diff --git a/pytools/mpi.py b/pytools/mpi.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..d67106f12f663c33ffdae60c9d6aaa29c5ac37f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pytools/mpi.py
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+def run_with_mpi_ranks(py_script, ranks, callable, *args, **kwargs):
+    import os
+    if "BOOSTMPI_RUN_WITHIN_MPI" in os.environ:
+        callable(*args, **kwargs)
+    else:
+        import sys
+        newenv = os.environ.copy()
+        newenv["BOOSTMPI_RUN_WITHIN_MPI"] = "1"
+
+        from subprocess import check_call
+        check_call(["mpirun", "-np", str(ranks), 
+            sys.executable, py_script], env=newenv)
+