diff --git a/mcstas-comps/misc/MCPL_output.comp b/mcstas-comps/misc/MCPL_output.comp
index 233e2d1eaa..fb3645f7f2 100644
--- a/mcstas-comps/misc/MCPL_output.comp
+++ b/mcstas-comps/misc/MCPL_output.comp
@@ -65,32 +65,6 @@ int mcpl_file_exist (char *filename)
     struct stat   buffer;
     return (stat (filename, &buffer) == 0);
   }
-
-int run_mcpltool(char *filename)
-{
-
-  FILE *fp;
-  char path[CHAR_BUF_LENGTH];
-  char cmd[2*CHAR_BUF_LENGTH];
-
-  sprintf(cmd,"mcpltool %s",filename);
-  /* Open the command for reading. */
-  fp = popen(cmd, "r");
-  if (fp == NULL) {
-    printf("Failed to run command %s\n",cmd);
-    exit(1);
-  }
-
-  /* Read the output a line at a time - output it. */
-  while (fgets(path, sizeof(path), fp) != NULL) {
-    printf("%s", path);
-  }
-
-  /* close */
-  pclose(fp);
-
-  return 0;
-}
 %}
 
 DECLARE
@@ -201,7 +175,7 @@ INITIALIZE
 #endif
 
     if (verbose==1) {
-    printf("MCPL_output verbose mode: after generating the mcpl-file a summary from mcpltool will be printed.\n");
+    printf("MCPL_output verbose mode: after generating the mcpl-file a summary will be printed.\n");
     }
 
 #if defined (USE_MPI)
@@ -457,8 +431,8 @@ FINALLY
       }
       /* Recheck for file existance */
       if (mcpl_file_exist(finalfile)) {
-	printf("\n\nMCPL output summary from 'mcpltool %s'\n",finalfile);
-	run_mcpltool(finalfile);
+	printf("\n\nMCPL output summary from %s\n",finalfile);
+	mcpl_dump(finalfile, 0, 0, 10);
       } else {
 	printf("\n\nWarning, did not localize expected output file for stat summary!\n");
       }
diff --git a/mcxtrace-comps/misc/MCPL_output.comp b/mcxtrace-comps/misc/MCPL_output.comp
index 2678595b91..14a504abfa 100644
--- a/mcxtrace-comps/misc/MCPL_output.comp
+++ b/mcxtrace-comps/misc/MCPL_output.comp
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ DECLARE
     DArray1d P;
     DArray1d U;
     int captured;
+    char finalfile[CHAR_BUF_LENGTH];
 %}
 
 INITIALIZE
@@ -106,7 +107,18 @@ INITIALIZE
     sprintf(extension,"mcpl");
 #endif
     /*add output dir (if applicable) to the output filename and add extension if */
-    myfilename=mcfull_file(filename,extension);
+    // Append the extension to the filename
+    //  -- do not use mcfull_file for this since it can not handle absolute filenames with a '.' in them
+    char * actual_filename = (char *) calloc(strlen(filename)+strlen(extension)+2, sizeof(char));
+    strcpy(actual_filename, filename);
+    strcat(actual_filename, ".");
+    strcat(actual_filename, extension);
+
+    // still use mcfull_file in case the filename does not include path information
+    myfilename = mcfull_file(actual_filename, NULL);
+
+    // release the memory now that we have the full filename
+    if (actual_filename) free(actual_filename);
 
     char line[256];
     outputfile = mcpl_create_outfile(myfilename);
@@ -130,7 +142,7 @@ INITIALIZE
         fseek(fp, 0L, SEEK_SET); // seek back to beginning of file
         if ( size && (buffer=malloc(size))!=NULL){
             if (size!=(fread(buffer,1,size,fp))){
-	      fprintf(stderr,"Warning (%s): Source instrument file not read cleanly\n", NAME_CURRENT_COMP);
+	      fprintf(stderr,"\nWarning (%s): Source instrument file not read cleanly\n", NAME_CURRENT_COMP);
             }
             mcpl_hdr_add_data(outputfile, "mccode_instr_file", size, buffer);
             free(buffer);
@@ -165,7 +177,7 @@ INITIALIZE
 #endif
 
     if (verbose==1) {
-    printf("MCPL_output verbose mode: after generating the mcpl-file it will be reread and a summary printed.\n");
+    printf("MCPL_output verbose mode: after generating the mcpl-file a summary will be printed.\n");
     }
 
 #if defined (USE_MPI)
@@ -187,6 +199,9 @@ INITIALIZE
       }
   }
    if (myfilename){
+       MPI_MASTER(
+         sprintf(finalfile,myfilename);
+       );
        free(myfilename);
    }
 #ifndef OPENACC
@@ -368,13 +383,22 @@ FINALLY
         int j;
         mcpl_outfile_t merge_outfile;
 
-        merge_outfilename=mcfull_file(filename,extension);
+        char * real_filename = (char *) calloc(strlen(filename) + strlen(extension) + 2, sizeof(char));
+        strcpy(real_filename, filename);
+        strcat(real_filename, ".");
+        strcat(real_filename, extension);
+
+        merge_outfilename = mcfull_file(real_filename, NULL);
 
         mpi_node_files=(char **) calloc(mpi_node_count,sizeof(char *));
+        sprintf(extension,"node_%i.mcpl", mpi_node_count);
+        char * temp_name = (char *) calloc(strlen(filename) + strlen(extension) + 2, sizeof(char));
         for (j=0;j<mpi_node_count;j++){
-            sprintf(extension,"node_%i.mcpl",j);
-            mpi_node_files[j]=mcfull_file(filename,extension);
+            sprintf(temp_name, "%s.node_%i.mcpl", filename, j);
+            mpi_node_files[j] = mcfull_file(temp_name, NULL);
         }
+        if (temp_name) free(temp_name);
+
         /*now do the merge through the call to mcpl_merge_files*/
         merge_outfile = mcpl_merge_files(merge_outfilename,mpi_node_count,(const char **) mpi_node_files);
         mcpl_closeandgzip_outfile(merge_outfile);
@@ -391,6 +415,7 @@ FINALLY
         }
 
         /*free the string storage*/
+	sprintf(finalfile,merge_outfilename);
         free(merge_outfilename);
         for (j=0;j<mpi_node_count;j++){
             free(mpi_node_files[j]);
@@ -399,6 +424,24 @@ FINALLY
     }
   );
 #endif
+  if(verbose) {
+    MPI_MASTER(
+      /* check if we need to add .gz suffix */
+      if (!mcpl_file_exist(finalfile)) {
+	char *finalfilegz=malloc(CHAR_BUF_LENGTH*sizeof(char));
+	sprintf(finalfilegz,"%s.gz",finalfile);
+	sprintf(finalfile,"%s",finalfilegz);
+	free(finalfilegz);
+      }
+      /* Recheck for file existance */
+      if (mcpl_file_exist(finalfile)) {
+	printf("\n\nMCPL output summary from %s\n",finalfile);
+	mcpl_dump(finalfile, 0, 0, 10);
+      } else {
+	printf("\n\nWarning, did not localize expected output file for stat summary!\n");
+      }
+    );
+  }
 %}
 
 MCDISPLAY