diff --git a/examples/H5/attach_file.c b/examples/H5/attach_file.c
index ee78f7a..d61cd9b 100644
--- a/examples/H5/attach_file.c
+++ b/examples/H5/attach_file.c
@@ -15,14 +15,6 @@
 #define FNAME           "attach_file.h5"
 #define ATTACHMENT      "attach_file"
 
-#if !defined (PARALLEL_IO)
-#define MPI_Init(argc, argv)
-#define MPI_Comm_size(comm, nprocs) { *nprocs = 1; }
-#define MPI_Comm_rank(comm, myproc) { *myproc = 0; }
-#define MPI_Finalize()
-#define MPI_COMM_WORLD (0)
-#endif
-
 int
 main (
         int argc,
diff --git a/examples/H5/openclose.c b/examples/H5/openclose.c
index 3f921d6..0f789df 100644
--- a/examples/H5/openclose.c
+++ b/examples/H5/openclose.c
@@ -9,14 +9,6 @@
 
 #include "H5hut.h"
 
-#if !defined (PARALLEL_IO)
-#define MPI_Init(argc, argv)
-#define MPI_Comm_size(comm, nprocs) { *nprocs = 1; }
-#define MPI_Comm_rank(comm, myproc) { *myproc = 0; }
-#define MPI_Finalize()
-#define MPI_COMM_WORLD (0)
-#endif
-
 int
 main (
 	int argc,
diff --git a/examples/H5Fed/tetmesh_read.c b/examples/H5Fed/tetmesh_read.c
index 4bb883f..3d6213c 100644
--- a/examples/H5Fed/tetmesh_read.c
+++ b/examples/H5Fed/tetmesh_read.c
@@ -6,14 +6,6 @@
 
 #include "H5hut.h"
 
-#if !defined (PARALLEL_IO)
-#define MPI_Init(argc, argv)
-#define MPI_Comm_size(comm, nprocs) { *nprocs = 1; }
-#define MPI_Comm_rank(comm, myproc) { *myproc = 0; }
-#define MPI_Finalize()
-#define MPI_COMM_WORLD (0)
-#endif
-
 const char* FNAME = "simple_tet.h5";
 
 
diff --git a/examples/H5Fed/tetmesh_write.c b/examples/H5Fed/tetmesh_write.c
index 86c418b..833dc03 100644
--- a/examples/H5Fed/tetmesh_write.c
+++ b/examples/H5Fed/tetmesh_write.c
@@ -4,15 +4,6 @@
 
 #include "H5hut.h"
 
-#if !defined (PARALLEL_IO)
-#define MPI_Init(argc, argv)
-#define MPI_Comm_size(comm, nprocs) { *nprocs = 1; }
-#define MPI_Comm_rank(comm, myproc) { *myproc = 0; }
-#define MPI_Finalize()
-#define MPI_COMM_WORLD (0)
-#endif
-
-
 const char* FNAME = "simple_tet.h5";
 
 typedef struct vertex {
diff --git a/examples/H5Part/read_canonicalview.c b/examples/H5Part/read_canonicalview.c
index c6c9109..c4a5245 100644
--- a/examples/H5Part/read_canonicalview.c
+++ b/examples/H5Part/read_canonicalview.c
@@ -50,5 +50,6 @@ main (
 	// cleanup
 	free (data);
         H5CloseFile (file);
-        return MPI_Finalize ();
+	MPI_Finalize ();
+        return 0;
 }
diff --git a/examples/H5Part/read_core_vfd.c b/examples/H5Part/read_core_vfd.c
index a8b0e88..aa58025 100644
--- a/examples/H5Part/read_core_vfd.c
+++ b/examples/H5Part/read_core_vfd.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ main (
 	
         // initialize MPI & H5hut
         MPI_Init (&argc, &argv);
+	MPI_Comm comm = MPI_COMM_WORLD;
         int comm_size = 1;
         MPI_Comm_size (comm, &comm_size);
         int comm_rank = 0;
diff --git a/examples/H5Part/read_setnparticles.c b/examples/H5Part/read_setnparticles.c
index 21ee677..1fff7d6 100644
--- a/examples/H5Part/read_setnparticles.c
+++ b/examples/H5Part/read_setnparticles.c
@@ -57,5 +57,6 @@ main (
         // cleanup
 	free (data);
         H5CloseFile (file);
-        return MPI_Finalize ();
+	MPI_Finalize ();
+        return 0;
 }
diff --git a/examples/H5Part/read_setview.c b/examples/H5Part/read_setview.c
index d32cc97..ec86a5a 100644
--- a/examples/H5Part/read_setview.c
+++ b/examples/H5Part/read_setview.c
@@ -69,5 +69,6 @@ main (
 	// cleanup
 	free (data);
         H5CloseFile (file);
-        return MPI_Finalize ();
+	MPI_Finalize ();
+        return 0;
 }
diff --git a/examples/H5Part/read_strided.c b/examples/H5Part/read_strided.c
index 3d1ba1a..2d6e5d6 100644
--- a/examples/H5Part/read_strided.c
+++ b/examples/H5Part/read_strided.c
@@ -59,5 +59,6 @@ main (
 	// cleanup
 	free (data);
         H5CloseFile (file);
-        return MPI_Finalize ();
+	MPI_Finalize ();
+        return 0;
 }
diff --git a/examples/H5Part/write_core_vfd.c b/examples/H5Part/write_core_vfd.c
index 766b846..6e879e1 100644
--- a/examples/H5Part/write_core_vfd.c
+++ b/examples/H5Part/write_core_vfd.c
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ main (
 
 	// cleanup
         H5CloseFile (file);
-        return MPI_Finalize ();
+	MPI_Finalize ();
+        return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/examples/H5Part/write_setnparticles.c b/examples/H5Part/write_setnparticles.c
index 7afecb6..5c8715e 100644
--- a/examples/H5Part/write_setnparticles.c
+++ b/examples/H5Part/write_setnparticles.c
@@ -52,5 +52,6 @@ main (
 
         // done
         H5CloseFile(file);
-        return MPI_Finalize ();
+	MPI_Finalize ();
+        return 0;
 }
diff --git a/examples/H5Part/write_setview.c b/examples/H5Part/write_setview.c
index 904a91f..480f3c9 100644
--- a/examples/H5Part/write_setview.c
+++ b/examples/H5Part/write_setview.c
@@ -69,5 +69,6 @@ main (
 
         // done
         H5CloseFile(file);
-        return MPI_Finalize();
+	MPI_Finalize();
+        return 0;
 }
diff --git a/examples/H5Part/write_strided.c b/examples/H5Part/write_strided.c
index 024fac5..fd7d452 100644
--- a/examples/H5Part/write_strided.c
+++ b/examples/H5Part/write_strided.c
@@ -69,5 +69,6 @@ main (
 
         // cleanup
 	H5CloseFile (file);
-	return MPI_Finalize ();
+	MPI_Finalize ();
+	return 0;
 }