diff --git a/README b/README
index a591dd019f4..5f9f691e453 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -140,6 +140,15 @@ General notes
     using the clang-4.0 system compiler. A workaround is to build
     Open MPI using the GNU compiler.
 
+- Open MPI has taken some steps towards Reproducible Builds
+  (https://reproducible-builds.org/).  Specifically, Open MPI's
+  "configure" and "make" process, by default, records some
+  system-specific information such as the hostname where Open MPI was
+  built and the username who built it.  If you desire a Reproducible
+  Build, set the $USER and $HOSTNAME environment variables before
+  invoking "configure" and "make", and Open MPI will use those values
+  instead of invoking "whoami" and/or "hostname", respectively.
+
 Platform Notes
 --------------
 
diff --git a/autogen.pl b/autogen.pl
index 33e9f9d7af1..f6913c849f4 100755
--- a/autogen.pl
+++ b/autogen.pl
@@ -84,8 +84,8 @@
     $patch_prog = "gpatch";
 }
 
-$username = getpwuid($>);
-$full_hostname = `hostname`;
+$username = $ENV{USER} || getpwuid($>);
+$full_hostname = $ENV{HOSTNAME} || `hostname`;
 chomp($full_hostname);
 $hostname = $full_hostname;
 $hostname =~ s/^([\w\-]+)\..+/\1/;
@@ -1190,9 +1190,6 @@ sub in_tarball {
 
 #---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-$full_hostname = `hostname`;
-chomp($full_hostname);
-
 $m4 = "dnl
 dnl \$HEADER\$
 dnl
diff --git a/config/opal_functions.m4 b/config/opal_functions.m4
index 7a85dbf8766..dca7519ca5c 100644
--- a/config/opal_functions.m4
+++ b/config/opal_functions.m4
@@ -94,8 +94,8 @@ EOF
 # Save some stats about this build
 #
 
-OPAL_CONFIGURE_USER="`whoami`"
-OPAL_CONFIGURE_HOST="`(hostname || uname -n) 2> /dev/null | sed 1q`"
+OPAL_CONFIGURE_USER="${USER:-`whoami`}"
+OPAL_CONFIGURE_HOST="${HOSTNAME:-`(hostname || uname -n) 2> /dev/null | sed 1q`}"
 OPAL_CONFIGURE_DATE="`date`"
 
 OPAL_LIBNL_SANITY_INIT
@@ -116,8 +116,8 @@ AC_DEFUN([OPAL_BASIC_SETUP],[
 # Save some stats about this build
 #
 
-OPAL_CONFIGURE_USER="`whoami`"
-OPAL_CONFIGURE_HOST="`(hostname || uname -n) 2> /dev/null | sed 1q`"
+OPAL_CONFIGURE_USER="${USER:-`whoami`}"
+OPAL_CONFIGURE_HOST="${HOSTNAME:-`(hostname || uname -n) 2> /dev/null | sed 1q`}"
 OPAL_CONFIGURE_DATE="`date`"
 
 #
diff --git a/ompi/tools/ompi_info/Makefile.am b/ompi/tools/ompi_info/Makefile.am
index 296d8ba283a..cfe81bcc8a4 100644
--- a/ompi/tools/ompi_info/Makefile.am
+++ b/ompi/tools/ompi_info/Makefile.am
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ AM_CFLAGS = \
             -DOPAL_CONFIGURE_HOST="\"@OPAL_CONFIGURE_HOST@\"" \
             -DOPAL_CONFIGURE_DATE="\"@OPAL_CONFIGURE_DATE@\"" \
             -DOMPI_BUILD_USER="\"$$USER\"" \
-            -DOMPI_BUILD_HOST="\"`(hostname || uname -n) 2> /dev/null | sed 1q`\"" \
+            -DOMPI_BUILD_HOST="\"$${HOSTNAME:-`(hostname || uname -n) 2> /dev/null | sed 1q`}\"" \
             -DOMPI_BUILD_DATE="\"`date`\"" \
             -DOMPI_BUILD_CFLAGS="\"@CFLAGS@\"" \
             -DOMPI_BUILD_CPPFLAGS="\"@CPPFLAGS@\"" \
diff --git a/orte/tools/orte-info/Makefile.am b/orte/tools/orte-info/Makefile.am
index d1e68728401..b90dd922638 100644
--- a/orte/tools/orte-info/Makefile.am
+++ b/orte/tools/orte-info/Makefile.am
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ AM_CFLAGS = \
             -DOPAL_CONFIGURE_HOST="\"@OPAL_CONFIGURE_HOST@\"" \
             -DOPAL_CONFIGURE_DATE="\"@OPAL_CONFIGURE_DATE@\"" \
             -DOMPI_BUILD_USER="\"$$USER\"" \
-            -DOMPI_BUILD_HOST="\"`(hostname || uname -n) | sed 1q`\"" \
+            -DOMPI_BUILD_HOST="\"$${HOSTNAME:-`(hostname || uname -n) | sed 1q`}\"" \
             -DOMPI_BUILD_DATE="\"`date`\"" \
             -DOMPI_BUILD_CFLAGS="\"@CFLAGS@\"" \
             -DOMPI_BUILD_CPPFLAGS="\"@CPPFLAGS@\"" \
diff --git a/oshmem/tools/oshmem_info/Makefile.am b/oshmem/tools/oshmem_info/Makefile.am
index a474eaf51d0..59573737b7c 100644
--- a/oshmem/tools/oshmem_info/Makefile.am
+++ b/oshmem/tools/oshmem_info/Makefile.am
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ AM_CPPFLAGS = \
             -DOPAL_CONFIGURE_HOST="\"@OPAL_CONFIGURE_HOST@\"" \
             -DOPAL_CONFIGURE_DATE="\"@OPAL_CONFIGURE_DATE@\"" \
             -DOMPI_BUILD_USER="\"$$USER\"" \
-            -DOMPI_BUILD_HOST="\"`(hostname || uname -n) 2> /dev/null | sed 1q`\"" \
+            -DOMPI_BUILD_HOST="\"$${HOSTNAME:-`(hostname || uname -n) 2> /dev/null | sed 1q`}\"" \
             -DOMPI_BUILD_DATE="\"`date`\"" \
             -DOMPI_BUILD_CFLAGS="\"@CFLAGS@\"" \
             -DOMPI_BUILD_CPPFLAGS="\"@CPPFLAGS@\"" \