diff --git a/src/clib/pio.h b/src/clib/pio.h
index 4fb6830e31c..d88a4b3f3f6 100644
--- a/src/clib/pio.h
+++ b/src/clib/pio.h
@@ -573,8 +573,7 @@ typedef struct file_desc_t
     /** PIO data type. */
     int pio_type;
 
-    /** Pointer to the next file_desc_t in the list of open files. */
-//    struct file_desc_t *next;
+    /* hash table entry */
     UT_hash_handle hh;
 
     /** True if this task should participate in IO (only true for one
diff --git a/src/clib/pio_lists.c b/src/clib/pio_lists.c
index 8363b35a83d..3a8281dadde 100644
--- a/src/clib/pio_lists.c
+++ b/src/clib/pio_lists.c
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ int pio_get_file(int ncid, file_desc_t **cfile1)
  */
 int pio_delete_file_from_list(int ncid)
 {
-    file_desc_t *cfile, *pfile = NULL;
+    file_desc_t *cfile = NULL;
     int ret;
 
     /* Find the file pointer. */
@@ -263,8 +263,10 @@ io_desc_t *pio_get_iodesc_from_id(int ioid)
     if (current_iodesc && current_iodesc->ioid == ioid)
 	ciodesc = current_iodesc;
     else
+    {
 	HASH_FIND_INT(pio_iodesc_list, &ioid, ciodesc);
-
+	current_iodesc = ciodesc;
+    }
     return ciodesc;
 }
 
@@ -283,6 +285,8 @@ int pio_delete_iodesc_from_list(int ioid)
     if(ciodesc)
     {
 	HASH_DEL(pio_iodesc_list, ciodesc);
+	if (current_iodesc = ciodesc)
+	    current_iodesc = pio_iodesc_list;
 	free(ciodesc);
 	return PIO_NOERR;
     }