diff --git a/src/common/gres.c b/src/common/gres.c
index 6a2f6727d7568091d0fe8f0160958dc53a9735df..12f97024e916c3bdf5eec53597ec20d239ed1db5 100644
--- a/src/common/gres.c
+++ b/src/common/gres.c
@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ static int _parse_gres_config(void **dest, slurm_parser_enum_t type,
 			      const char *line, char **leftover)
 {
 	static s_p_options_t _gres_options[] = {
-		{"Count", S_P_UINT16},	/* Number of Gres available */
+		{"Count", S_P_UINT32},	/* Number of Gres available */
 		{"CPUs", S_P_STRING},	/* CPUs to bind to Gres resource */
 		{"File", S_P_STRING},	/* Path to Gres device */
 		{NULL}
@@ -565,10 +565,10 @@ static int _parse_gres_config(void **dest, slurm_parser_enum_t type,
 
 	p = xmalloc(sizeof(gres_conf_t));
 	p->name = xstrdup(value);
-	if (!s_p_get_uint16(&p->count, "Count", tbl))
+	if (!s_p_get_uint32(&p->count, "Count", tbl))
 		p->count = 1;
 	if (s_p_get_string(&p->cpus, "CPUs", tbl)) {
-//FIXME: change to bitmap, size?
+//FIXME: change to bitmap, size? change from cpuset/numa to slurmctld format
 //bit_unfmt(bimap, p->cpus);
 	}
 	if (s_p_get_string(&p->file, "File", tbl)) {
@@ -635,12 +635,7 @@ extern int gres_plugin_node_config_load(void)
 
 /*
  * Pack this node's gres configuration into a buffer
- *
- * Data format:
- *	uint32_t	magic cookie
- *	uint32_t	plugin_id name (must be unique)
- *	uint32_t	gres data block size
- *	void *		gres data packed by plugin
+ * IN/OUT buffer - message buffer to pack
  */
 extern int gres_plugin_node_config_pack(Buf buffer)
 {
@@ -673,8 +668,8 @@ extern int gres_plugin_node_config_pack(Buf buffer)
 }
 
 /*
- * Unpack this node's configuration from a buffer
- * IN buffer - message buffer to unpack
+ * Unpack this node's configuration from a buffer (build/packed by slurmd)
+ * IN/OUT buffer - message buffer to unpack
  * IN node_name - name of node whose data is being unpacked
  */
 extern int gres_plugin_node_config_unpack(Buf buffer, char* node_name)
diff --git a/src/common/gres.h b/src/common/gres.h
index 171c49ebec8baad29a1a0a0054c691c7b194d3d9..051c7c85bf0eec4971507834f6dcf96a26495793 100644
--- a/src/common/gres.h
+++ b/src/common/gres.h
@@ -43,10 +43,11 @@
 #include "src/common/pack.h"
 
 typedef struct gres_conf {
-	uint16_t count;
+	uint32_t count;
 	char *cpus;
 	char *file;
 	char *name;
+	uint32_t plugin_id;
 } gres_conf_t;
 
 /*
@@ -88,12 +89,13 @@ extern int gres_plugin_help_msg(char *msg, int msg_size);
  **************************************************************************
  */
 /*
- * Load this node's configuration (i.e. how many resources it has)
+ * Load this node's configuration (how many resources it has, topology, etc.)
  */
 extern int gres_plugin_node_config_load(void);
 
 /*
- * Pack this node's configuration into a buffer
+ * Pack this node's gres configuration into a buffer
+ * IN/OUT buffer - message buffer to pack
  */
 extern int gres_plugin_node_config_pack(Buf buffer);
 
@@ -112,8 +114,8 @@ extern int gres_plugin_init_node_config(char *node_name, char *orig_config,
 					List *gres_list);
 
 /*
- * Unpack this node's configuration from a buffer
- * IN buffer - message buffer to unpack
+ * Unpack this node's configuration from a buffer (build/packed by slurmd)
+ * IN/OUT buffer - message buffer to unpack
  * IN node_name - name of node whose data is being unpacked
  */
 extern int gres_plugin_node_config_unpack(Buf buffer, char *node_name);
diff --git a/src/plugins/gres/gpu/gres_gpu.c b/src/plugins/gres/gpu/gres_gpu.c
index dc46e03c80b7f44259bd2d5131b816537ea1dc2a..a1b1b8cd70e378dc9d5eadbffe793b2114690c10 100644
--- a/src/plugins/gres/gpu/gres_gpu.c
+++ b/src/plugins/gres/gpu/gres_gpu.c
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ extern int node_config_load(List gres_conf_list)
 	list_iterator_destroy(iter);
 
 	if (rc != SLURM_SUCCESS)
-		error("%s failed to load configuration", plugin_name);
+		fatal("%s failed to load configuration", plugin_name);
 	return rc;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/gres/nic/gres_nic.c b/src/plugins/gres/nic/gres_nic.c
index 66f592d649c0c71482f56e51e98f87b49b358689..f3142b2e6f7699cdff9e5904e745ecfea1483d1e 100644
--- a/src/plugins/gres/nic/gres_nic.c
+++ b/src/plugins/gres/nic/gres_nic.c
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ extern int node_config_load(List gres_conf_list)
 	list_iterator_destroy(iter);
 
 	if (rc != SLURM_SUCCESS)
-		error("%s failed to load configuration", plugin_name);
+		fatal("%s failed to load configuration", plugin_name);
 	return rc;
 }