diff --git a/etc/config/settings.csh b/etc/config/settings.csh
index 70cd06923..2138bb236 100644
--- a/etc/config/settings.csh
+++ b/etc/config/settings.csh
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ case SYSTEMOPENMPI:
     breaksw
 
 case OPENMPI:
-    setenv FOAM_MPI openmpi-1.6.5
+    setenv FOAM_MPI openmpi-1.8.3
     # optional configuration tweaks:
     _foamSource `$WM_PROJECT_DIR/bin/foamEtcFile config/openmpi.csh`
 
diff --git a/etc/config/settings.sh b/etc/config/settings.sh
index eb1fa8da6..aab770ef6 100644
--- a/etc/config/settings.sh
+++ b/etc/config/settings.sh
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ SYSTEMOPENMPI)
     ;;
 
 OPENMPI)
-    export FOAM_MPI=openmpi-1.6.5
+    export FOAM_MPI=openmpi-1.8.3
     # optional configuration tweaks:
     _foamSource `$WM_PROJECT_DIR/bin/foamEtcFile config/openmpi.sh`