diff --git a/workflow/salloc/README.md b/workflow/salloc/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cccffb7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/workflow/salloc/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+## salloc main workflow
+
+This workflow uses the salloc subworkflow to allocate node(s), run independent jobs on the allocated node(s), and then release the allocation when any job fails, the workflow is cancelled, or all jobs complete.
+
+---
+
+### Jobs
+
+You can run any independent jobs using the allocated nodes.
+This example workflow:
+
+1. Runs "hello world" twice on the allocated nodes.
+2. Runs an MPI hello world job across the allocated nodes.
+
+Note: The MPI hello world job assumes that OpenMPI v4.1.6 is already installed on the cluster (using [this workflow](https://github.com/parallelworks/workflow-utils/blob/main/workflow/build_install_openmpi.yaml)), with `with_pmi=true`.
+The job will source OpenMPI according to that workflow.
+
+### Inputs
+
+The workflow accepts the following inputs:
+
+- `resource`: The compute resource to run the workflow on.
+- `partition`: The Slurm partition to use.
+- `nodes`: Number of nodes to allocate.
+- `walltime`: Walltime for the Slurm allocation.
+
+---
+
+### Purpose
+
+This workflow serves as a basic template for:
+
+- Allocating nodes using Slurm.
+- Demonstrating the use of a subworkflow.
+- Running independent jobs on previously allocated nodes.
+- Ensuring clean release of allocated nodes, even if jobs fail or the workflow is cancelled.
diff --git a/workflow/salloc/main_salloc_workflow.yaml b/workflow/salloc/main_salloc_workflow.yaml
index 10de977..b7ecb14 100644
--- a/workflow/salloc/main_salloc_workflow.yaml
+++ b/workflow/salloc/main_salloc_workflow.yaml
@@ -4,40 +4,107 @@ jobs:
       - name: Allocation info file
         uses: workflow/salloc_subworkflow
         with:
-          resource: ${{inputs.resource}}
+          resource: ${{ inputs.resource }}
           partition: ${{ inputs.partition }}
           nodes: ${{ inputs.nodes }}
           walltime: ${{ inputs.walltime }}
+  copy-allocation-file:
+    ssh:
+      remoteHost: ${{ inputs.resource.ip }}
+    steps:
       - name: Copy file to parent directory
         run: |
-          cp subworkflows/*/step_*/slurm_allocation_info.txt .
+          set -e
+          echo "Looking for slurm_allocation_info.txt under subworkflows..."
+
+          SEARCH_PATH="subworkflows/allocate/step_*/slurm_allocation_info.txt"
+
+          echo "Waiting for $SEARCH_PATH to appear..."
+          while true; do
+            FOUND_FILE=$(find subworkflows/allocate/ -path "$SEARCH_PATH" 2>/dev/null | head -n 1)
+            if [ -n "$FOUND_FILE" ]; then
+              echo "Found allocation info file at: $FOUND_FILE"
+              cp "$FOUND_FILE" .
+              echo "Copied slurm_allocation_info.txt to $(pwd)"
+              break
+            fi
+            echo "Still waiting..."
+            sleep 5
+          done
   hello1:
     ssh:
-      remoteHost: ${{inputs.resource}}
-    needs:
-      - allocate
+      remoteHost: ${{ inputs.resource.ip }}
     steps:
       - run: |
-          JOBID=$(grep '^SLURM_JOB_ID=' /tmp/slurm_allocation_info.txt | cut -d= -f2)
-          srun --jobid=$JOBID echo "hello world 1 on $(hostname)"
+          while [ ! -f slurm_allocation_info.txt ]; do
+              echo "Waiting for file slurm_allocation_info.txt to be created"
+              sleep 5
+          done
+          JOBID=$(grep '^SLURM_JOB_ID=' $(pwd)/slurm_allocation_info.txt | cut -d= -f2)
+          srun --jobid="$JOBID" echo "hello world 1 on $(hostname)"
   hello2:
     ssh:
-      remoteHost: ${{inputs.resource}}
-    needs:
-      - allocate
+      remoteHost: ${{ inputs.resource.ip }}
     steps:
       - run: |
-          JOBID=$(grep '^SLURM_JOB_ID=' /tmp/slurm_allocation_info.txt | cut -d= -f2)
-          srun --jobid=$JOBID echo "hello world 2 on $(hostname)"
-  relinquish:
+          while [ ! -f slurm_allocation_info.txt ]; do
+              echo "Waiting for file slurm_allocation_info.txt to be created"
+              sleep 5
+          done
+          JOBID=$(grep '^SLURM_JOB_ID=' $(pwd)/slurm_allocation_info.txt | cut -d= -f2)
+          srun --jobid="$JOBID" echo "hello world 2 on $(hostname)"
+  mpi-hello-world:
     ssh:
-      remoteHost: ${{inputs.resource}}
+      remoteHost: ${{ inputs.resource.ip }}
+    steps:
+      - name: Run MPI Hello World
+        run: |
+          while [ ! -f slurm_allocation_info.txt ]; do
+              echo "Waiting for file slurm_allocation_info.txt to be created"
+              sleep 5
+          done
+          set -ex
+          JOBID=$(grep '^SLURM_JOB_ID=' $(pwd)/slurm_allocation_info.txt | cut -d= -f2)
+
+          echo "Running MPI Hello World using srun with jobid=$JOBID"
+          cat <<'EOF' > mpihello.c
+          #include <mpi.h>
+          #include <stdio.h>
+
+          int main(int argc, char** argv) {
+            MPI_Init(NULL, NULL);
+
+            int world_size;
+            MPI_Comm_size(MPI_COMM_WORLD, &world_size);
+
+            int world_rank;
+            MPI_Comm_rank(MPI_COMM_WORLD, &world_rank);
+
+            char processor_name[MPI_MAX_PROCESSOR_NAME];
+            int name_len;
+            MPI_Get_processor_name(processor_name, &name_len);
+
+            printf("Hello world from processor %s, rank %d out of %d processors\n",
+                  processor_name, world_rank, world_size);
+
+            MPI_Finalize();
+          }
+          EOF
+
+          source /home/jlin/pw/software/openmpi-4.1.6/env.sh
+          mpicc -o mpihello.out mpihello.c
+
+          srun --jobid="$JOBID" -N "${{ inputs.nodes }}" -n "${{ inputs.nodes }}" mpihello.out
+  release:
     needs:
       - hello1
       - hello2
+      - mpi-hello-world
+    ssh:
+      remoteHost: ${{ inputs.resource.ip }}
     steps:
-      - run: scancel $JOBID
-'on':
+      - run: touch RELEASE_ALLOCATION
+"on":
   execute:
     inputs:
       resource:
@@ -53,6 +120,6 @@ jobs:
         label: Number of Nodes
         type: number
       walltime:
-        default: '60:00'
+        default: "60:00"
         label: Walltime
         type: string
diff --git a/workflow/salloc/salloc_subworkflow.yaml b/workflow/salloc/salloc_subworkflow.yaml
index 2161385..0095ec7 100644
--- a/workflow/salloc/salloc_subworkflow.yaml
+++ b/workflow/salloc/salloc_subworkflow.yaml
@@ -1,20 +1,33 @@
 jobs:
-  allocation:
+  release_allocation:
     ssh:
       remoteHost: ${{inputs.resource.ip}}
+    steps:
+      - name: Release Slurm Allocation
+        run: |
+          while [ ! -f ../../../RELEASE_ALLOCATION ]; do
+            echo "$(date) Waiting for RELEASE_ALLOCATION file to release the allocation"
+            sleep 5
+          done
+        cleanup: |
+          JOBID=$(grep '^SLURM_JOB_ID=' $(pwd)/slurm_allocation_info.txt | cut -d= -f2)
+          scancel $JOBID
+  allocation:
     steps:
       - name: Create Slurm Allocation Info File
+        ssh:
+          remoteHost: ${{ inputs.resource.ip }}
         run: |
           set -e
 
-          INFO_FILE="/tmp/slurm_allocation_info.txt"
+          INFO_FILE="slurm_allocation_info.txt"
 
           echo "Cleaning up existing files"
           rm -f "$INFO_FILE"
           echo "=== Existing files cleaned up ==="
 
           echo "Creating persistent allocation"
-          nohup salloc --nodes=${{inputs.nodes}} --time=${{inputs.walltime}} --no-shell > salloc.log 2>&1 &
+          nohup salloc --nodes=${{ inputs.nodes }} --time=${{ inputs.walltime }} --no-shell > salloc.log 2>&1 &
 
           sleep 5
 
@@ -40,17 +53,13 @@ jobs:
 
           echo "Info file created"
           echo ""
-  copy:
-    needs:
-      - allocation
-    steps:
       - name: Copy file from cluster
         run: |
           set -e
           echo "Copying file from cluster"
-          scp $USER@${{inputs.resource.ip}}:/tmp/slurm_allocation_info.txt /$(pwd)/slurm_allocation_info.txt
+          scp $USER@${{ inputs.resource.ip }}:$(pwd)/slurm_allocation_info.txt /$(pwd)/slurm_allocation_info.txt
           echo "Copied file from cluster in $(pwd)"
-'on':
+"on":
   execute:
     inputs:
       resource:
@@ -59,7 +68,7 @@ jobs:
         autoselect: true
         optional: false
       partition:
-        resource: ${{inputs.resource}}
+        resource: ${{ inputs.resource }}
         label: Partition
         type: slurm-partitions
       nodes: