Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/src/c/modules/Solverx/Solverx.cpp
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/src/c/modules/Solverx/Solverx.cpp	(revision 11465)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/src/c/modules/Solverx/Solverx.cpp	(revision 11466)
@@ -108,4 +108,14 @@
 	#endif
 	/*}}}*/
+	/*Check the solver is available: {{{1*/
+	if(solver_type==MUMPSPACKAGE_LU || solver_type==MUMPSPACKAGE_CHOL){
+	#if _PETSC_MAJOR_ >=3
+		#ifndef _HAVE_MUMPS_
+		_error_("requested MUMPS solver, which was not compiled into ISSM!\n");
+		#endif
+
+	#endif
+	}
+	/*}}}*/
 	/*Prepare solver:{{{1*/
 	KSPCreate(MPI_COMM_WORLD,&ksp);
Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/src/c/toolkits/petsc/patches/PetscOptionsDetermineSolverType.cpp
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/src/c/toolkits/petsc/patches/PetscOptionsDetermineSolverType.cpp	(revision 11465)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/src/c/toolkits/petsc/patches/PetscOptionsDetermineSolverType.cpp	(revision 11466)
@@ -49,4 +49,16 @@
 		solver_type=SUPERLUDISTPACKAGE;
 	}
+	if (strcmp(option,"")==0){
+		solver_type=SUPERLUDISTPACKAGE;
+	}
+
+
+	#if _PETSC_MAJOR_ >= 3 
+	PetscOptionsGetString(PETSC_NULL,"-pc_factor_mat_solver_package",&option[0],100,&flag);
+	if (strcmp(option,"mumps")==0){
+		solver_type=MUMPSPACKAGE_LU;
+	}
+	#endif
+
 	
 	PetscOptionsGetString(PETSC_NULL,"-issm_option_solver",&option[0],100,&flag);
Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/model/model.m
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/model/model.m	(revision 11465)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/model/model.m	(revision 11466)
@@ -404,5 +404,9 @@
 			 md.settings         = settings();
 			 md.solver           = solver();
-			 md.solver           = addoptions(md.solver,DiagnosticVertAnalysisEnum,mumpsoptions);
+			 if ismumps,
+				 md.solver           = addoptions(md.solver,DiagnosticVertAnalysisEnum,mumpsoptions);
+			 else
+				 md.solver           = addoptions(md.solver,DiagnosticVertAnalysisEnum,iluasmoptions);
+			 end
 			 md.cluster          = none();
 			 md.balancethickness = balancethickness();
Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/solver.m
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/solver.m	(revision 11465)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/solver.m	(revision 11466)
@@ -27,5 +27,9 @@
 
 			 %MUMPS is the default solver
-			 obj.options={'NoneAnalysis',mumpsoptions};
+			 if ismumps,
+				 obj.options={'NoneAnalysis',mumpsoptions};
+			 else
+				 obj.options={'NoneAnalysis',iluasmoptions};
+			 end
 
 		 end % }}}
Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/utils/OS/ismumps.m
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/utils/OS/ismumps.m	(revision 11466)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/utils/OS/ismumps.m	(revision 11466)
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+function flag=ismumps()
+%ISMUMPS - figure out if MUMPS package was compiled with ISSM
+%
+%   Usage:
+%       flag=ismumps();
+
+
+configfile=[issmtier() '/config.h'];
+if ~exist(configfile,'file'),
+	error(['File ' configfile ' not found. ISSM has not been configured yet!']);
+end
+
+%go through the file, and recover the line we want
+flag=2;
+fid=fopen(configfile,'r');
+if(fid==-1), error(['could not open file: ' configfile]); end
+
+while(true),
+	tline=fgets(fid);
+	if ~ischar(tline), break, end
+	if strncmp(tline,'/* #undef _HAVE_MUMPS_ */',25),
+		flag=0;
+		break;
+	end
+	if  strncmp(tline,'#define _HAVE_MUMPS_',20),
+		flag=1;
+		break;
+	end
+end
+fclose(fid);
+if flag==2,
+	error('could not determine whether MUMPS was or was not compiled');
+end