diff --git a/reframe/core/schedulers/slurm.py b/reframe/core/schedulers/slurm.py
index a4b5186199..ac051bce2d 100644
--- a/reframe/core/schedulers/slurm.py
+++ b/reframe/core/schedulers/slurm.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
                                      JobBlockedError,
                                      JobError,
                                      JobSchedulerError)
-from reframe.utility import nodelist_abbrev, seconds_to_hms
+from reframe.utility import nodelist_abbrev, nodelist_expand, seconds_to_hms
 
 
 def slurm_state_completed(state):
@@ -73,6 +73,18 @@ def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         self._is_array = False
         self._is_cancelling = False
 
+        # The compacted nodelist as reported by Slurm. This must be updated in
+        # every poll as Slurm may be slow in reporting the exact nodelist
+        self._nodespec = None
+
+    @property
+    def nodelist(self):
+        # Redefine nodelist so as to generate it from the nodespec
+        if self._nodelist is None and self._nodespec is not None:
+            self._nodelist = nodelist_expand(self._nodespec)
+
+        return self._nodelist
+
     @property
     def is_array(self):
         return self._is_array
@@ -380,13 +392,6 @@ def _get_nodes_by_name(self, nodespec):
         node_descriptions = completed.stdout.splitlines()
         return _create_nodes(node_descriptions)
 
-    def _update_nodelist(self, job, nodespec):
-        if job.nodelist is not None:
-            return
-
-        if nodespec and nodespec != 'None assigned':
-            job._nodelist = [n.name for n in self._get_nodes_by_name(nodespec)]
-
     def _update_completion_time(self, job, timestamps):
         if job._completion_time is not None:
             return
@@ -460,9 +465,7 @@ def poll(self, *jobs):
                 )
 
             # Use ',' to join nodes to be consistent with Slurm syntax
-            self._update_nodelist(
-                job, ','.join(m.group('nodespec') for m in jobarr_info)
-            )
+            job._nodespec = ','.join(m.group('nodespec') for m in jobarr_info)
             self._update_completion_time(
                 job, (m.group('end') for m in jobarr_info)
             )
diff --git a/reframe/utility/__init__.py b/reframe/utility/__init__.py
index 2bcd792c1f..aa678bce4a 100644
--- a/reframe/utility/__init__.py
+++ b/reframe/utility/__init__.py
@@ -925,6 +925,43 @@ def nodelist_abbrev(nodes):
     return ','.join(str(ng) for ng in node_groups)
 
 
+def nodelist_expand(nodespec):
+    '''Expand the nodes in ``nodespec`` to a list of nodes.
+
+    :arg nodespec: A node specification as the one returned by
+        :func:`nodelist_abbrev`
+    :returns: The list of nodes corresponding to the given node specification.
+
+    .. versionadded:: 4.0.0
+    '''
+
+    if not isinstance(nodespec, str):
+        raise TypeError('nodespec argument must be a string')
+
+    if nodespec == '':
+        return []
+
+    nodespec_parts = nodespec.split(',')
+    node_patt = re.compile(r'(?P<prefix>.+)\[(?P<l>\d+)-(?P<u>\d+)\]')
+    nodes = []
+    for ns in nodespec_parts:
+        if '[' not in ns and ']' not in ns:
+            nodes.append(ns)
+            continue
+
+        match = node_patt.match(ns)
+        if not match:
+            raise ValueError(f'invalid nodespec: {nodespec}')
+
+        prefix = match.group('prefix')
+        low, upper = int(match.group('l')), int(match.group('u'))
+        width = count_digits(upper)
+        for nid in range(low, upper+1):
+            nodes.append(f'{prefix}{nid:0{width}}')
+
+    return nodes
+
+
 def cache_return_value(fn):
     '''Decorator that caches the return value of the decorated function.
 
diff --git a/unittests/test_utility.py b/unittests/test_utility.py
index f105a9ce32..4e9f8fe728 100644
--- a/unittests/test_utility.py
+++ b/unittests/test_utility.py
@@ -1761,7 +1761,7 @@ def bar(x, y):
         util.is_trivially_callable(1)
 
 
-def test_nodelist_abbrev():
+def test_nodelist_utilities():
     nid_nodes = [f'nid{n:03}' for n in range(5, 20)]
     cid_nodes = [f'cid{n:03}' for n in range(20)]
 
@@ -1776,12 +1776,20 @@ def test_nodelist_abbrev():
     random.shuffle(all_nodes)
 
     nodelist = util.nodelist_abbrev
+    expand = util.nodelist_expand
     assert nodelist(nid_nodes) == 'nid00[1-2],nid0[05-19],nid125'
     assert nodelist(cid_nodes) == 'cid0[00-19],cid05[5-6]'
     assert nodelist(all_nodes) == (
         'cid0[00-19],cid05[5-6],nid00[1-2],nid0[05-19],nid125'
     )
 
+    # Test the reverse operation
+    assert expand('nid00[1-2],nid0[05-19],nid125') == sorted(nid_nodes)
+    assert expand('cid0[00-19],cid05[5-6]') == sorted(cid_nodes)
+    assert expand(
+        'cid0[00-19],cid05[5-6],nid00[1-2],nid0[05-19],nid125'
+    ) == sorted(all_nodes)
+
     # Test non-contiguous nodes
     nid_nodes = []
     for i in range(3):
@@ -1793,12 +1801,22 @@ def test_nodelist_abbrev():
     assert nodelist([]) == ''
     assert nodelist(['nid001']) == 'nid001'
 
+    # Test the reverse operation
+    assert expand('nid00[0-4],nid01[0-4],nid02[0-4]') == sorted(nid_nodes)
+    assert expand('nid01,nid10,nid20') == ['nid01', 'nid10', 'nid20']
+    assert expand('') == []
+    assert expand('nid001') == ['nid001']
+
     # Test host names with numbers in their basename (see GH #2357)
     nodes = [f'c2-01-{n:02}' for n in range(100)]
     assert nodelist(nodes) == 'c2-01-[00-99]'
 
+    # Test the reverse operation
+    assert expand('c2-01-[00-99]') == nodes
+
     # Test node duplicates
     assert nodelist(['nid001', 'nid001', 'nid002']) == 'nid001,nid00[1-2]'
+    assert expand('nid001,nid00[1-2]') == ['nid001', 'nid001', 'nid002']
 
     with pytest.raises(TypeError, match='nodes argument must be a Sequence'):
         nodelist(1)
@@ -1806,6 +1824,12 @@ def test_nodelist_abbrev():
     with pytest.raises(TypeError, match='nodes argument cannot be a string'):
         nodelist('foo')
 
+    with pytest.raises(TypeError, match='nodespec argument must be a string'):
+        expand(10)
+
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match='invalid nodespec'):
+        expand('nid00[1-3],nid3[3-43')
+
 
 def test_cached_return_value():