diff --git a/build/Jamfile.v2 b/build/Jamfile.v2
index 115520a..8b190e5 100644
--- a/build/Jamfile.v2
+++ b/build/Jamfile.v2
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ lib boost_mpi
     mpi/timer.cpp
   : # Requirements
     <library>/mpi//mpi
+    <library>../../serialization/build//boost_serialization
   : # Default build
     <link>shared
   : # Usage requirements
diff --git a/doc/Jamfile.v2 b/doc/Jamfile.v2
index 7d333f7..0357948 100644
--- a/doc/Jamfile.v2
+++ b/doc/Jamfile.v2
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ doxygen mpi_autodoc
     ../../../boost/parallel/mpi/python.hpp
   : <doxygen:param>MACRO_EXPANSION=YES
     <doxygen:param>MACRO_ONLY_PREDEF=YES
-    <doxygen:param>"PREDEFINED=BOOST_MPI_HAS_MEMORY_ALLOCATION= MPI_VERSION=2 BOOST_MPI_DOXYGEN="
+    <doxygen:param>"PREDEFINED=BOOST_MPI_HAS_MEMORY_ALLOCATION= BOOST_MPI_HAS_NOARG_INITIALIZATION= MPI_VERSION=2 BOOST_MPI_DOXYGEN="
   ;
 
 boostbook mpi : mpi.qbk mpi_autodoc 
diff --git a/include/boost/mpi/config.hpp b/include/boost/mpi/config.hpp
index 99b65e6..f033e34 100644
--- a/include/boost/mpi/config.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/mpi/config.hpp
@@ -27,11 +27,22 @@
  *  these memory-allocation routines.
  */
 #  define BOOST_MPI_HAS_MEMORY_ALLOCATION
+
+/** @brief Determine if the MPI implementation has supports initialization 
+ *  without command-line arguments.
+ *
+ *  This macro will be defined when the underlying implementation
+ *  supports initialization of MPI without passing along command-line
+ *  arguments, e.g., @c MPI_Init(NULL, NULL). When defined, the @c
+ *  environment class will provide a default constructor. This macro is 
+ *  always defined for MPI-2 implementations. */
+#  define BOOST_MPI_HAS_NOARG_INITIALIZATION
 #endif
 
 #if defined(LAM_MPI)
 // Configuration for LAM/MPI
 #  define BOOST_MPI_HAS_MEMORY_ALLOCATION
+#  define BOOST_MPI_HAS_NOARG_INITIALIZATION
 #elif defined(MPICH_NAME)
 // Configuration for MPICH
 #endif
diff --git a/include/boost/mpi/environment.hpp b/include/boost/mpi/environment.hpp
index 8044a4a..28433db 100644
--- a/include/boost/mpi/environment.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/mpi/environment.hpp
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #include <boost/noncopyable.hpp>
 #include <boost/optional.hpp>
 #include <string>
+#include <boost/parallel/mpi/config.hpp>
 
 namespace boost { namespace parallel { namespace mpi {
 
@@ -46,6 +47,23 @@ namespace boost { namespace parallel { namespace mpi {
  */
 class environment : noncopyable {
 public:
+#ifdef BOOST_MPI_HAS_NOARG_INITIALIZATION
+  /** Initialize the MPI environment. 
+   *
+   *  If the MPI environment has not already been initialized,
+   *  initializes MPI with a call to @c MPI_Init. Since this
+   *  constructor does not take command-line arguments (@c argc and @c
+   *  argv), it is only available when the underlying MPI
+   *  implementation supports calling @c MPI_Init with @c NULL
+   *  arguments, indicated by the macro @c
+   *  BOOST_MPI_HAS_NOARG_INITIALIZATION.
+   *
+   *  @param abort_on_exception When true, this object will abort the
+   *  program if it is destructed due to an uncaught exception.
+   */
+  explicit environment(bool abort_on_exception = true);
+#endif
+
   /** Initialize the MPI environment.
    *
    *  If the MPI environment has not already been initialized,
diff --git a/src/mpi/environment.cpp b/src/mpi/environment.cpp
index 53d1189..bd64609 100644
--- a/src/mpi/environment.cpp
+++ b/src/mpi/environment.cpp
@@ -13,6 +13,20 @@
 
 namespace boost { namespace parallel { namespace mpi {
 
+#ifdef BOOST_MPI_HAS_NOARG_INITIALIZATION
+environment::environment(bool abort_on_exception)
+  : i_initialized(false),
+    abort_on_exception(abort_on_exception)
+{
+  if (!initialized()) {
+    BOOST_MPI_CHECK_RESULT(MPI_Init, (0, 0));
+    i_initialized = true;
+  }
+
+  MPI_Errhandler_set(MPI_COMM_WORLD, MPI_ERRORS_RETURN);
+}
+#endif
+
 environment::environment(int& argc, char** &argv, bool abort_on_exception)
   : i_initialized(false),
     abort_on_exception(abort_on_exception)