diff --git a/Help/release/dev/FindHDF5-updates.rst b/Help/release/dev/FindHDF5-updates.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a9297bb5e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Help/release/dev/FindHDF5-updates.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+FindHDF5-updates
+----------------
+
+* The :module:`FindHDF5` module learend a new ``HDF5_PREFER_PARALLEL``
+  option allowing users to specify that a parallel HDF5 tool is
+  preferred if both are available.
diff --git a/Modules/FindHDF5.cmake b/Modules/FindHDF5.cmake
index a44913287..37bca835e 100644
--- a/Modules/FindHDF5.cmake
+++ b/Modules/FindHDF5.cmake
@@ -31,6 +31,12 @@
 # Find module will then look in this path when searching for HDF5
 # executables, paths, and libraries.
 #
+# Both the serial and parallel HDF5 wrappers are considered and the first
+# directory to contain either one will be used.  In the event that both appear
+# in the same directory the serial version is preferentially selected. This
+# behavior can be reversed by setting the variable HDF5_PREFER_PARALLEL to
+# true.
+#
 # In addition to finding the includes and libraries required to compile
 # an HDF5 client application, this module also makes an effort to find
 # tools that come with the HDF5 distribution that may be useful for
@@ -103,28 +109,43 @@ else()
     endforeach()
 endif()
 
+# Determine whether to search for serial or parallel executable first
+if(HDF5_PREFER_PARALLEL)
+  set(HDF5_C_COMPILER_NAMES h5pcc h5cc)
+  set(HDF5_CXX_COMPILER_NAMES h5pc++ h5c++)
+  set(HDF5_Fortran_COMPILER_NAMES h5pfc h5fc)
+else()
+  set(HDF5_C_COMPILER_NAMES h5cc h5pcc)
+  set(HDF5_CXX_COMPILER_NAMES h5c++ h5pc++)
+  set(HDF5_Fortran_COMPILER_NAMES h5fc h5pfc)
+endif()
+
 # try to find the HDF5 wrapper compilers
 find_program( HDF5_C_COMPILER_EXECUTABLE
-    NAMES h5cc h5pcc
+    NAMES ${HDF5_C_COMPILER_NAMES} NAMES_PER_DIR
     HINTS ENV HDF5_ROOT
     PATH_SUFFIXES bin Bin
     DOC "HDF5 Wrapper compiler.  Used only to detect HDF5 compile flags." )
 mark_as_advanced( HDF5_C_COMPILER_EXECUTABLE )
 
 find_program( HDF5_CXX_COMPILER_EXECUTABLE
-    NAMES h5c++ h5pc++
+    NAMES ${HDF5_CXX_COMPILER_NAMES} NAMES_PER_DIR
     HINTS ENV HDF5_ROOT
     PATH_SUFFIXES bin Bin
     DOC "HDF5 C++ Wrapper compiler.  Used only to detect HDF5 compile flags." )
 mark_as_advanced( HDF5_CXX_COMPILER_EXECUTABLE )
 
 find_program( HDF5_Fortran_COMPILER_EXECUTABLE
-    NAMES h5fc h5pfc
+    NAMES ${HDF5_Fortran_COMPILER_NAMES} NAMES_PER_DIR
     HINTS ENV HDF5_ROOT
     PATH_SUFFIXES bin Bin
     DOC "HDF5 Fortran Wrapper compiler.  Used only to detect HDF5 compile flags." )
 mark_as_advanced( HDF5_Fortran_COMPILER_EXECUTABLE )
 
+unset(HDF5_C_COMPILER_NAMES)
+unset(HDF5_CXX_COMPILER_NAMES)
+unset(HDF5_Fortran_COMPILER_NAMES)
+
 find_program( HDF5_DIFF_EXECUTABLE
     NAMES h5diff
     HINTS ENV HDF5_ROOT
@@ -378,4 +399,3 @@ find_package_handle_standard_args( HDF5
     REQUIRED_VARS HDF5_LIBRARIES HDF5_INCLUDE_DIRS
     VERSION_VAR   HDF5_VERSION
 )
-