diff --git a/src/ior.c b/src/ior.c
index 5c708cf..d7dd096 100755
--- a/src/ior.c
+++ b/src/ior.c
@@ -549,77 +549,6 @@ static int CountErrors(IOR_param_t * test, int access, int errors)
         return (allErrors);
 }
 
-/*
- * Count the number of tasks that share a host.
- *
- * This function employees the gethostname() call, rather than using
- * MPI_Get_processor_name().  We are interested in knowing the number
- * of tasks that share a file system client (I/O node, compute node,
- * whatever that may be).  However on machines like BlueGene/Q,
- * MPI_Get_processor_name() uniquely identifies a cpu in a compute node,
- * not the node where the I/O is function shipped to.  gethostname()
- * is assumed to identify the shared filesystem client in more situations.
- *
- * NOTE: This also assumes that the task count on all nodes is equal
- * to the task count on the host running MPI task 0.
- */
-int CountTasksPerNode(int numTasks, MPI_Comm comm)
-{
-        /* for debugging and testing */
-        if (getenv("IOR_FAKE_TASK_PER_NODES")){
-          int tasksPerNode = atoi(getenv("IOR_FAKE_TASK_PER_NODES"));
-          int rank;
-          MPI_Comm_rank(comm, & rank);
-          if(rank == 0){
-            printf("Fake tasks per node: using %d\n", tasksPerNode);
-          }
-          return tasksPerNode;
-        }
-
-        char localhost[MAX_STR];
-        char hostname0[MAX_STR];
-        static int firstPass = TRUE;
-        unsigned count;
-        unsigned flag;
-        int rc;
-
-        rc = gethostname(localhost, MAX_STR);
-        if (rc == -1) {
-                /* This node won't match task 0's hostname...except in the
-                   case where ALL gethostname() calls fail, in which
-                   case ALL nodes will appear to be on the same node.
-                   We'll handle that later. */
-                localhost[0] = '\0';
-                if (rank == 0)
-                        perror("gethostname() failed");
-        }
-
-        if (verbose >= VERBOSE_2 && firstPass) {
-                char tmp[MAX_STR];
-                sprintf(tmp, "task %d on %s", rank, localhost);
-                OutputToRoot(numTasks, comm, tmp);
-                firstPass = FALSE;
-        }
-
-        /* send task 0's hostname to all tasks */
-        if (rank == 0)
-                strcpy(hostname0, localhost);
-        MPI_CHECK(MPI_Bcast(hostname0, MAX_STR, MPI_CHAR, 0, comm),
-                  "broadcast of task 0's hostname failed");
-        if (strcmp(hostname0, localhost) == 0)
-                flag = 1;
-        else
-                flag = 0;
-
-        /* count the tasks share the same host as task 0 */
-        MPI_Allreduce(&flag, &count, 1, MPI_UNSIGNED, MPI_SUM, comm);
-
-        if (hostname0[0] == '\0')
-                count = 1;
-
-        return (int)count;
-}
-
 /*
  * Allocate a page-aligned (required by O_DIRECT) buffer.
  */
@@ -1349,7 +1278,7 @@ static IOR_test_t *SetupTests(int argc, char **argv)
         IOR_test_t *tests, *testsHead;
 
         /* count the tasks per node */
-        tasksPerNode = CountTasksPerNode(numTasksWorld, mpi_comm_world);
+        tasksPerNode = CountTasksPerNode(mpi_comm_world);
 
         testsHead = tests = ParseCommandLine(argc, argv);
         /*
@@ -2042,7 +1971,7 @@ static void TestIoSys(IOR_test_t *test)
                         "Using reorderTasks '-C' (expecting block, not cyclic, task assignment)\n");
                 fflush(out_logfile);
         }
-        params->tasksPerNode = CountTasksPerNode(params->numTasks, testComm);
+        params->tasksPerNode = CountTasksPerNode(testComm);
 
         /* setup timers */
         for (i = 0; i < 12; i++) {
diff --git a/src/ior.h b/src/ior.h
index 76ea323..7ee0396 100755
--- a/src/ior.h
+++ b/src/ior.h
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ typedef struct
     int deadlineForStonewalling;     /* max time in seconds to run any test phase */
     int stoneWallingWearOut;         /* wear out the stonewalling, once the timout is over, each process has to write the same amount */
     uint64_t stoneWallingWearOutIterations; /* the number of iterations for the stonewallingWearOut, needed for readBack */
-    char stoneWallingStatusFile[MAXPATHLEN]; 
+    char stoneWallingStatusFile[MAXPATHLEN];
 
     int maxTimeDuration;             /* max time in minutes to run each test */
     int outlierThreshold;            /* warn on outlier N seconds from mean */
@@ -240,7 +240,6 @@ IOR_test_t *CreateTest(IOR_param_t *init_params, int test_num);
 void AllocResults(IOR_test_t *test);
 void GetPlatformName(char *);
 void init_IOR_Param_t(IOR_param_t *p);
-int CountTasksPerNode(int numTasks, MPI_Comm comm);
 
 /*
  * This function runs IOR given by command line, useful for testing
diff --git a/src/mdtest.c b/src/mdtest.c
index e0627a5..81b1df3 100644
--- a/src/mdtest.c
+++ b/src/mdtest.c
@@ -86,7 +86,6 @@
 
 #define LLU "%lu"
 
-//int rank;
 static int size;
 static uint64_t *rand_array;
 static char testdir[MAX_LEN];
@@ -176,55 +175,6 @@ enum {MK_UNI_DIR, STAT_SUB_DIR, READ_SUB_DIR, RM_SUB_DIR, RM_UNI_DIR};
 
 
 
-#if MPI_VERSION >= 3
-int count_tasks_per_node(void) {
-    /* modern MPI provides a simple way to get the local process count */
-    MPI_Comm shared_comm;
-    int rc, count;
-
-    MPI_Comm_split_type (testComm, MPI_COMM_TYPE_SHARED, 0, MPI_INFO_NULL, &shared_comm);
-
-    MPI_Comm_size (shared_comm, &count);
-
-    MPI_Comm_free (&shared_comm);
-
-    return count;
-}
-#else
-int count_tasks_per_node(void) {
-    char       localhost[MAX_LEN],
-        hostname[MAX_LEN];
-    int        count               = 1,
-        i;
-    MPI_Status status;
-
-    if (( rank == 0 ) && ( verbose >= 1 )) {
-        fprintf( out_logfile, "V-1: Entering count_tasks_per_node...\n" );
-        fflush( out_logfile );
-    }
-
-    if (gethostname(localhost, MAX_LEN) != 0) {
-        FAIL("gethostname()");
-    }
-    if (rank == 0) {
-        /* MPI_receive all hostnames, and compare to local hostname */
-        for (i = 0; i < size-1; i++) {
-            MPI_Recv(hostname, MAX_LEN, MPI_CHAR, MPI_ANY_SOURCE,
-                     MPI_ANY_TAG, testComm, &status);
-            if (strcmp(hostname, localhost) == 0) {
-                count++;
-            }
-        }
-    } else {
-        /* MPI_send hostname to root node */
-        MPI_Send(localhost, MAX_LEN, MPI_CHAR, 0, 0, testComm);
-    }
-    MPI_Bcast(&count, 1, MPI_INT, 0, testComm);
-
-    return(count);
-}
-#endif
-
 void delay_secs(int delay) {
 
 
@@ -1023,7 +973,6 @@ void directory_test(const int iteration, const int ntasks, const char *path, ran
             fflush( out_logfile );
         }
 
-        double start_timer = GetTimeStamp();
         /* remove directories */
         if (collective_creates) {
             if (rank == 0) {
@@ -1112,7 +1061,7 @@ void file_test(const int iteration, const int ntasks, const char *path, rank_pro
     t[0] = MPI_Wtime();
 
     /* create phase */
-    if (create_only && ! CHECK_STONE_WALL(progress)) {
+    if (create_only ) {
         if (unique_dir_per_task) {
             unique_dir_access(MK_UNI_DIR, temp_path);
             if (!time_unique_dir_overhead) {
@@ -1138,6 +1087,7 @@ void file_test(const int iteration, const int ntasks, const char *path, rank_pro
         /* create files */
         create_remove_items(0, 0, 1, 0, temp_path, 0, progress);
         if(stone_wall_timer_seconds){
+	        /* TODO */
           if (verbose >= 1 ) {
             fprintf( out_logfile, "V-1: rank %d stonewall hit with %lld items\n", rank, progress->items_done );
             fflush( out_logfile );
@@ -1176,7 +1126,7 @@ void file_test(const int iteration, const int ntasks, const char *path, rank_pro
     t[1] = MPI_Wtime();
 
     /* stat phase */
-    if (stat_only && ! CHECK_STONE_WALL(progress)) {
+    if (stat_only ) {
         if (unique_dir_per_task) {
             unique_dir_access(STAT_SUB_DIR, temp_path);
             if (!time_unique_dir_overhead) {
@@ -1205,7 +1155,7 @@ void file_test(const int iteration, const int ntasks, const char *path, rank_pro
     t[2] = MPI_Wtime();
 
     /* read phase */
-    if (read_only && ! CHECK_STONE_WALL(progress)) {
+    if (read_only ) {
         if (unique_dir_per_task) {
             unique_dir_access(READ_SUB_DIR, temp_path);
             if (!time_unique_dir_overhead) {
@@ -1233,7 +1183,7 @@ void file_test(const int iteration, const int ntasks, const char *path, rank_pro
     }
     t[3] = MPI_Wtime();
 
-    if (remove_only && ! CHECK_STONE_WALL(progress)) {
+    if (remove_only) {
         if (unique_dir_per_task) {
             unique_dir_access(RM_SUB_DIR, temp_path);
             if (!time_unique_dir_overhead) {
@@ -1261,7 +1211,7 @@ void file_test(const int iteration, const int ntasks, const char *path, rank_pro
         MPI_Barrier(testComm);
     }
     t[4] = MPI_Wtime();
-    if (remove_only && ! CHECK_STONE_WALL(progress)) {
+    if (remove_only) {
         if (unique_dir_per_task) {
             unique_dir_access(RM_UNI_DIR, temp_path);
         } else {
@@ -2009,9 +1959,6 @@ static void mdtest_iteration(int i, int j, MPI_Group testgroup, mdtest_results_t
   }
 
   MPI_Barrier(testComm);
-  if(CHECK_STONE_WALL(progress)){
-    return;
-  }
   if (remove_only) {
       startCreate = MPI_Wtime();
       if (unique_dir_per_task) {
@@ -2164,7 +2111,7 @@ mdtest_results_t * mdtest_run(int argc, char **argv, MPI_Comm world_com, FILE *
     pid = getpid();
     uid = getuid();
 
-    nodeCount = size / count_tasks_per_node();
+    nodeCount = size / CountTasksPerNode(testComm);
 
     if (rank == 0) {
         fprintf(out_logfile, "-- started at %s --\n\n", PrintTimestamp());
@@ -2384,9 +2331,7 @@ mdtest_results_t * mdtest_run(int argc, char **argv, MPI_Comm world_com, FILE *
              * range 0 .. 1. Multiply that by n and you get a number in
              * the range 0 .. n.
              */
-
-            uint64_t k =
-                ( uint64_t ) ((( double )rand() / ( double )RAND_MAX ) * ( double )n );
+            uint64_t k = ( uint64_t ) ((( double )rand() / ( double )RAND_MAX ) * ( double )n );
 
             /*
              * Now move the nth element to the kth (randomly chosen)
diff --git a/src/mdtest.h b/src/mdtest.h
index 897329f..6267282 100644
--- a/src/mdtest.h
+++ b/src/mdtest.h
@@ -21,14 +21,15 @@ typedef enum {
 
 typedef struct
 {
-    double rate[MDTEST_LAST_NUM];
-    double time[MDTEST_LAST_NUM];
-    uint64_t items[MDTEST_LAST_NUM];
+    double rate[MDTEST_LAST_NUM]; /* Calculated throughput */
+    double time[MDTEST_LAST_NUM]; /* Time */
+    uint64_t items[MDTEST_LAST_NUM]; /* Number of operations done */
 
-    uint64_t stonewall_last_item[MDTEST_LAST_NUM];
-    double stonewall_time[MDTEST_LAST_NUM];
-    uint64_t stonewall_item_min[MDTEST_LAST_NUM];
-    uint64_t stonewall_item_sum[MDTEST_LAST_NUM];
+    /* Statistics when hitting the stonewall */
+    double   stonewall_time[MDTEST_LAST_NUM];     /* runtime until completion / hit of the stonewall */
+    uint64_t stonewall_last_item[MDTEST_LAST_NUM]; /* Max number of items a process has accessed */
+    uint64_t stonewall_item_min[MDTEST_LAST_NUM];  /* Min number of items a process has accessed */
+    uint64_t stonewall_item_sum[MDTEST_LAST_NUM];  /* Total number of items accessed until stonewall */
 } mdtest_results_t;
 
 mdtest_results_t * mdtest_run(int argc, char **argv, MPI_Comm world_com, FILE * out_logfile);
diff --git a/src/utilities.c b/src/utilities.c
index f71d790..05d6f46 100755
--- a/src/utilities.c
+++ b/src/utilities.c
@@ -130,77 +130,77 @@ void DumpBuffer(void *buffer,
         return;
 }                               /* DumpBuffer() */
 
-/*
- * Sends all strings to root nodes and displays.
- */
-void OutputToRoot(int numTasks, MPI_Comm comm, char *stringToDisplay)
-{
-        int i;
-        int swapNeeded = TRUE;
-        int pairsToSwap;
-        char **stringArray;
-        char tmpString[MAX_STR];
-        MPI_Status status;
+#if MPI_VERSION >= 3
+int CountTasksPerNode(MPI_Comm comm) {
+    /* modern MPI provides a simple way to get the local process count */
+    MPI_Comm shared_comm;
+    int rc, count;
 
-        /* malloc string array */
-        stringArray = (char **)malloc(sizeof(char *) * numTasks);
-        if (stringArray == NULL)
-                ERR("out of memory");
-        for (i = 0; i < numTasks; i++) {
-                stringArray[i] = (char *)malloc(sizeof(char) * MAX_STR);
-                if (stringArray[i] == NULL)
-                        ERR("out of memory");
-        }
+    MPI_Comm_split_type (comm, MPI_COMM_TYPE_SHARED, 0, MPI_INFO_NULL, &shared_comm);
+    MPI_Comm_size (shared_comm, &count);
+    MPI_Comm_free (&shared_comm);
 
-        strcpy(stringArray[rank], stringToDisplay);
-
-        if (rank == 0) {
-                /* MPI_receive all strings */
-                for (i = 1; i < numTasks; i++) {
-                        MPI_CHECK(MPI_Recv(stringArray[i], MAX_STR, MPI_CHAR,
-                                           MPI_ANY_SOURCE, MPI_ANY_TAG, comm,
-                                           &status), "MPI_Recv() error");
-                }
-        } else {
-                /* MPI_send string to root node */
-                MPI_CHECK(MPI_Send
-                          (stringArray[rank], MAX_STR, MPI_CHAR, 0, 0, comm),
-                          "MPI_Send() error");
-        }
-        MPI_CHECK(MPI_Barrier(comm), "barrier error");
-
-        /* sort strings using bubblesort */
-        if (rank == 0) {
-                pairsToSwap = numTasks - 1;
-                while (swapNeeded) {
-                        swapNeeded = FALSE;
-                        for (i = 0; i < pairsToSwap; i++) {
-                                if (strcmp(stringArray[i], stringArray[i + 1]) >
-                                    0) {
-                                        strcpy(tmpString, stringArray[i]);
-                                        strcpy(stringArray[i],
-                                               stringArray[i + 1]);
-                                        strcpy(stringArray[i + 1], tmpString);
-                                        swapNeeded = TRUE;
-                                }
-                        }
-                        pairsToSwap--;
-                }
-        }
-
-        /* display strings */
-        if (rank == 0) {
-                for (i = 0; i < numTasks; i++) {
-                        fprintf(out_logfile, "%s\n", stringArray[i]);
-                }
-        }
-
-        /* free strings */
-        for (i = 0; i < numTasks; i++) {
-                free(stringArray[i]);
-        }
-        free(stringArray);
+    return count;
 }
+#else
+/*
+ * Count the number of tasks that share a host.
+ *
+ * This function employees the gethostname() call, rather than using
+ * MPI_Get_processor_name().  We are interested in knowing the number
+ * of tasks that share a file system client (I/O node, compute node,
+ * whatever that may be).  However on machines like BlueGene/Q,
+ * MPI_Get_processor_name() uniquely identifies a cpu in a compute node,
+ * not the node where the I/O is function shipped to.  gethostname()
+ * is assumed to identify the shared filesystem client in more situations.
+ *
+ * NOTE: This also assumes that the task count on all nodes is equal
+ * to the task count on the host running MPI task 0.
+ */
+int CountTasksPerNode(MPI_Comm comm) {
+    /* for debugging and testing */
+    if (getenv("IOR_FAKE_TASK_PER_NODES")){
+      int tasksPerNode = atoi(getenv("IOR_FAKE_TASK_PER_NODES"));
+      int rank;
+      MPI_Comm_rank(comm, & rank);
+      if(rank == 0){
+        printf("Fake tasks per node: using %d\n", tasksPerNode);
+      }
+      return tasksPerNode;
+    }
+    char       localhost[MAX_LEN],
+        hostname[MAX_LEN];
+    int        count               = 1,
+        i;
+    MPI_Status status;
+
+    if (( rank == 0 ) && ( verbose >= 1 )) {
+        fprintf( out_logfile, "V-1: Entering count_tasks_per_node...\n" );
+        fflush( out_logfile );
+    }
+
+    if (gethostname(localhost, MAX_LEN) != 0) {
+        FAIL("gethostname()");
+    }
+    if (rank == 0) {
+        /* MPI_receive all hostnames, and compare to local hostname */
+        for (i = 0; i < size-1; i++) {
+            MPI_Recv(hostname, MAX_LEN, MPI_CHAR, MPI_ANY_SOURCE,
+                     MPI_ANY_TAG, testComm, &status);
+            if (strcmp(hostname, localhost) == 0) {
+                count++;
+            }
+        }
+    } else {
+        /* MPI_send hostname to root node */
+        MPI_Send(localhost, MAX_LEN, MPI_CHAR, 0, 0, testComm);
+    }
+    MPI_Bcast(&count, 1, MPI_INT, 0, testComm);
+
+    return(count);
+}
+#endif
+
 
 /*
  * Extract key/value pair from hint string.
diff --git a/src/utilities.h b/src/utilities.h
index 3865757..9759752 100755
--- a/src/utilities.h
+++ b/src/utilities.h
@@ -48,13 +48,13 @@ extern FILE * out_logfile;
 void set_o_direct_flag(int *fd);
 
 char *CurrentTimeString(void);
-void OutputToRoot(int, MPI_Comm, char *);
 int Regex(char *, char *);
 void ShowFileSystemSize(char *);
 void DumpBuffer(void *, size_t);
 void SeedRandGen(MPI_Comm);
 void SetHints (MPI_Info *, char *);
 void ShowHints (MPI_Info *);
+int CountTasksPerNode(MPI_Comm comm);
 
 /* Returns -1, if cannot be read  */
 int64_t ReadStoneWallingIterations(char * const filename);