diff --git a/Externals_CLM.cfg b/Externals_CLM.cfg
index 9e1fae0333..23deb68027 100644
--- a/Externals_CLM.cfg
+++ b/Externals_CLM.cfg
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 local_path = src/fates
 protocol = git
 repo_url = https://github.com/NGEET/fates
-tag = sci.1.30.0_api.8.0.0
+tag = sci.1.31.1_api.8.1.0
 required = True
 
 [PTCLM]
diff --git a/bld/namelist_files/namelist_defaults_clm4_5.xml b/bld/namelist_files/namelist_defaults_clm4_5.xml
index bfd5b7ce2d..7ff499fe39 100644
--- a/bld/namelist_files/namelist_defaults_clm4_5.xml
+++ b/bld/namelist_files/namelist_defaults_clm4_5.xml
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ attributes from the config_cache.xml file (with keys converted to upper-case).
 <!-- FATES default parameter file                                       -->
 <!-- ================================================================== -->
 
-<fates_paramfile>lnd/clm2/paramdata/fates_params_api.7.3.0_12pft_c190530.nc</fates_paramfile>
+<fates_paramfile>lnd/clm2/paramdata/fates_params_api.8.1.0_12pft_c200103.nc</fates_paramfile>
 
 <!-- ========================================================================================  -->
 <!-- clm 5.0 BGC nitrogen model                                                                -->