobals::MPICommunicators_[communicator]
             )
@@ -465,12 +467,12 @@ void Foam::UPstream::gather
         (
             MPI_Gatherv
             (
-                sendData,
+                const_cast<char*>(sendData),
                 sendSize,
                 MPI_BYTE,
                 recvData,
-                recvSizes.begin(),
-                recvOffsets.begin(),
+                const_cast<int*>(recvSizes.begin()),
+                const_cast<int*>(recvOffsets.begin()),
                 MPI_BYTE,
                 0,
                 MPI_Comm(PstreamGlobals::MPICommunicators_[communicator])
@@ -524,9 +526,9 @@ void Foam::UPstream::scatter
         (
             MPI_Scatterv
             (
-                sendData,
-                sendSizes.begin(),
-                sendOffsets.begin(),
+                const_cast<char*>(sendData),
+                const_cast<int*>(sendSizes.begin()),
+                const_cast<int*>(sendOffsets.begin()),
                 MPI_BYTE,
                 recvData,
                 recvSize,