diff --git a/src/clib/pio.h b/src/clib/pio.h
index 481898aa772..980dc60070d 100644
--- a/src/clib/pio.h
+++ b/src/clib/pio.h
@@ -840,7 +840,8 @@ extern "C" {
     int PIOc_Init_Intracomm(MPI_Comm comp_comm, int num_iotasks, int stride, int base, int rearr,
                             int *iosysidp);
 
-    /* Shut down an iosystem and free all associated resources. */
+    /** Shut down an iosystem and free all associated resources. Use
+     * PIOc_free_iosystem() instead. */
     int PIOc_finalize(int iosysid);
 
     /* Shut down an iosystem and free all associated resources. */
diff --git a/src/clib/pio_spmd.c b/src/clib/pio_spmd.c
index 59ccce7fc61..358ee1cd621 100644
--- a/src/clib/pio_spmd.c
+++ b/src/clib/pio_spmd.c
@@ -372,6 +372,24 @@ int pio_swapm(void *sendbuf, int *sendcounts, int *sdispls, MPI_Datatype *sendty
     return PIO_NOERR;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Clean up internal data structures, and free MPI resources,
+ * associated with an IOSystem. This is the old name for
+ * PIOc_free_iosystem(). This function is maintained for backward
+ * compatibility. Use PIOc_free_iosystem() for new code.
+ *
+ * @param iosysid: the io system ID provided by PIOc_Init_Intracomm()
+ * or PIOc_init_async().
+ * @returns 0 for success or non-zero for error.
+ * @ingroup PIO_finalize_c
+ * @author Jim Edwards, Ed Hartnett
+ */
+int
+PIOc_finalize(int iosysid)
+{
+    return PIOc_free_iosystem(iosysid);
+}
+
 /**
  * Provides the functionality of MPI_Gatherv with flow control
  * options. This function is not currently used, but we hope it will
diff --git a/src/clib/pioc.c b/src/clib/pioc.c
index ff67b6123e3..c5e21174702 100644
--- a/src/clib/pioc.c
+++ b/src/clib/pioc.c
@@ -1138,7 +1138,7 @@ PIOc_set_hint(int iosysid, const char *hint, const char *hintval)
  * or PIOc_init_async().
  * @returns 0 for success or non-zero for error.
  * @ingroup PIO_finalize_c
- * @author Ed Hartnett
+ * @author Jim Edwards, Ed Hartnett
  */
 int
 PIOc_free_iosystem(int iosysid)
@@ -1243,24 +1243,6 @@ PIOc_free_iosystem(int iosysid)
     return PIO_NOERR;
 }
 
-/**
- * Clean up internal data structures, and free MPI resources,
- * associated with an IOSystem. This is the old name for
- * PIOc_free_iosystem(). This function is maintained for backward
- * compatibility. Use PIOc_free_iosystem() for new code.
- *
- * @param iosysid: the io system ID provided by PIOc_Init_Intracomm()
- * or PIOc_init_async().
- * @returns 0 for success or non-zero for error.
- * @ingroup PIO_finalize_c
- * @author Jim Edwards, Ed Hartnett
- */
-int
-PIOc_finalize(int iosysid)
-{
-    return PIOc_free_iosystem(iosysid);
-}
-
 /**
  * Return a logical indicating whether this task is an IO task.
  *