diff --git a/src/common/node_select.c b/src/common/node_select.c
index 1bd0af526cb2341c934ae67e772663ebbf17c9e9..9fddb719f35fafd39bfdb2971f38eba3d04e0125 100644
--- a/src/common/node_select.c
+++ b/src/common/node_select.c
@@ -425,10 +425,15 @@ extern int select_g_get_info_from_plugin (enum select_data_info cr_info,
  */
 extern int select_g_alter_node_cnt (enum select_node_cnt type, void *data)
 {
-       if (slurm_select_init() < 0)
+	if (slurm_select_init() < 0)
                return SLURM_ERROR;
 
-       return (*(g_select_context->ops.alter_node_cnt))(type, data);
+	if (type == SELECT_GET_NODE_SCALING) {
+		/* default to one, so most plugins don't have to */
+		uint32_t *nodes = (uint32_t *)data;
+		*nodes = 1;
+	}	
+	return (*(g_select_context->ops.alter_node_cnt))(type, data);
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/src/plugins/select/cons_res/select_cons_res.c b/src/plugins/select/cons_res/select_cons_res.c
index c4852ac6b699d1cb1e7860dbcc4a9b08f513d88e..b5e3a9a72222ccdf37790c7fa9f5994f44732fff 100644
--- a/src/plugins/select/cons_res/select_cons_res.c
+++ b/src/plugins/select/cons_res/select_cons_res.c
@@ -1302,10 +1302,6 @@ extern int select_p_get_info_from_plugin(enum select_data_info info,
 
 extern int select_p_alter_node_cnt(enum select_node_cnt type, void *data)
 {
-	if (type == SELECT_GET_NODE_SCALING) {
-		uint32_t *nodes = (uint32_t *)data;
-		*nodes = 1;
-	}
 	return SLURM_SUCCESS;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/select/linear/select_linear.c b/src/plugins/select/linear/select_linear.c
index 9499ec0675bd9ed737d2f2a5bf4a2a7dcc372202..8b7abe665bd25ea19d9309690009e4cee68ded8e 100644
--- a/src/plugins/select/linear/select_linear.c
+++ b/src/plugins/select/linear/select_linear.c
@@ -496,9 +496,5 @@ extern int select_p_get_info_from_plugin (enum select_data_info info, void *data
 
 extern int select_p_alter_node_cnt(enum select_node_cnt type, void *data)
 {
-	if (type == SELECT_GET_NODE_SCALING) {
-		uint32_t *nodes = (uint32_t *)data;
-		*nodes = 1;
-	}
 	return SLURM_SUCCESS;
 }