diff --git a/tasks/runtime.yml b/tasks/runtime.yml
index 6e52535..2f2d6b3 100644
--- a/tasks/runtime.yml
+++ b/tasks/runtime.yml
@@ -43,6 +43,16 @@
   notify:
     - Restart Munge service
 
+- name: Get slurmd's view of node configuration
+  command:
+    cmd: slurmd -C
+  when: openhpc_slurm_service == 'slurmd'
+  register: slurmd_conf
+  changed_when: false
+  # stdout is e.g.:
+  # NodeName=nrel-hpc-0 CPUs=16 Boards=1 SocketsPerBoard=2 CoresPerSocket=8 ThreadsPerCore=1 RealMemory=128616
+  # UpTime=0-00:48:14
+  
 - name: Template slurmdbd.conf
   template:
     src: slurmdbd.conf.j2
diff --git a/templates/slurm.conf.j2 b/templates/slurm.conf.j2
index 02dda44..efbcd9a 100644
--- a/templates/slurm.conf.j2
+++ b/templates/slurm.conf.j2
@@ -114,11 +114,8 @@ Epilog=/etc/slurm/slurm.epilog.clean
             {% set first_host = group_hosts | first | mandatory('Group "' + group_name + '" contains no hosts in this play - was --limit used?') %}
             {% set first_host_hv = hostvars[first_host] %}
 
-NodeName=DEFAULT State=UNKNOWN \
-    RealMemory={% if 'ram_mb' in group %}{{group.ram_mb}}{% else %}{{ first_host_hv['ansible_memory_mb']['real']['total'] }}{% endif %} \
-    Sockets={{first_host_hv['ansible_processor_count']}} \
-    CoresPerSocket={{first_host_hv['ansible_processor_cores']}} \
-    ThreadsPerCore={{first_host_hv['ansible_processor_threads_per_core']}}
+# TODO: support modifying parameters using existing variables
+NodeName=DEFAULT {{ first_host_hv['slurmd_conf'].stdout_lines[0] | regex_replace("NodeName=\S+ ", "") }}
             {% for node in groups[group_name] %}
 NodeName={{ node }}
             {% endfor %}{# nodes #}