diff --git a/src/mca/plm/base/plm_base_launch_support.c b/src/mca/plm/base/plm_base_launch_support.c
index d8f31848e7..e4345d89fd 100644
--- a/src/mca/plm/base/plm_base_launch_support.c
+++ b/src/mca/plm/base/plm_base_launch_support.c
@@ -128,8 +128,8 @@ void prte_plm_base_daemons_reported(int fd, short args, void *cbdata)
 
     /* if we are not launching, then we just assume that all
      * daemons share our topology */
-    if (prte_get_attribute(&caddy->jdata->attributes, PRTE_JOB_DO_NOT_LAUNCH, NULL, PMIX_BOOL)
-        && PMIX_CHECK_NSPACE(caddy->jdata->nspace, PRTE_PROC_MY_NAME->nspace)) {
+    if (prte_get_attribute(&caddy->jdata->attributes, PRTE_JOB_DO_NOT_LAUNCH, NULL, PMIX_BOOL) &&
+        PMIX_CHECK_NSPACE(caddy->jdata->nspace, PRTE_PROC_MY_NAME->nspace)) {
         node = (prte_node_t *) pmix_pointer_array_get_item(prte_node_pool, 0);
         t = node->topology;
         for (i = 1; i < prte_node_pool->size; i++) {
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ static void stack_trace_recv(int status, pmix_proc_t *sender, pmix_data_buffer_t
     int rc;
     pmix_byte_object_t bo;
 
-    PMIX_DATA_BUFFER_CONSTRUCT(&blob);    
+    PMIX_DATA_BUFFER_CONSTRUCT(&blob);
     PRTE_HIDE_UNUSED_PARAMS(status, tag, cbdata);
 
     pmix_output_verbose(5, prte_plm_base_framework.framework_output,
@@ -640,7 +640,8 @@ void prte_plm_base_setup_job(int fd, short args, void *cbdata)
 
     PMIX_ACQUIRE_OBJECT(caddy);
 
-    PMIX_OUTPUT_VERBOSE((5, prte_plm_base_framework.framework_output, "%s plm:base:setup_job",
+    PMIX_OUTPUT_VERBOSE((5, prte_plm_base_framework.framework_output,
+                         "%s plm:base:setup_job",
                          PRTE_NAME_PRINT(PRTE_PROC_MY_NAME)));
 
     if (PRTE_JOB_STATE_INIT != caddy->job_state) {
@@ -689,6 +690,16 @@ void prte_plm_base_setup_job(int fd, short args, void *cbdata)
         prte_event_evtimer_add(timer->ev, &timer->tv);
     }
 
+    // if we are not going to launch this job, then ensure we output something - otherwise,
+    // we will simply silently exit
+    if (!prte_get_attribute(&caddy->jdata->attributes, PRTE_JOB_DO_NOT_LAUNCH, NULL, PMIX_BOOL) &&
+        !prte_get_attribute(&caddy->jdata->attributes, PRTE_JOB_DISPLAY_MAP, NULL, PMIX_BOOL) &&
+        !prte_get_attribute(&caddy->jdata->attributes, PRTE_JOB_DISPLAY_DEVEL_MAP, NULL, PMIX_BOOL)) {
+        // default to the devel map
+        prte_set_attribute(&caddy->jdata->attributes, PRTE_JOB_DISPLAY_DEVEL_MAP, PRTE_ATTR_GLOBAL,
+                           NULL, PMIX_BOOL);
+    }
+
     /* set the job state to the next position */
     PRTE_ACTIVATE_JOB_STATE(caddy->jdata, PRTE_JOB_STATE_INIT_COMPLETE);
 
diff --git a/src/mca/ras/simulator/ras_sim_component.c b/src/mca/ras/simulator/ras_sim_component.c
index 8dec354701..f3bed8688e 100644
--- a/src/mca/ras/simulator/ras_sim_component.c
+++ b/src/mca/ras/simulator/ras_sim_component.c
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
  * Copyright (c) 2019      Research Organization for Information Science
  *                         and Technology (RIST).  All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2020      Cisco Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved
- * Copyright (c) 2021-2022 Nanook Consulting.  All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2021-2024 Nanook Consulting  All rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  *
  * Additional copyrights may follow
@@ -60,13 +60,13 @@ static int ras_sim_register(void)
 {
     pmix_mca_base_component_t *component = &prte_mca_ras_simulator_component.super;
 
-    prte_mca_ras_simulator_component.slots = "1";
+    prte_mca_ras_simulator_component.slots = NULL;
     (void) pmix_mca_base_component_var_register(component, "slots",
                                                 "Comma-separated list of number of slots on each node to simulate",
                                                 PMIX_MCA_BASE_VAR_TYPE_STRING,
                                                 &prte_mca_ras_simulator_component.slots);
 
-    prte_mca_ras_simulator_component.slots_max = "0";
+    prte_mca_ras_simulator_component.slots_max = NULL;
     (void) pmix_mca_base_component_var_register(component, "max_slots",
                                                 "Comma-separated list of number of max slots on each node to simulate",
                                                 PMIX_MCA_BASE_VAR_TYPE_STRING,
diff --git a/src/mca/ras/simulator/ras_sim_module.c b/src/mca/ras/simulator/ras_sim_module.c
index 478f5384c0..4727097865 100644
--- a/src/mca/ras/simulator/ras_sim_module.c
+++ b/src/mca/ras/simulator/ras_sim_module.c
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
  *                         and Technology (RIST).  All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2015-2020 Intel, Inc.  All rights reserved.
  *
- * Copyright (c) 2021-2023 Nanook Consulting.  All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2021-2024 Nanook Consulting  All rights reserved.
  * $COPYRIGHT$
  *
  * Additional copyrights may follow
@@ -132,19 +132,18 @@ static int allocate(prte_job_t *jdata, pmix_list_t *nodes)
             pmix_asprintf(&node->name, "%s%0*d", prefix, dig, i);
             node->state = PRTE_NODE_STATE_UP;
             node->slots_inuse = 0;
-            if (NULL == max_slot_cnt || NULL == max_slot_cnt[n]) {
-                node->slots_max = 0;
-            } else {
-                obj = hwloc_get_root_obj(t->topo);
-                node->slots_max = prte_hwloc_base_get_npus(t->topo, use_hwthread_cpus, available,
-                                                           obj);
-            }
             if (NULL == slot_cnt || NULL == slot_cnt[n]) {
                 obj = hwloc_get_root_obj(t->topo);
                 node->slots = prte_hwloc_base_get_npus(t->topo, use_hwthread_cpus, available, obj);
             } else {
                 node->slots = strtol(slot_cnt[n], NULL, 10);
             }
+            if (NULL == max_slot_cnt || NULL == max_slot_cnt[n]) {
+                obj = hwloc_get_root_obj(t->topo);
+                node->slots_max = prte_hwloc_base_get_npus(t->topo, use_hwthread_cpus, available, obj);
+            } else {
+                node->slots_max = strtol(max_slot_cnt[n], NULL, 10);
+            }
             PMIX_RETAIN(t);
             node->topology = t;
             pmix_output_verbose(1, prte_ras_base_framework.framework_output,