diff --git a/contribs/perlapi/libslurm/perl/Slurm.xs b/contribs/perlapi/libslurm/perl/Slurm.xs
index fcf819c17a30c2d0b311b6950606eed470147fa4..978e6e3b86d02df063a4c1cc8262af875bb26830 100644
--- a/contribs/perlapi/libslurm/perl/Slurm.xs
+++ b/contribs/perlapi/libslurm/perl/Slurm.xs
@@ -920,7 +920,7 @@ slurm_step_launch(slurm_step_ctx_t *ctx, HV *params, HV *callbacks=NULL)
 				set_slcb(callbacks);
 				cb = &slcb;
 			}
-			RETVAL = slurm_step_launch(ctx, &lp, cb);
+			RETVAL = slurm_step_launch(ctx, &lp, cb, -1);
 			free_slurm_step_launch_params_memory(&lp);
 		}
 	OUTPUT:
diff --git a/slurm/slurm.h.in b/slurm/slurm.h.in
index 80745e76e9f3b66f7f4feed47852e5d978b80ada..8d02b9587ab2a930c23e7f52c5ee7f2e042be6d4 100644
--- a/slurm/slurm.h.in
+++ b/slurm/slurm.h.in
@@ -3553,7 +3553,7 @@ extern void slurm_step_launch_params_t_init(slurm_step_launch_params_t *ptr);
  * IN ctx - job step context generated by slurm_step_ctx_create
  * IN params - job step parameters
  * IN callbacks - Identify functions to be called when various events occur
- * IN pack_job_cnt - Total count of pack job steps to be launched
+ * IN pack_job_cnt - Total count of pack job steps to be launched, -1 otherwise
  * RET SLURM_SUCCESS or SLURM_ERROR (with errno set)
  */
 extern int slurm_step_launch(slurm_step_ctx_t *ctx,
diff --git a/src/api/step_launch.c b/src/api/step_launch.c
index c7c059ee02334ffc5de57594ef90d535029bcbd3..dfef26eda6854b0964c044f2d7b722749284842e 100644
--- a/src/api/step_launch.c
+++ b/src/api/step_launch.c
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ static int _decr_launch_count(void)
  * IN ctx - job step context generated by slurm_step_ctx_create
  * IN params - job step parameters
  * IN callbacks - Identify functions to be called when various events occur
- * IN pack_job_cnt - Total count of pack job steps to be launched
+ * IN pack_job_cnt - Total count of pack job steps to be launched, -1 otherwise
  * RET SLURM_SUCCESS or SLURM_ERROR (with errno set)
  */
 extern int slurm_step_launch(slurm_step_ctx_t *ctx,
diff --git a/testsuite/expect/test7.3.prog.c b/testsuite/expect/test7.3.prog.c
index 7862ae106c52b5bb15ce604bc1dbc8fe7cc6e381..af2fd551155cec1f8c5a74aa697ec96e26cb0fb4 100644
--- a/testsuite/expect/test7.3.prog.c
+++ b/testsuite/expect/test7.3.prog.c
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ int main (int argc, char *argv[])
 	launch->mpi_plugin_name = "none"; /* Don't try to use PMI */
 	launch->cpus_per_task = 1;
 
-	if (slurm_step_launch(ctx, launch, NULL) != SLURM_SUCCESS) {
+	if (slurm_step_launch(ctx, launch, NULL, -1) != SLURM_SUCCESS) {
 		slurm_perror("slurm_step_launch");
 		rc = 1;
 		goto done;