diff --git a/src/plugins/select/bluegene/plugin/sfree.c b/src/plugins/select/bluegene/plugin/sfree.c
index cb1eb2a835628ea9d10a44fb79e23299fa6c1738..d21f5c68a805f8a478e86b6987bc406b506b392a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/select/bluegene/plugin/sfree.c
+++ b/src/plugins/select/bluegene/plugin/sfree.c
@@ -154,7 +154,10 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	itr = list_iterator_create(block_list);
 	while((block_name = list_next(itr))) {
-		msg.state = RM_PARTITION_FREE;
+		if(remove_blocks)
+			msg.state = RM_PARTITION_NAV;
+		else
+			msg.state = RM_PARTITION_FREE;
 		msg.bg_block_id = block_name;
 		rc = slurm_update_block(&msg);
 		if(rc != SLURM_SUCCESS)