diff --git a/Netdisco/bin/netdisco-daemon-fg b/Netdisco/bin/netdisco-daemon-fg
index 2fc5f787..41446ef4 100755
--- a/Netdisco/bin/netdisco-daemon-fg
+++ b/Netdisco/bin/netdisco-daemon-fg
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ sub build_tasks_list {
     user_begin => worker_factory('Manager'),
   }];
 
-  $has_scheduler = (setting('housekeeping') ? 1 : 0);
+  my $has_scheduler = (setting('housekeeping') ? 1 : 0);
   push @$tasks, {
     max_workers => 1,
     user_begin => worker_factory('Scheduler'),
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ sub build_tasks_list {
   } if setting('daemon_interactives');
 
   info sprintf "MCE will load %s tasks: 1 Manager, %s Scheduler, %s Poller, %s Interactive",
-    (1+ scalar @$tasks), $has_scheduler,
+    (scalar @$tasks), $has_scheduler,
     (setting('daemon_pollers') || 0),
     (setting('daemon_interactives') || 0);
   return $tasks;
diff --git a/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/Daemon/Worker/Manager.pm b/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/Daemon/Worker/Manager.pm
index 0842ec65..fe791a48 100644
--- a/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/Daemon/Worker/Manager.pm
+++ b/Netdisco/lib/App/Netdisco/Daemon/Worker/Manager.pm
@@ -42,7 +42,8 @@ sub worker_begin {
 sub worker_body {
   my $self = shift;
   my $wid = $self->wid;
-  my $num_slots = $self->do('num_workers');
+  my $num_slots = $self->do('num_workers')
+    or return warning "mgr ($wid): this node has no workers... quitting manager";
 
   # get some pending jobs
   my $rs = schema('netdisco')->resultset('Admin')