diff --git a/tasks/runtime.yml b/tasks/runtime.yml
index 3eeb52f..18d75f7 100644
--- a/tasks/runtime.yml
+++ b/tasks/runtime.yml
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@
   ansible.builtin.tempfile:
   register: _slurm_conf_tmpfile
   delegate_to: localhost
-  when: openhpc_enable.control | default(false) or not openhpc_slurm_configless
+  when: openhpc_enable.control | default(false) or not openhpc_slurm_configless | bool
   changed_when: false # so molecule doesn't fail
   become: no
 
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@
     lstrip_blocks: true
     mode: 0644
   delegate_to: localhost
-  when: openhpc_enable.control | default(false) or not openhpc_slurm_configless
+  when: openhpc_enable.control | default(false) or not openhpc_slurm_configless | bool
   changed_when: false # so molecule doesn't fail
   become: no
 
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@
     mode: 0644
   loop: "{{ openhpc_config | dict2items }}"
   delegate_to: localhost
-  when: openhpc_enable.control | default(false) or not openhpc_slurm_configless
+  when: openhpc_enable.control | default(false) or not openhpc_slurm_configless | bool
   changed_when: false # so molecule doesn't fail
   become: no
 
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@
     owner: root
     group: root
     mode: 0644
-  when: openhpc_enable.control | default(false) or not openhpc_slurm_configless
+  when: openhpc_enable.control | default(false) or not openhpc_slurm_configless | bool
   notify:
     - Restart slurmctld service
   register: ohpc_slurm_conf
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@
     mode: "0600"
     owner: slurm
     group: slurm
-  when: openhpc_enable.control | default(false) or not openhpc_slurm_configless
+  when: openhpc_enable.control | default(false) or not openhpc_slurm_configless | bool
   notify:
     - Restart slurmctld service
   register: ohpc_gres_conf
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@
     mode: "0644" # perms/ownership based off src from ohpc package
     owner: root
     group: root
-  when: openhpc_enable.control | default(false) or not openhpc_slurm_configless
+  when: openhpc_enable.control | default(false) or not openhpc_slurm_configless | bool
 
 - name: Remove local tempfile for slurm.conf templating
   ansible.builtin.file:
@@ -169,10 +169,13 @@
   notify:
     - Restart slurmd service
 
-- name: Set slurmctld location for configless operation
+- name: Configure slurmd command line options
+  vars:
+    slurmd_options_configless: "--conf-server {{ openhpc_slurm_control_host_address | default(openhpc_slurm_control_host) }}"
+    slurmd_options: ""
   lineinfile:
     path: /etc/sysconfig/slurmd
-    line: "SLURMD_OPTIONS='--conf-server {{ openhpc_slurm_control_host_address | default(openhpc_slurm_control_host) }}'"
+    line: "SLURMD_OPTIONS='{{ slurmd_options_configless if openhpc_slurm_configless | bool else slurmd_options }}'"
     regexp: "^SLURMD_OPTIONS="
     create: yes
     owner: root
@@ -180,7 +183,6 @@
     mode: 0644
   when:
     - openhpc_enable.batch | default(false)
-    - openhpc_slurm_configless
   notify:
     - Restart slurmd service
   # Reloading is sufficent, but using a single handler means no bounce. Realistically this won't regularly change on a running slurmd so restarting is ok.
diff --git a/templates/slurm.conf.j2 b/templates/slurm.conf.j2
index 15da07d..94f0465 100644
--- a/templates/slurm.conf.j2
+++ b/templates/slurm.conf.j2
@@ -184,6 +184,6 @@ PartitionName={{part.name}} Default={{ part.get('default', 'YES') }} MaxTime={{
 # Define a non-existent node, in no partition, so that slurmctld starts even with all partitions empty
 NodeName=nonesuch
 
-{% if openhpc_slurm_configless %}SlurmctldParameters=enable_configless{% endif %}
+{% if openhpc_slurm_configless | bool %}SlurmctldParameters=enable_configless{% endif %}
 
 ReturnToService=2