diff --git a/src/slurmctld/controller.c b/src/slurmctld/controller.c
index bd4c2f8905a8654218953eec8a00390580d079e5..06707c81ffa92e557e98b5f8e57efe52bcfef28e 100644
--- a/src/slurmctld/controller.c
+++ b/src/slurmctld/controller.c
@@ -229,8 +229,11 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	/* init job credential stuff */
 	cred_ctx = slurm_cred_creator_ctx_create(slurmctld_conf.
 						 job_credential_private_key);
-	if (!cred_ctx)
-		fatal("slurm_cred_creator_ctx_create: %m");
+	if (!cred_ctx) {
+		error("slurm_cred_creator_ctx_create: %m");
+		exit(1);
+	}
+
 	/* Not used in creator
 	 *
 	 * slurm_cred_ctx_set(cred_ctx, 
diff --git a/src/slurmctld/read_config.c b/src/slurmctld/read_config.c
index 1d6b5a8a91ef6a06cd221951e0126e6419947ed0..895c0c534a91baaec05ae6b53911564a7b318b98 100644
--- a/src/slurmctld/read_config.c
+++ b/src/slurmctld/read_config.c
@@ -649,9 +649,11 @@ int read_slurm_conf(int recover)
 	}
 
 	slurm_spec_file = fopen(slurmctld_conf.slurm_conf, "r");
-	if (slurm_spec_file == NULL)
-		fatal("read_slurm_conf error opening file %s, %m",
+	if (slurm_spec_file == NULL) {
+		error("read_slurm_conf error opening file %s, %m",
 		      slurmctld_conf.slurm_conf);
+		exit(1);
+	}
 
 	info("read_slurm_conf: loading configuration from %s",
 	     slurmctld_conf.slurm_conf);