diff --git a/etc/config/settings.csh b/etc/config/settings.csh
index 059ea30e33..81e777ac45 100644
--- a/etc/config/settings.csh
+++ b/etc/config/settings.csh
@@ -402,7 +402,7 @@ case SYSTEMOPENMPI:
     breaksw
 
 case OPENMPI:
-    setenv FOAM_MPI openmpi-1.5.4
+    setenv FOAM_MPI openmpi-1.6.3
     # 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 ed45429a65..2017243192 100644
--- a/etc/config/settings.sh
+++ b/etc/config/settings.sh
@@ -429,7 +429,7 @@ SYSTEMOPENMPI)
     ;;
 
 OPENMPI)
-    export FOAM_MPI=openmpi-1.5.4
+    export FOAM_MPI=openmpi-1.6.3
     # optional configuration tweaks:
     _foamSource `$WM_PROJECT_DIR/bin/foamEtcFile config/openmpi.sh`