diff --git a/src/ior.c b/src/ior.c
index 3ef411c..bb2b4c2 100755
--- a/src/ior.c
+++ b/src/ior.c
@@ -939,6 +939,7 @@ static void InitTests(IOR_test_t *tests, MPI_Comm com)
                 params->testComm = com;
                 params->nodes = params->numTasks / tasksPerNode;
                 params->tasksPerNode = tasksPerNode;
+                params->packedTasks = QueryNodeMapping(com);
                 if (params->numTasks == 0) {
                   params->numTasks = size;
                 }
@@ -1360,7 +1361,13 @@ static void TestIoSys(IOR_test_t *test)
                         }
                         if (params->reorderTasks) {
                                 /* move two nodes away from writing node */
-                                rankOffset = (2 * params->tasksPerNode) % params->numTasks;
+                                int shift = 1;
+                                if (params->packedTasks) {
+                                    shift = params->tasksPerNode;
+                                } else {
+                                    shift = 1;
+                                }
+                                rankOffset = (2 * shift) % params->numTasks;
                         }
 
                         // update the check buffer
@@ -1395,9 +1402,14 @@ static void TestIoSys(IOR_test_t *test)
                         /* Get rankOffset [file offset] for this process to read, based on -C,-Z,-Q,-X options */
                         /* Constant process offset reading */
                         if (params->reorderTasks) {
-                                /* move taskPerNodeOffset nodes[1==default] away from writing node */
-                                rankOffset = (params->taskPerNodeOffset *
-                                          params->tasksPerNode) % params->numTasks;
+                                /* move one node away from writing node */ 
+                                int shift = 1;
+                                if (params->packedTasks) {
+                                    shift=params->tasksPerNode;
+                                } else {
+                                    shift=1;
+                                }
+                                rankOffset = (params->taskPerNodeOffset * shift) % params->numTasks;
                         }
                         /* random process offset reading */
                         if (params->reorderTasksRandom) {
diff --git a/src/ior.h b/src/ior.h
index 5c46efe..2ea6c05 100755
--- a/src/ior.h
+++ b/src/ior.h
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ typedef struct
     int numTasks;                    /* number of tasks for test */
     int nodes;                       /* number of nodes for test */
     int tasksPerNode;                /* number of tasks per node */
+    int packedTasks;                 /* are the tasks round-robin across nodes or are they packed tightly*/ 
     int repetitions;                 /* number of repetitions of test */
     int repCounter;                  /* rep counter */
     int multiFile;                   /* multiple files */