diff --git a/Allwmake b/Allwmake
index 2458a1916..886b05cd0 100755
--- a/Allwmake
+++ b/Allwmake
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/bin/sh
+#!/bin/bash
 cd ${0%/*} || exit 1    # run from this directory
 
 if [ "$PWD" != "$WM_PROJECT_DIR" ]
@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@ fi
 #( cd $WM_THIRD_PARTY_DIR && ./Allwmake )
 ( cd $WM_THIRD_PARTY_DIR && ./AllMake )
 
+# We make sure the ThirdParty packages environment variables are up-to-date
+# before compiling the rest of OpenFOAM
+. $WM_PROJECT_DIR/etc/settings.sh
+
 # build OpenFOAM libraries and applications
 src/Allwmake
 applications/Allwmake
diff --git a/ThirdParty/AllMake.stage3 b/ThirdParty/AllMake.stage3
index 97ae61948..595b4021b 100755
--- a/ThirdParty/AllMake.stage3
+++ b/ThirdParty/AllMake.stage3
@@ -56,7 +56,6 @@ echo Starting ThirdParty AllMake: Stage3
 echo ========================================
 echo
 
-
 # Metis
 ( rpm_make metis-5.0pre2   http://glaros.dtc.umn.edu/gkhome/fetch/sw/metis/metis-5.0pre2.tar.gz      )
 
@@ -69,25 +68,17 @@ echo
 # Mesquite
 ( rpm_make mesquite-2.1.2  http://software.sandia.gov/~jakraft/mesquite-2.1.2.tar.gz                 )
 
+# The following two packages depends on the availability of OpenMPI
+# The macro rpm_make() will make sure to update the ThirdParty environment variables before starting
+# the compilation. 
+# Just make sure the OpenMPI environment variables are properly initialized, or that
+# the AllMake.stage2 script completed correctly 
+#
 # Scotch
-if [ -d "$OPENMPI_DIR" ]; then
-    ( rpm_make scotch-5.1.10b  https://gforge.inria.fr/frs/download.php/27583/scotch-5.1.10b.tar.gz  )
-else
-    echo "WARNING: The OPENMPI_DIR environment variable is not set."
-    echo "WARNING: Please make sure your environment is properly set up for openmpi. This is necessary for compiling scotch-5.1.10b"
-    echo "WARNING: Skipping the compilation of scotch-5.1.10b"
-    echo ""
-fi
+( rpm_make scotch-5.1.10b  https://gforge.inria.fr/frs/download.php/27583/scotch-5.1.10b.tar.gz  )
 
 # ParMetis
-if [ -d "$OPENMPI_DIR" ]; then
-    ( rpm_make ParMetis-3.1.1  http://glaros.dtc.umn.edu/gkhome/fetch/sw/parmetis/ParMetis-3.1.1.tar.gz )
-else
-    echo "WARNING: The OPENMPI_DIR environment variable is not set."
-    echo "WARNING: Please make sure your environment is properly set up for openmpi. This is necessary for compiling ParMetis-3.1.1"
-    echo "WARNING: Skipping the compilation of ParMetis-3.1.1"
-    echo ""
-fi
+( rpm_make ParMetis-3.1.1  http://glaros.dtc.umn.edu/gkhome/fetch/sw/parmetis/ParMetis-3.1.1.tar.gz )
 
 echo ========================================
 echo Done ThirdParty AllMake: Stage3
diff --git a/ThirdParty/tools/makeThirdPartyFunctionsForRPM b/ThirdParty/tools/makeThirdPartyFunctionsForRPM
index e4d5aa7bc..c1454226f 100755
--- a/ThirdParty/tools/makeThirdPartyFunctionsForRPM
+++ b/ThirdParty/tools/makeThirdPartyFunctionsForRPM
@@ -50,6 +50,11 @@ echo ""
 rpm_make()
 {
     package="$1"
+
+    # Make sure the ThirdParty environment is up-to-date
+    echo "Updating the ThirdParty environment variables before building package $package" 
+    . $WM_PROJECT_DIR/etc/settings.sh
+
     rpmName=$package-$WM_OPTIONS.$architecture
     rpmFile=$buildBase/RPMS/$architecture/$rpmName.rpm
 
@@ -121,7 +126,10 @@ rpm_build()
 
     #Build RPM package
     echo "Building package $package"
-    rpmbuild --define "_topdir $buildBase" --dbpath $buildBase/rpmDB --clean -bb ./SPECS/$specFile "$@"
+    #rpmbuild --define "_topdir $buildBase" --dbpath $buildBase/rpmDB --clean -bb ./SPECS/$specFile "$@"
+    #
+    # Let's keep the compilation directory alive for now in order to facilitate postmortems of failed compilations
+    rpmbuild --define "_topdir $buildBase" --dbpath $buildBase/rpmDB -bb ./SPECS/$specFile "$@"
 }
 
 #
diff --git a/etc/settings.sh b/etc/settings.sh
index e0d2d6831..bec6bab7e 100644
--- a/etc/settings.sh
+++ b/etc/settings.sh
@@ -55,6 +55,19 @@ _foamAddLib()
     done
 }
 
+# Source files, possibly with some verbosity
+# Yes, this is the same definition as in the file etc/bash
+# We need that definition available for scripts sourcing
+# settings.sh directly.
+_foamSource()
+{
+   while [ $# -ge 1 ]
+   do
+      [ "$FOAM_VERBOSE" -a "$PS1" ] && echo "Sourcing: $1"
+      . $1
+      shift
+   done
+}
 
 # location of the jobControl directory
 export FOAM_JOB_DIR=$WM_PROJECT_INST_DIR/jobControl