diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index bc53c27be..c95253513 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -56,9 +56,9 @@ option(ENABLE_ASSERTIONS
 option(ENABLE_UNIFIED_MEMORY_MODEL
        "Specify whether to assume unified memory model" on)
 option(ENABLE_SHARED_WINDOWS
-       "Specify whether shared memory features are enabled" on)
+       "Specify whether shared memory features are enabled" off)
 option(ENABLE_DYNAMIC_WINDOWS
-       "Specify whether to use dynamic MPI windows for collective allocation" on)
+       "Specify whether to use dynamic MPI windows for collective allocation" off)
 option(ENABLE_DEFAULT_INDEX_TYPE_LONG
        "Specify whether to use int64_t as default index type" on)
 option(ENABLE_LIBNUMA
diff --git a/build.analyze.sh b/build.analyze.sh
index 87e7ccfab..2f73f0ff4 100755
--- a/build.analyze.sh
+++ b/build.analyze.sh
@@ -76,6 +76,15 @@ fi
 #                    -DGTEST_INCLUDE_PATH=${HOME}/gtest/include \
 #
 
+# The MPI backend offers support for employing shared memory windows in combination
+# with dynamic windows, which may improve on-node communication performance.
+# This feature can be enabled by setting
+#                        -DENABLE_SHARED_WINDOWS=ON \
+#                        -DENABLE_DYNAMIC_WINDOWS=ON \
+# below. However, we have experienced issues with some MPI implementations if used
+# in combination with -DENABLE_THREADSUPPORT=ON. It might also have a negative effect
+# on inter-node communication performance on some architectures.
+
 # To build with MKL support, set environment variables MKLROOT and INTELROOT.
 #
 
@@ -103,8 +112,8 @@ mkdir -p $BUILD_DIR/$REPORT_DIR
                         -DENABLE_LT_OPTIMIZATION=OFF \
                         -DENABLE_ASSERTIONS=ON \
                         \
-                        -DENABLE_SHARED_WINDOWS=ON \
-                        -DENABLE_UNIFIED_MEMORY_MODEL=ON \
+                        -DENABLE_SHARED_WINDOWS=OFF \
+                        -DENABLE_UNIFIED_MEMORY_MODEL=OFF \
                         -DENABLE_DYNAMIC_WINDOWS=ON \
                         -DENABLE_DEFAULT_INDEX_TYPE_LONG=ON \
                         \
diff --git a/build.cov.sh b/build.cov.sh
index b24cca288..c0d572123 100755
--- a/build.cov.sh
+++ b/build.cov.sh
@@ -41,6 +41,15 @@ fi
 #                    -DGTEST_INCLUDE_PATH=${HOME}/gtest/include \
 #
 
+# The MPI backend offers support for employing shared memory windows in combination
+# with dynamic windows, which may improve on-node communication performance.
+# This feature can be enabled by setting
+#                        -DENABLE_SHARED_WINDOWS=ON \
+#                        -DENABLE_DYNAMIC_WINDOWS=ON \
+# below. However, we have experienced issues with some MPI implementations if used
+# in combination with -DENABLE_THREADSUPPORT=ON. It might also have a negative effect
+# on inter-node communication performance on some architectures.
+
 # To build with MKL support, set environment variables MKLROOT and INTELROOT.
 #
 
@@ -64,8 +73,8 @@ rm -Rf $BUILD_DIR/*
                         -DENABLE_LT_OPTIMIZATION=OFF \
                         -DENABLE_ASSERTIONS=ON \
                         \
-                        -DENABLE_SHARED_WINDOWS=ON \
-                        -DENABLE_DYNAMIC_WINDOWS=ON \
+                        -DENABLE_SHARED_WINDOWS=OFF \
+                        -DENABLE_DYNAMIC_WINDOWS=OFF \
                         -DENABLE_UNIFIED_MEMORY_MODEL=ON \
                         -DENABLE_DEFAULT_INDEX_TYPE_LONG=ON \
                         \
diff --git a/build.debug.sh b/build.debug.sh
index b386da905..cc6f3ed56 100755
--- a/build.debug.sh
+++ b/build.debug.sh
@@ -41,6 +41,15 @@ fi
 #                    -DGTEST_INCLUDE_PATH=${HOME}/gtest/include \
 #
 
+# The MPI backend offers support for employing shared memory windows in combination
+# with dynamic windows, which may improve on-node communication performance.
+# This feature can be enabled by setting
+#                        -DENABLE_SHARED_WINDOWS=ON \
+#                        -DENABLE_DYNAMIC_WINDOWS=ON \
+# below. However, we have experienced issues with some MPI implementations if used
+# in combination with -DENABLE_THREADSUPPORT=ON. It might also have a negative effect
+# on inter-node communication performance on some architectures.
+
 # To build with MKL support, set environment variables MKLROOT and INTELROOT.
 #
 
@@ -66,8 +75,8 @@ rm -Rf $BUILD_DIR/*
                         -DENABLE_LT_OPTIMIZATION=OFF \
                         -DENABLE_ASSERTIONS=ON \
                         \
-                        -DENABLE_SHARED_WINDOWS=ON \
-                        -DENABLE_DYNAMIC_WINDOWS=ON \
+                        -DENABLE_SHARED_WINDOWS=OFF \
+                        -DENABLE_DYNAMIC_WINDOWS=OFF \
                         -DENABLE_UNIFIED_MEMORY_MODEL=ON \
                         -DENABLE_DEFAULT_INDEX_TYPE_LONG=ON \
                         \
diff --git a/build.dev.sh b/build.dev.sh
index 2ea323c3c..324dce9da 100755
--- a/build.dev.sh
+++ b/build.dev.sh
@@ -44,6 +44,15 @@ fi
 # To build with MKL support, set environment variables MKLROOT and INTELROOT.
 #
 
+# The MPI backend offers support for employing shared memory windows in combination
+# with dynamic windows, which may improve on-node communication performance.
+# This feature can be enabled by setting
+#                        -DENABLE_SHARED_WINDOWS=ON \
+#                        -DENABLE_DYNAMIC_WINDOWS=ON \
+# below. However, we have experienced issues with some MPI implementations if used
+# in combination with -DENABLE_THREADSUPPORT=ON. It might also have a negative effect
+# on inter-node communication performance on some architectures.
+
 # To enable IPM runtime support, use:
 #
 #                    -DIPM_PREFIX=<IPM install path> \
@@ -66,8 +75,8 @@ rm -Rf $BUILD_DIR/*
                         -DENABLE_LT_OPTIMIZATION=OFF \
                         -DENABLE_ASSERTIONS=ON \
                         \
-                        -DENABLE_SHARED_WINDOWS=ON \
-                        -DENABLE_DYNAMIC_WINDOWS=ON \
+                        -DENABLE_SHARED_WINDOWS=OFF \
+                        -DENABLE_DYNAMIC_WINDOWS=OFF \
                         -DENABLE_UNIFIED_MEMORY_MODEL=ON \
                         -DENABLE_DEFAULT_INDEX_TYPE_LONG=ON \
                         \
diff --git a/build.mic.sh b/build.mic.sh
index 5f6770a0a..b2771366d 100755
--- a/build.mic.sh
+++ b/build.mic.sh
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@ rm -Rf $BUILD_DIR/*
                         -DENABLE_EXT_COMPILER_WARNINGS=OFF \
                         -DENABLE_ASSERTIONS=OFF \
                         \
-                        -DENABLE_SHARED_WINDOWS=ON \
-                        -DENABLE_DYNAMIC_WINDOWS=ON \
+                        -DENABLE_SHARED_WINDOWS=OFF \
+                        -DENABLE_DYNAMIC_WINDOWS=OFF \
                         -DENABLE_UNIFIED_MEMORY_MODEL=ON \
                         -DENABLE_DEFAULT_INDEX_TYPE_LONG=ON \
                         \
diff --git a/build.minimal.sh b/build.minimal.sh
index 938fd4f06..7b05eaf36 100755
--- a/build.minimal.sh
+++ b/build.minimal.sh
@@ -39,6 +39,16 @@ fi
 #                    -DGTEST_LIBRARY_PATH=${HOME}/gtest \
 #                    -DGTEST_INCLUDE_PATH=${HOME}/gtest/include \
 #
+# The MPI backend offers support for employing shared memory windows in combination
+# with dynamic windows, which may improve on-node communication performance.
+# This feature can be enabled by setting
+#                        -DENABLE_SHARED_WINDOWS=ON \
+#                        -DENABLE_DYNAMIC_WINDOWS=ON \
+# below. However, we have experienced issues with some MPI implementations if used
+# in combination with -DENABLE_THREADSUPPORT=ON. It might also have a negative effect
+# on inter-node communication performance on some architectures.
+#
+#
 # To build with MKL support, set environment variables MKLROOT and INTELROOT.
 #
 # To enable IPM runtime support, use:
diff --git a/build.nasty.sh b/build.nasty.sh
index 43236c6b5..d918e2379 100755
--- a/build.nasty.sh
+++ b/build.nasty.sh
@@ -41,6 +41,15 @@ fi
 #                    -DGTEST_INCLUDE_PATH=${HOME}/gtest/include \
 #
 
+# The MPI backend offers support for employing shared memory windows in combination
+# with dynamic windows, which may improve on-node communication performance.
+# This feature can be enabled by setting
+#                        -DENABLE_SHARED_WINDOWS=ON \
+#                        -DENABLE_DYNAMIC_WINDOWS=ON \
+# below. However, we have experienced issues with some MPI implementations if used
+# in combination with -DENABLE_THREADSUPPORT=ON. It might also have a negative effect
+# on inter-node communication performance on some architectures.
+
 # To build with MKL support, set environment variables MKLROOT and INTELROOT.
 #
 
diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
index 9d15ad156..3725ee076 100755
--- a/build.sh
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -41,6 +41,15 @@ fi
 #                    -DGTEST_INCLUDE_PATH=${HOME}/gtest/include \
 #
 
+# The MPI backend offers support for employing shared memory windows in combination
+# with dynamic windows, which may improve on-node communication performance.
+# This feature can be enabled by setting
+#                        -DENABLE_SHARED_WINDOWS=ON \
+#                        -DENABLE_DYNAMIC_WINDOWS=ON \
+# below. However, we have experienced issues with some MPI implementations if used
+# in combination with -DENABLE_THREADSUPPORT=ON. It might also have a negative effect
+# on inter-node communication performance on some architectures.
+
 # To build with MKL support, set environment variables MKLROOT and INTELROOT.
 #
 
@@ -66,8 +75,8 @@ rm -Rf $BUILD_DIR/*
                         -DENABLE_LT_OPTIMIZATION=OFF \
                         -DENABLE_ASSERTIONS=ON \
                         \
-                        -DENABLE_SHARED_WINDOWS=ON \
-                        -DENABLE_DYNAMIC_WINDOWS=ON \
+                        -DENABLE_SHARED_WINDOWS=OFF \
+                        -DENABLE_DYNAMIC_WINDOWS=OFF \
                         -DENABLE_UNIFIED_MEMORY_MODEL=ON \
                         -DENABLE_DEFAULT_INDEX_TYPE_LONG=ON \
                         \